HAVE you ever heard God’s voice, spoken in tongues or perhaps felt you are one with the universe? Well, you aren’t alone: more than 30 per cent of people report having had a spiritual experience.
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In The Varieties of Spiritual Experience: 21st century research and perspectives, researchers David Yaden and Andrew Newberg argue that, since these experiences are so prevalent, it is worthwhile, even necessary, to examine them using psychology, neuroscience and a fair bit of philosophy. This approach results in a meticulous compendium of what we do and don’t know about these types of altered states – and why they matter.
The first section of the book introduces us to the scientific study of spiritual experience, starting with a short history of the field’s founder, psychologist William James. In the early 20th century, James wrote key texts on attention, memory and emotion, as well as the first scientific book about spiritual experiences, The Varieties of Religious Experience, from which this new book takes its name.
The authors go on to summarise the modern neuroscientific and psychological approaches used to study spiritual experiences, such as brain imaging and psychometrics. They also admit where these methods fall short. For example, it is difficult to predict when someone will have a spiritual experience, making it nearly impossible to study them during magnetic resonance imaging sessions – though the use of psychedelic drugs is changing this, as they may be able to reliably induce such experiences.
One reason to study spiritual experiences is to understand their impact on mental health. While similar presentations are common in some mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, research shows about 80 per cent of people who have had a spiritual experience view it positively, and about two-thirds say it improved their well-being.
Using survey responses, Yaden and Newberg identified six broad categories of spiritual experience. Some centre on “numinous” experiences, in which people describe feeling God’s presence. Others are broader. Revelatory experiences, for example, include seeing visions, hearing voices and glossolalia, the practice of speaking in tongues, which is common among US evangelical Christians. of people speaking in tongues suggested an association between the practice and decreased activity in the frontal lobe, a brain area linked to consciousness and self-control.
Other spiritual experiences are more familiar, such as aesthetic experiences, when people describe feeling awe and admiration for nature or art. Many astronauts report this type of experience.
The final section of the book delves into the potential uses of spiritual experiences, such as treating addiction, alleviating depression and improving people’s outlook on life. Yaden and Newberg also explore the role of psychedelics in spiritual experiences, what such experiences can tell us about consciousness, and their social, philosophical and evolutionary roots.
Importantly, the authors avoid invalidating people’s experiences or beliefs, focusing more on the outcomes of spiritual experiences. They investigate thoughtfully and respectfully, often reflecting on the many unknowns. Ultimately, they conclude that, while science can illuminate spiritual experiences, it may never fully explain what are among life’s biggest mysteries.
