Transcendental Meditation and general meditation are associated with enhanced complex partial epileptic-like signs: evidence for "cognitive" kindling?

University students who meditated, primarily using Transcendental Meditation, reported more frequent experiences resembling complex partial epilepsy—such as vibrations, hearing their name called, paranormal phenomena, profound reactions to poetry or prose, and religious experiences—compared to non-meditators. Among meditators, longer practice correlated with more of these signs and a sensed presence, but not with control, olfactory, or perseverative experiences. These findings support the idea that practices promoting cognitive kindling can increase complex partial epileptic-like signs.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The Personal Philosophy Inventories of 221 university students who had learned to meditate (about 65% to 70% Transcendental Meditation) were compared to 860 nonmeditators. Meditators displayed a significantly wider range of complex partial epileptic-like signs. Experiences of vibrations, hearing one's name called, paranormal phenomena, profound meaning from reading poetry/prose, and religious phenomenology were particularly frequent among mediators. Numbers of years of TM practice were significantly correlated with the incidence of complex partial signs and sensed presence but not with control, olfactory, or perseverative experiences. The results support the hypothesis that procedures which promote cognitive kindling enhance complex partial epileptic-like signs.