The human brain is a sensory information processor. Modern brains have developed artificial cognitive constructs about time, space, language, and categories that are needed for daily function.
During some instances, these cognitive constructs are suppressed and the brain processes the information using the emotional parts of the brain. These experiences are often described as mystical, spiritual or religious experiences, and mystical experiences were the genesis of all religions. They can happen during mental disorders such as schizophrenia and epileptic seizures, physical illness and injury, meditation, religious rituals, and the experience of art.
Another path to mystical experiences is through the use of psychedelic drugs such as LSD, DMT, Peyote, and magic mushrooms. Such drugs have been used by many religious movements, including within Hinduism, some American Indian and other aboriginal religions, the Rastafarians, and ancient cultures such as the Aztecs, Vikings, and Mayans.
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Short Video: “The Mystery of DMT and Psilocybin”
The following video clip is from a classroom lecture by University of Toronto psychology professor Jordan Peterson, an expert in the psychology of religion.
The significance and meaning of these experiences is an eternal and unanswerable debate. I facilitated two discussion groups on mystical experiences with attendees having experienced them. Opinions about the significance and meaning of them differed. Some attendees held profound spiritual interpretations, while some considered them purely medical phenomena.
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Related Previous Posts:
V.S. Ramachandran on Brain Disorders and Religious Beliefs
Children, Non-Human Animals and Mysticism
The Relationship Between Schizophrenia and Religious Visions