Immersion, Absorption, and Spiritual Experience: Some Preliminary Findings

Abstract

Many traditions have utilized silent environments to induce altered states of consciousness and spiritual experiences. Neurocognitive explorations of spiritual experience can aid in understanding the underlying mechanism, but these are surprisingly rare. We present the verbal report and the electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha profile of a female participant scoring a maximal 34 on the Absorption Scale, recorded before and while she was immersed in a whole-body perceptual deprivation (WBPD) tank. We analyze her trancelike experience in terms of the imagery reported: a spaceship, corridors, doors, a man dressed in white, speaking to God, the sun, supernova, concentric images, and an out-of-body experience. Her report is indicative of a spiritual experience, given that she felt that she was “meeting God” in the laboratory. She exhibited both frontal and parietal left > right alpha power asymmetry at baseline, whereas in the WBPD condition, there was a global increase in alpha power and especially a sharp increase in right-frontal alpha power. Her verbal report and EEG alpha profile were compared to those of another female participant, also scoring high on absorption, whose verbal report was also indicative of a trancelike experience. For further comparison, we present the data for two participants scoring low on absorption. Spiritual experience that can be verbalized might be associated with a marked increase in right-frontal alpha power, as reported here. In contrast, a mystical experience characterized by ineffability would be indicated by a marked increase in left-frontal alpha power.

Spontaneous Spiritual Awakenings: Phenomenology, Altered States, Individual Differences, and Well-Being

“…Indeed, as noted in the Introduction, this is perhaps not wholly surprising, as trait absorption has been found to predict mystical and quasi-mystical experiences produced endogenously in certain sensory-depriving, homeostasis-unbalancing, and trance-inducing contexts (Rock, 2009 ; Luhrmann et al, 2010 ; Bronkhorst, 2016 ; Luke et al, 2018 ; Glicksohn and Ben-Soussan, 2020 ), as well as some of the common characteristics of spiritual states associated with SSA/SKAs, such as stronger empathy (Wickramasekera and Szlyk, 2003 ; Wickramasekera, 2007 ), stronger flow states (Marty-Dugas and Smilek, 2019 ), more pronounced creativity (Wild et al, 1995 ; Manmiller et al, 2005 ), a stronger attachment to nature and other forms of life (Kaplan, 1995 ; Brown and Katcher, 1997 ), feelings of self-transcendence (Cardeña and Terhune, 2014 ), more pronounced experiences of synaesthesia (Rader and Tellegen, 1987 ; Glicksohn et al, 1999 ; Chun and Hupé, 2016 ), alterations in time-space perception and meaning (Pekala et al, 1985 ; Kumar and Pekala, 1988 ), and paranormal beliefs or experiences (Glicksohn, 1990 , 2004 ; Spanos et al, 1993 ; Glicksohn and Barrett, 2003 ; Granqvist et al, 2005 ; French et al, 2008 ; Parra, 2008 ; Zingrone et al, 2009 ; Luhrmann et al, 2010 , 2021 ; Gray and Gallo, 2016 ; Parra and Gimenez Amarilla, 2016 ), in drug and non-drug contexts relative to the general population. The differences in measured predictions of SSA/SKA intensity between TLL and absorption are likely due to the fact that each dependent variable used in our study measured slightly different aspects of overall SSA/SKA experiences (i.e., kundalini awakening, nondual experience, mystical experience, ASC).…”

“…It has been found to be a good predictor of altered states produced by psychedelic substances (Haijen et al, 2018 ) such as psilocybin (Studerus et al, 2012 ; Studerus, 2013 ), LSD (Carhart-Harris et al, 2015 ; Terhune et al, 2016 ), MDMA (Hastings, 2006 ), ayahuasca (Bresnick and Levin, 2006 ), and ayahuasca's active ingredient, DMT (Timmermann et al, 2018 ). It is also a good predictor of mystical and quasi-mystical experiences produced endogenously in contexts such as the anechoic dark room (Luke et al, 2018 ), the whole-body perceptual deprivation tank (WBPD; Glicksohn and Ben-Soussan, 2020 ), and during guided “shamanic journey” visualisation (Rock, 2009 ). Traditionally, the trait has been associated with “fantasy proneness,” hypnotisability, imagery ability, openness to experiences (McCrae and Costa, 1983 ; Pekala et al, 1985 ; Roche and McConkey, 1990 ; Glisky et al, 1991 ), alterations in body image, time-space perception, and meaning (Pekala et al, 1985 ; Kumar and Pekala, 1988 ), higher emotional sensitivity and emotional brain processing (McCrae and Costa, 1983 ; Benning et al, 2015 ), stronger empathy (Wickramasekera and Szlyk, 2003 ; Wickramasekera, 2007 ), stronger flow states (Marty-Dugas and Smilek, 2019 ), intellectual curiosity (McCrae and Costa, 1983 ), more pronounced creativity and engagement in the arts (Wild et al, 1995 ; Manmiller et al, 2005 ), positive emotional responses to music (Rhodes et al, 1988 ), more pronounced experiences of synaesthesia (Rader and Tellegen, 1987 ; Glicksohn et al, 1999 ; Chun and Hupé, 2016 ), and an attachment to nature and other forms of life (Kaplan, 1995 ; Brown and Katcher, 1997 ), relative to the general population.…”

Effects of Pulsed-Wave Chromotherapy and Guided Relaxation on the Theta-Alpha Oscillation During Arrest Reaction

“…It has been reported that the alpha oscillation power increase on the right frontal area is correlated with spiritual experience during a sensory deprivation environment ( Glicksohn and Ben-Soussan, 2020 ). We did not find the alpha but theta power increase in frontal regions; no participant of our study reported any spiritual or mystic experience during the RB sessions.…”

Chinese music therapy to treat depression in children and adolescents: The BARIT-Model

“…Dominating experience of being haunted by depression which perceptibly banishes one's selfidentity is likely to cause a loss of self-awareness, alongside pathological sequelae. Supporting fragmented selves, mindful ways in holistic healthcare are about to gain importance, spiritual immersion [46] included. The BARIT-model encompasses musical immersion, either through listening or music-making.…”