Neural correlates of a mystical experience in Carmelite nuns
Mario Beauregard, Vincent Paquette
Neuroscience Letters July 27, 2006 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2006.06.060 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMystical experiences—specifically a state of union with God—are associated with activation in multiple brain regions. In Carmelite nuns, fMRI revealed significant activity in the right medial orbitofrontal cortex, right middle temporal cortex, right inferior and superior parietal lobules, right caudate, left medial prefrontal cortex, left anterior cingulate cortex, left inferior parietal lobule, left insula, left caudate, left brainstem, and the extra-striate visual cortex. These findings suggest that such experiences are mediated by several brain regions and systems rather than a single area.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Carmelite nuns |
| Citations | 338 |
| Key finding | Mystical experiences involve activation in multiple brain regions, including the orbitofrontal cortex, temporal cortex, parietal lobules, caudate, prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, insula, brainstem, and extra-striate visual cortex. |
Abstract
The main goal of this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was to identify the neural correlates of a mystical experience. The brain activity of Carmelite nuns was measured while they were subjectively in a state of union with God. This state was associated with significant loci of activation in the right medial orbitofrontal cortex, right middle temporal cortex, right inferior and superior parietal lobules, right caudate, left medial prefrontal cortex, left anterior cingulate cortex, left inferior parietal lobule, left insula, left caudate, and left brainstem. Other loci of activation were seen in the extra-striate visual cortex. These results suggest that mystical experiences are mediated by several brain regions and systems.