A Comparative Model of Mysticism: Cognitive Neuroscience, Phenomenal Experiences, and Noetic Accounts
Archive for the Psychology of Religion July 26, 2024 Hemal P. Trivedi 2 citations
A proposed model for comparing mystical experiences across cultures and eras integrates three components: neurocognitive mechanisms and brain substrates, phenomenal experiences, and noetic accounts. Applied to ego-dissolution experiences of the modern mystic Sadhguru, medieval mystic Teresa of Ávila, and individuals using psilocybin and LSD, the neurocognitive component—drawn from studies of brain injury, psychedelics, and meditation—serves as a bridge that undercuts the longstanding debate between universalist and contextualist approaches. This multidisciplinary framework aims to identify both universal and context-specific elements of mystical experience, contributing to theology, religious studies, philosophy, history, and cognitive neuroscience.