9) Mystical states
Every major lobe is involved in generating mystical states.
Every major lobe is involved in generating mystical states.
The parietal lobe receives sensory inputs of touch, vision and hearing and is largely responsible for creating the "sense" of a three-dimensional body and its orientation in space.
The temporal lobe, w/the parietal lobe, creates abstract concepts like "time" and relates them to words. These cognitive concepts define what we can think about and understand, including causality, the basis for myths and perceptions in mystical experiences.
The visual cortex in the occipital lobe is critical, as many mystical experiences are visually-based. The extensive "post-processing" of visual input has received an enormous amount of research and several Nobel prizes.
The temporal lobe, w/the parietal lobe, creates abstract concepts like "time" and relates them to words. These cognitive concepts define what we can think about and understand, including causality, the basis for myths and perceptions in mystical experiences.
The visual cortex in the occipital lobe is critical, as many mystical experiences are visually-based. The extensive "post-processing" of visual input has received an enormous amount of research and several Nobel prizes.
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Many levels of processing
in visual cortex (V1 - V4) |
The input from the eye is first processed in the primary visual area (V1 in dia @ left), where it becomes abstract lines, shapes and colors. The secondary processing areas (V2 - V4) organize this into a recognizable free-floating image w/o context or meaning. Input is then incorporated from smelling, hearing, memory and emotional areas to create dimensional "fullness" and emotional "meaning".
What you "see" is a highly-processed representation using much "old" data from memories and emotions. A "perfect" visual representation isn't as useful for survival as a reconstructed one. It's more important to show what has changed and what it "means", like whether that brown fuzzy spot in those bushes is a problem. The heavily processed images in our mystical visions like icons, deities, demons, snakes, melting trees, etc., are the result.
The frontal lobe creates reward, attention, short-term memory, planning and motivation and has most of the dopamine-sensitive neurons in the cortex to control them. Focusing and ignoring some stimuli is critical to successfully completing complex tasks, including meditation.
The only way we have to know or experience anything, including "God", reality, mystical experiences, I/ego, chocolate, sex, etc., is through the brain's operations.
A key element is the creation, about 75,000 years ago, of this ethereal, inner, personal "self" who has this mystical experience. This free-standing, observant "self/I" arose from perceiving our own existence, and then reflecting on our perceptions.
This "self" was an evolutionary adaptation made necessary, and possible, with our growing population facilitated by agriculture. This generated more complex tasks needing coordination and organization, which were a great evolutionary advantage, enabling us to populate every part of the planet and become the dominant, and most dangerous, species. The parietal lobe grouped these emotions, thoughts, sensations, memories, etc. into the concept of "mind".
What you "see" is a highly-processed representation using much "old" data from memories and emotions. A "perfect" visual representation isn't as useful for survival as a reconstructed one. It's more important to show what has changed and what it "means", like whether that brown fuzzy spot in those bushes is a problem. The heavily processed images in our mystical visions like icons, deities, demons, snakes, melting trees, etc., are the result.
The frontal lobe creates reward, attention, short-term memory, planning and motivation and has most of the dopamine-sensitive neurons in the cortex to control them. Focusing and ignoring some stimuli is critical to successfully completing complex tasks, including meditation.
The only way we have to know or experience anything, including "God", reality, mystical experiences, I/ego, chocolate, sex, etc., is through the brain's operations.
A key element is the creation, about 75,000 years ago, of this ethereal, inner, personal "self" who has this mystical experience. This free-standing, observant "self/I" arose from perceiving our own existence, and then reflecting on our perceptions.
This "self" was an evolutionary adaptation made necessary, and possible, with our growing population facilitated by agriculture. This generated more complex tasks needing coordination and organization, which were a great evolutionary advantage, enabling us to populate every part of the planet and become the dominant, and most dangerous, species. The parietal lobe grouped these emotions, thoughts, sensations, memories, etc. into the concept of "mind".
Deactivating key DMN nodes w/meditation or psychedelics creates the mystical experiences of "All is One" and "now, now, now".
This is consistent w/the earlier lobes discussion. The DMN centers include the tempo-parietal junction(TPJ), lateral temporal cortex(LTC), temporal pole(TempP), and posterior inferior parietal lobule(PIPL), so it fits together.
How can physical/mental activities activate these mystical experiences?
This is consistent w/the earlier lobes discussion. The DMN centers include the tempo-parietal junction(TPJ), lateral temporal cortex(LTC), temporal pole(TempP), and posterior inferior parietal lobule(PIPL), so it fits together.
How can physical/mental activities activate these mystical experiences?
A popular model is from the research of Andrew Newberg, Eugene d'Aquili, and Vince Rause. They found that activities making the two branches of the autonomic system, the sympathetic/arousal and the parasympathetic/quiescent, function simultaneously at maximum levels, instead of alternating normally, "trigger" mystical states.
This works by "de-afferenating", or dramatically reducing the neural input necessary for normal operation of key parietal and temporal regions.
As these regions create the sensations of the body in space and time, increasing deafferenation triggers increasingly intense mystical experiences.
The thalamus is critical as it connects the frontal lobes/cortex to the limbic system and the rest of the body. Recursive looping in the thalamo-cortical circuit is critical for reasoning, problem-solving, working memory, and in some theories, consciousness. Interestingly, corvids (crows, ravens, jays) have it, and in a Cambridge university study in Science were as good at problem solving as non-human primates. (BTW, "Gifts of the Crow" is a great neuroscientific discussion on this.)
Triggering is initiated by intense physical or mental activity, including dancing, running, prolonged concentration, meditation and ceremonial rituals. Research demonstrated that tantric yoga and transcendental meditation produce significant changes in the autonomic systems. Newberg/d'Aquili's work demonstrated that some types of meditation activated both sub-systems, while others activated only one.
There are four "autonomic" deafferentation states that Newberg/d'Aquili's model describe:
This works by "de-afferenating", or dramatically reducing the neural input necessary for normal operation of key parietal and temporal regions.
As these regions create the sensations of the body in space and time, increasing deafferenation triggers increasingly intense mystical experiences.
The thalamus is critical as it connects the frontal lobes/cortex to the limbic system and the rest of the body. Recursive looping in the thalamo-cortical circuit is critical for reasoning, problem-solving, working memory, and in some theories, consciousness. Interestingly, corvids (crows, ravens, jays) have it, and in a Cambridge university study in Science were as good at problem solving as non-human primates. (BTW, "Gifts of the Crow" is a great neuroscientific discussion on this.)
Triggering is initiated by intense physical or mental activity, including dancing, running, prolonged concentration, meditation and ceremonial rituals. Research demonstrated that tantric yoga and transcendental meditation produce significant changes in the autonomic systems. Newberg/d'Aquili's work demonstrated that some types of meditation activated both sub-systems, while others activated only one.
There are four "autonomic" deafferentation states that Newberg/d'Aquili's model describe:
a) Hyperquiescence
Extraordinary relaxation evoked through slow, quiet, deliberate rituals such as chanting and group prayer or meditation, accompanied by oceanic tranquility and bliss.
b) Hyperarousal
Extraordinary arousal/excitation resulting in keen alertness, excitement and intense concentration w/o feelings or thoughts, evoked by Sufi mystics, Voudon/Voodoo practitioners, marathon runners, long-distance swimmers, downhill skiers, fighter pilots, etc. This is the "flow" experience.
c) Hyperquiscence w/arousal breakthrough
Intense levels of quiescent activity in meditation or contemplative prayer trigger an intense, altered state w/great bliss, an exhilarating rush of energy and absorption into an object of concentration.
d) Hyperarousal with quiescent breakthrough
Maximal stimulation triggers surges of quiescent responses in a trance-like rush of "orgasmic" energy, induced by intense and prolonged contemplation during rapid ritualistic dance and sex.
Mystical experiences manifest over a broad range of activities. Newberg's and d'Aquilli's research demonstrated that the key was to make both the "arousal" and "quiescent" systems, that normally alternate, operate simultaneously. This shuts down the input to temporal and parietal centers in the Default Mode Network (DMN) which generates our sense of space, time and I/me/my, creating the mystical experiences of "now, now, now" and "All is One".
Four different states arise from this process. As a distance runner, the "runners high" often manifested. Zen taught me to sit very still for long periods. Coupled w/self-inquiry, after sitting about 35 minutes, the "Hyperquiescence w/arousal breakthrough" state arose w/a "dopamine high". "Addiction" to meditation followed. ("How the changing brain turns our pleasures into addictions...")
Sources:
Extraordinary relaxation evoked through slow, quiet, deliberate rituals such as chanting and group prayer or meditation, accompanied by oceanic tranquility and bliss.
b) Hyperarousal
Extraordinary arousal/excitation resulting in keen alertness, excitement and intense concentration w/o feelings or thoughts, evoked by Sufi mystics, Voudon/Voodoo practitioners, marathon runners, long-distance swimmers, downhill skiers, fighter pilots, etc. This is the "flow" experience.
c) Hyperquiscence w/arousal breakthrough
Intense levels of quiescent activity in meditation or contemplative prayer trigger an intense, altered state w/great bliss, an exhilarating rush of energy and absorption into an object of concentration.
d) Hyperarousal with quiescent breakthrough
Maximal stimulation triggers surges of quiescent responses in a trance-like rush of "orgasmic" energy, induced by intense and prolonged contemplation during rapid ritualistic dance and sex.
Mystical experiences manifest over a broad range of activities. Newberg's and d'Aquilli's research demonstrated that the key was to make both the "arousal" and "quiescent" systems, that normally alternate, operate simultaneously. This shuts down the input to temporal and parietal centers in the Default Mode Network (DMN) which generates our sense of space, time and I/me/my, creating the mystical experiences of "now, now, now" and "All is One".
Four different states arise from this process. As a distance runner, the "runners high" often manifested. Zen taught me to sit very still for long periods. Coupled w/self-inquiry, after sitting about 35 minutes, the "Hyperquiescence w/arousal breakthrough" state arose w/a "dopamine high". "Addiction" to meditation followed. ("How the changing brain turns our pleasures into addictions...")
Sources:
Q&A
Q) In the death state the brain is no longer functioning. Therefore, Self must not be dependent upon experience mitigated by the brain.
Any separately existing phenomena and/or causality is simply more illusion. I'm not disagreeing with you Gary, I'm just saying that there must be something transcendent/ more fundamental than physical brain function.
Yes no maybe? : )
A) Yes, emphatically.
The value of the neuroscience, for "me", is to understand what we can understand, and then see what is left that is inexplicable and may remain so. The surprising thing is that the more we understand, the more clearly "magic" and transcendental what remains becomes. This post was about clearing up experiences we have had, but not really clearly understood how they occurred or what "caused" them.
As I have said many times, the astonishing thing is that when one understands that there is no free will or control, or an "I" to have them, that "life" goes on perfectly, "all by itself", seamlessly. There is then the recognition that there is this astonishing, powerful, pervasive, transcendental Stillness that somehow is producing serendipities and precognitions that are extremely "fortunate" and "useful", but are impossibly, unimaginably unlikely.
As one abides in it more and more, and it becomes ever deeper and more mysterious, it is clear that everything is a mystical, happening, everything being danced by the Self/God.
The brain, for me, is a transceiver through which this dance is experienced as best it can be and the better it is understood, and worked with, the less cloudy it is, and the clearer the Self/God can be experienced.
The Yale fMRI study on long-term meditators in which I was heavily involved as subject, collaborator, etc., showed that there were two "command and control" centers in the frontal part of our brain that appeared to be activated to keep the default mode network deactivated.
If the brain is running low on energy, then these centers would likely see their energy dramatically reduced to ensure that our "fight and flight" centers could work properly. When the energy is replenished, then the "command and control", shut-down-the-SRIN centers would be reactivated and SRIN would stop.
Key Moments:
03:29. When to change self-inquiry questions
10:30 Psychedelics compared to meditation experiences
21:52. Doing self-inquiry during the day
31:15 Focusing on breath to reach stillness
32:22 Grief and pain letting go of the "I" addiction/attachment. Sex, social media, running, meditation as addictions.
43:31 Practices for letting go of attachment
51:35 Marijuana w/self inquiry as a practice?
56:20 Relationship of brain and ego/I neuroscientifically
1:00:04 Default Mode Network's role in mystical experiences in psychedelics and nondual awakening
1:07:54 Suffering in Christianity
1:12:00 Why is the success rate so low in nondual awakening?
03:29. When to change self-inquiry questions
10:30 Psychedelics compared to meditation experiences
21:52. Doing self-inquiry during the day
31:15 Focusing on breath to reach stillness
32:22 Grief and pain letting go of the "I" addiction/attachment. Sex, social media, running, meditation as addictions.
43:31 Practices for letting go of attachment
51:35 Marijuana w/self inquiry as a practice?
56:20 Relationship of brain and ego/I neuroscientifically
1:00:04 Default Mode Network's role in mystical experiences in psychedelics and nondual awakening
1:07:54 Suffering in Christianity
1:12:00 Why is the success rate so low in nondual awakening?