Exaltation in temporal lobe epilepsy: neuropsychiatric symptom or portal to the divine?
The Journal of medical humanities September 1, 2014 Niall McCrae, Rob Whitley
Religiosity is a prominent feature of Geschwind syndrome, a behavioral pattern in some temporal lobe epilepsy cases. Since Wilder Penfield induced spiritual feelings by manipulating the temporal lobes in the 1950s, brain imaging has revealed neural correlates of intense emotional states, spurring neurotheology. Psychiatry, neurology, and psychology tend to pathologize deviant religious expression, reinforcing dualism between objective and phenomenal worlds. Considering theological perspectives and cosmic consciousness, the authors urge a holistic approach to spiritual events of epileptic aura, potentially deepening understanding of the mind and its transcendent potential.