Psychedelics vs religious mysticism

At first glance, the idea of linking neuroscience with spirituality might raise some eyebrows. How can the realm of hard science intersect with something as intangible as spiritual belief? And what exactly is neurospirituality? Although it might seem like treacherous terrain, where science and spirituality are two worlds apart, this intersection is not as impossible as it sounds—especially when psychedelics enter the equation. But to truly grasp this concept, it’s essential to understand the foundational work of Stephen Jay Gould.

Gould, a renowned paleontologist, made waves in 1981 with his groundbreaking work The Mismeasure of Man, which discredited the racist ideology of phrenology—the flawed belief that the shape and size of one’s skull indicated intelligence or character. Yet Gould’s contribution to the relationship between science and religion came in 1999 with his book Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life, where he introduced the concept of Non-Overlapping Magisteria (NOMA). This concept suggests that science and religion are two distinct domains, each governing different aspects of human experience, yet capable of coexisting without interference. In theory, NOMA allows science and religion to harmonize—until neuroscience steps in, shaking this balance. This is where neurospirituality comes into play, exploring the brain mechanisms behind spirituality, religious experiences, and how psychedelics may influence them.

The history of neurospirituality has roots in the 1960s, most notably with the Good Friday Experiment. Conducted in 1962 by Harvard PhD student Walter N. Pahnke (with assistance from Timothy Leary), this experiment explored the effects of psychedelics on religious experience. Twenty seminary students were given either 30mg of psilocybin or a placebo just before the Good Friday service at Boston University’s Marsh Chapel. Under the influence of psilocybin, nearly all participants reported profound mystical experiences, often describing these events as life-altering moments of spiritual insight.

When Rick Doblin revisited these participants 25 years later, most confirmed that the experiment had a lasting impact on their spiritual lives, with one participant explaining, “It left me with an unquestioned certainty that there is an environment bigger than the one I’m conscious of.” What began as a simple academic study of psilocybin had unlocked powerful insights into how psychedelics could facilitate deeply transformative spiritual experiences.

Fast forward to the present day, and advancements in neuroscience have given us clearer tools to explore these mystical experiences. The development of fMRI technology has allowed researchers to observe brain activity in unprecedented detail, including the discovery of the Default Mode Network (DMN), a brain network crucial to our sense of self. The DMN governs functions like memory, social behavior, and the perception of time, and it is often described as the seat of the ego.

In the context of psychedelic experiences, the DMN plays a pivotal role. When psychedelics like psilocybin are introduced, key regions of the DMN, including the cingulate cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex, begin to decouple—meaning they stop communicating with each other as they typically do. This decoupling leads to what scientists call “oceanic boundlessness,” a state characterized by the dissolution of the ego and a profound feeling of unity with the universe. This sensation, common during both religious and psychedelic experiences, is part of what has been classified as a mystical experience—an experience that transcends time, space, and self, often leaving individuals with an overwhelming sense of oneness.

These profound shifts in brain activity, especially within the DMN, suggest a neurochemical basis for the mystical experiences induced by psychedelics. While the DMN is frequently linked to intense psychedelic trips, some researchers question whether its role is as critical as current models suggest. Michael Van Elk, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Leiden, points out that DMN activity is often interpreted with a degree of reverse-inference reasoning: if reduced activity is seen in the DMN, researchers often conclude the ego is less active. However, Van Elk cautions against oversimplifying this relationship, noting that brain networks serve multiple functions and that the brain’s complexity should not be underestimated.

The conversation about psychedelics and spirituality is far more nuanced than just focusing on one brain network like the DMN. Neuroscience continues to evolve, and neurospirituality is taking a more sophisticated approach to exploring spiritual experiences. Unlike outdated concepts like phrenology, where scientists attempted to link skull shape with intelligence, modern neurospirituality avoids simplistic assumptions about the brain. Instead, it leverages advanced techniques such as brain lesion network mapping to explore how spirituality manifests in the brain without falling into reductionist traps.

One way researchers have tried to measure spiritual experiences is through tools like the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), which was created by Pahnke. Another scale, the Hood Mysticism Scale, classifies mystical experiences into categories such as extrovertive mysticism (where individuals feel connected to the physical universe) and introvertive mysticism (a sense of unity beyond the material world). These scales, while helpful, are often limited in scope and influenced by the philosophical assumptions of their creators. As psychedelic science advances, newer and more precise scales will be needed to better capture the full range of experiences triggered by substances like psilocybin.

The future of psychedelics and neurospirituality is exciting, but it is still in its infancy. The most groundbreaking work in this area comes from researchers like Michael Ferguson, who is exploring how spirituality is represented in the brain through cutting-edge neuroimaging techniques. Ferguson’s work, however, is currently focused on spirituality tied to religion, and psychedelic-induced spiritual experiences have yet to be fully explored in the context of neurospirituality. This is where the field is headed, and it offers an entirely new perspective on the relationship between the brain, consciousness, and spirituality.

While this area of research presents many challenges and unanswered questions, the potential is enormous. By combining the objective markers of brain activity with the subjective, often indescribable, spiritual experiences brought on by psychedelics, neurospirituality opens the door to a deeper understanding of consciousness itself. We now have the tools to explore spiritual experiences in ways that were unimaginable decades ago, and each psychedelic study brings us closer to unlocking the mysteries of the human mind.

However, as Van Elk and other researchers have pointed out, the brain is extraordinarily complex, and psychedelics’ role in spiritual experiences should not be reduced to a single brain network or process. The field of neurospirituality must tread carefully to avoid the mistakes of the past, like the reductionist assumptions of phrenology. As our tools and understanding evolve, so too will our comprehension of how psychedelics can deepen the human connection to spirituality.

In the end, science is only as accurate as the measurements it can provide. While we have made great strides in understanding how psychedelics and spirituality intersect, there is still much to learn. Neurospirituality is just beginning to scratch the surface of the complex relationship between the brain and spiritual experiences. As research progresses, the integration of psychedelics into this field could transform how we understand both the brain and the profound, often life-changing experiences of spirituality.