<p>Research in this area is pretty patchy. Summarizing what <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroscience_of_religion#Experimental_work" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia says on the topic</a>:</p>

<ul>
<li>"God helmet" experiments were plagued by failures to reproduce by independent research groups</li>
<li>TLE (temporal lobe epilepsy) and its effect known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geschwind_syndrome" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Geschwind syndrome</a> is one plausible cause... but that does not explain it in all people</li>
<li><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/religious-experiences-shrink-part-of-brain/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">hippocampal atrophy</a> is a more recent hypothesis, although it seems backed by only one study insofar</li>
</ul>

<p>Independently of Wikipedia I found:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2010.01.026" rel="nofollow noreferrer">a study by Urgesi et at. (2010)</a> on the effect of brain lesions (following brain cancer removal) on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-transcendence" rel="nofollow noreferrer">self-transcendence</a>, which determined that "self-transcendence increases after damage to lt and rt inferior parietal cortex". </li>
<li><a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02305.x" rel="nofollow noreferrer">a 2009 study by Inzlicht et al.</a> found that "religious conviction is marked by reduced reactivity in the
anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a cortical system that is
involved in the experience of anxiety and is important for
self-regulation [...] These correlations remained strong even after we controlled for personality and cognitive ability." And the paper goes as far as having a "xanax of the people" heading for one its sections, and obvious pun on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_of_the_people" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the better known phrase of Marx</a>. The authors also point out that a similar anxiolytic effect was observed in studies of other strong beliefs, but not necessarily religious, e.g. ideological/political, citing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1979" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Amodio et al. 2007</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.95.1.18" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Kay et al. 2008</a>. (And starting to digress here, but the Amodio study has <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/human_nature/2007/09/liberal_interpretation.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">elicited strong reactions in the press</a>).</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-13T12:58:21.620Z
2017-12-13T13:11:43.423Z
2017-12-13T13:11:43.423Z
got trolled too much this week
<p>I am a scientist by nature, and I don't believe at all in God or any form of spirituality or the Holy Spirit (of course).</p>

<p>However, it does confuse me as to how some people genuinely do seem to be overcome by 'spirit' in certain more extreme churches.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuOBdGeArZw" rel="noreferrer">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuOBdGeArZw</a> Watch this clip, and at about 3:35 the man goes into a strange state, and states like this do happen. 
As well as this, my dad once began crying for no reason in a Church or Mosque or something at the altar.</p>

<p>Are there any scientifically/theoretical psychological explanations as to why this could be possible without the need for any sort of spirituality?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-06-24T10:33:23.753Z
Temporal lobe epilepsy is also associated with hyper-religiosity, ecstatic states, and paranormal hallucinations.
Dan M.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-10-10T00:15:24.333Z
A physiological explanation might be found here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_helmet
CheeseConQueso
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-13T12:41:34.467Z
The video is no longer available, by the way.
got trolled too much this week
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-25T05:25:26.950Z
I have never experienced anything firsthand, but I have heard eye witness accounts of people speaking in tongues. It is another gift the Holy Spirit which I would like to hear psychology explain.
Cardinal System
<social-psychology><abnormal-psychology><religion>
Is there a psychological explanation for people being 'overcome by the Holy Spirit'?
ODP
# Is there a psychological explanation for people being 'overcome by the Holy Spirit'?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-06-23)

I am a scientist by nature, and I don't believe at all in God or any form of spirituality or the Holy Spirit (of course).

However, it does confuse me as to how some people genuinely do seem to be overcome by 'spirit' in certain more extreme churches.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuOBdGeArZw> Watch this clip, and at about 3:35 the man goes into a strange state, and states like this do happen.
As well as this, my dad once began crying for no reason in a Church or Mosque or something at the altar.

Are there any scientifically/theoretical psychological explanations as to why this could be possible without the need for any sort of spirituality?

**Tags:** social-psychology, abnormal-psychology, religion

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Temporal lobe epilepsy is also associated with hyper-religiosity, ecstatic states, and paranormal hallucinations.  
> **username_2**: A physiological explanation might be found here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_helmet  
> **username_3**: The video is no longer available, by the way.  
> **username_4**: I have never experienced anything firsthand, but I have heard eye witness accounts of people speaking in tongues. It is another gift the Holy Spirit which I would like to hear psychology explain.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-12-13. Score: 2

Research in this area is pretty patchy. Summarizing what [Wikipedia says on the topic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroscience_of_religion#Experimental_work):

* "God helmet" experiments were plagued by failures to reproduce by independent research groups
* TLE (temporal lobe epilepsy) and its effect known as [Geschwind syndrome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geschwind_syndrome) is one plausible cause... but that does not explain it in all people
* [hippocampal atrophy](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/religious-experiences-shrink-part-of-brain/) is a more recent hypothesis, although it seems backed by only one study insofar

Independently of Wikipedia I found:

* [a study by Urgesi et at. (2010)](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2010.01.026) on the effect of brain lesions (following brain cancer removal) on [self-transcendence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-transcendence), which determined that "self-transcendence increases after damage to lt and rt inferior parietal cortex".
* [a 2009 study by Inzlicht et al.](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02305.x) found that "religious conviction is marked by reduced reactivity in the
  anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a cortical system that is
  involved in the experience of anxiety and is important for
  self-regulation [...] These correlations remained strong even after we controlled for personality and cognitive ability." And the paper goes as far as having a "xanax of the people" heading for one its sections, and obvious pun on [the better known phrase of Marx](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_of_the_people). The authors also point out that a similar anxiolytic effect was observed in studies of other strong beliefs, but not necessarily religious, e.g. ideological/political, citing [Amodio et al. 2007](https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1979) and [Kay et al. 2008](https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.95.1.18). (And starting to digress here, but the Amodio study has [elicited strong reactions in the press](http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/human_nature/2007/09/liberal_interpretation.html)).


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