Mystical Experience

Mystical experiences represent a fundamental dimension of human existence. These experiences are commonly reported across all cultures. A mystical experience subjectively is characterized by encountering the divine in a way that disrupts the normal sense of self . The definitions of mystical experience used in research and clinical publications vary considerably, ranging from "upheaval of the total personality” (Neumann, E., in Campbell, J. (ed.) (1989) The Mystic Vision) to definitions such as "everyday mysticism” (Scharfstein, B. (1974) Mystical Experience). William James believed the mystical experience was at the core of religion, and believed that such experiences led to the founding of the world's religions. Many of the personal religious experiences uncovered in Gallup polls (reviewed later) have their roots in mystical states of consciousness. In Varieties of Religious Experience, James (1902) described mystical experiences as having: · Ineffability: defying description · Noetic quality: accessing special kinds of knowledge · Temporal transiency · Passivity, where the participant feels “as if he were grasped and held by a superior power” ‘Neurotheology’ is a new field of research that seeks to understand the relationship between the brain, the mind and religion ( Newberg, A. (2010) excerpt from Principles of Neurotheology). Research by Newberg (here, in a 2009 interview) has been strongly focused on the relationship between neurobiology and mystical experience. Many studies have found EEG changes indicating a marked shift in neural processing during mystical states. For example, a study of Carmelite nuns found “that mystical experiences are mediated by marked changes in EEG power and coherence. These changes implicate several cortical areas of the brain in both hemispheres.” (Beauregard, M., Paquette, V. (2008) EEG activity in Carmelite nuns during a mystical experience) For additional definitions and descriptions of mystical experiences, see Common Threads in Mysticism, an interview with Robert Frager, PhD, one of the founders of transpersonal psychology. See also Several Definitions of Mysticism. Mystical Experiences and Psychopathology