The Induction of Religious Experiences and Temporal Lobe Activation: Neuronal Source Localization Using EEG Inverse Solutions

Abstract

Knowledge about brain source localizations for religious states of mind is still limited. Previous studies have usually not set a direct emphasis on experience. The present study investigated the phenomenon of religious experience using inverse solution calculations, and it is one of the first to measure the dimension of experience directly. A total of 60 evangelical Christians participated in an experiment where they were asked to engage in worship and try to connect with God. Using a bar slider, the participants continuously rated how strongly they sensed God’s presence at any given moment. A selection of songs helped to induce the desired experience. Measurements were made using EEG with 64 electrodes and inverse solutions were calculated with sLORETA. We appropriated two mutually compatible hypotheses from the literature pertaining to religious experiences: the executive inhibition hypothesis (reformulated as the frontal relaxation hypothesis) and the temporal involvement hypothesis. Our results did not yield any information about the frontal areas; however, they indicated that the right temporal cortex appeared to be involved during the experience.