A Neurophenomenological Perspective on the Self and Spirituality: The Role of the Affective Core Self

The self is necessary for consciousness and central to spirituality. Downregulation of the right parietal lobe (rPL) is linked to spiritual experiences and meditative practices. The rPL supports the embodied self; its disturbance is associated with selflessness and spiritual experience. While many forms of self are incompatible with mystical experiences, the affective core self—the most ancient form—directly corresponds to many characteristics of such experiences. The affective core self and right-hemisphere processes in core spiritual features suggest a reversion to earlier self-representation, explaining the neurophenomenology of some spiritual experiences.

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Abstract

The self is central to spirituality because the self is necessary for consciousness, and spiritual relations are fundamentally about the self. Diverse research illustrates the role of the downregulation of the right parietal lobe (rPL) in the spontaneous manifestation of spiritual experiences and during meditative practices. The functions of the rPL are central to the self, especially the embodied self. Disturbances of the rPL and embodied self-functions are associated with spiritual experience, exemplified in their association with “selflessness.” Many forms of self appear incompatible with spiritual and mystical experiences. An exception is the affective core self, the most ancient form of the self. Manifestations of the affective core self correspond directly to many characteristics of mystical experiences, illustrating its relevance for explaining the neurophenomenology of spiritual experience. The central functions of the affective core self and right-hemisphere processes in core features of spiritual experiences illustrate a reversion to earlier forms of self-representation and explain the neurophenomenology of some spiritual experiences.