“Spirituality is a brain state we can all reach, religious or not”. This is the title of an article published on Aeon Psyche, written by Tal D. Ben-Soussan, director of the RINED Research Institute of the Patrizio Paoletti Foundation. Aeon Psyche is one of the most widely read journals globally, aiming, through an interdisciplinary approach, to “illuminate the human condition through psychology, philosophical understanding, and the arts.”
In this popular science article, the director of our Research Institute in NeuroscienceThe human brain is one of the most complex and fascinating s... More, PedagogyTo understand what pedagogy is, let’s provide a definition... More, and Didactics guides us through the discovery of the brain mechanisms that accompany experiences traditionally considered spiritual. By exploring our brain, we learn that the most important factor in these experiences, beyond the various forms they have taken throughout human history, is the interconnection between brain areas and, therefore, between aspects of our experience. Through the latest discoveries, we can find practical applications to improve our daily lives, our relationship with ourselves, and our relationship with others in ways that are effective for our times. Scientific knowledge thus leads us to new approaches to self-awarenessIl termine autoconsapevolezza si riferisce primariamente all... More that can be enhanced through proper training and that underlies all true well-being.
Below is the full translation of the original article:
Spirituality is a brain state we can all reach, religious or not
William James, the father of Western psychology, defined spiritual experiences as a higher state of consciousness, which in turn is induced by efforts to understand general principles or the structure of the world through one’s inner experience. At the core of spirituality, as he understood it, is “connection,” which refers to the idea that individual goals can only be truly realized within the context of the whole—the relationship with the world and with others.
Traditionally, this state has been described as divine, attainable through embodied and contemplative practices such as prayer, meditationThere are many ways to define meditation, but perhaps the si... More, and rhythmic rituals. Indeed, this higher state of consciousness and connection has been reported across many spiritual traditions, ranging from Buddhism to Sufism, and from Judaism to Christianity. However, recent neuroscience research shows that the same state can also be reached through secular practices. Scientific and creative insights, with the ecstatic states that accompany them—characterized by a sense of unity and bliss—are similar to religious experiences, as both involve a higher state of presence and awareness.
Many geniuses, such as Albert Einstein and Srinivasa Ramanujan, reported spiritual-like states during their great revelations or discoveries. But these do not have to be rare experiences for the few. They can be accessed in everyday life. As Nobel laureate and poet Czesław Miłosz said, “Description requires intense observation, so intense that the veil of everyday habit falls, and what we did not pay attention to, because it seemed ordinary, reveals itself as miraculous.”
I am a neuroscientist, and among other things, I study how spiritual states are reflected in the brain and other parts of the body. It has been shown that spiritual practices are closely linked to self-awareness, empathyEmpathy is a fundamental skill that allows us to connect wit... More, and the sense of connection, all of which can be related to the frequency of brain waves measured by electroencephalography (EEG). EEG studies have shown how our overall brain activity can be “fragmented” or misaligned most of the time, indicative of conflicts between our behaviors, thoughts, feelings, and communication. In contrast, experienced meditators show more ‘harmonious’ brain waves, which may indicate greater synchrony or connectivity within and across neural areas. In short, spirituality, like love, has physiological effects on the brain and body, and EEG provides a window into these changes.
Moreover, research suggests that we can do more than just measure this type of activity. We can also train our brains to behave in a more “aware” way by engaging in activities that facilitate greater neural connection or synchronization. Greater synchronization—imagine a large group of brain cells singing together—has been observed following the practice of various contemplative paradigms, such as meditation and prayer (creating slower, ocean-like waves, increasingly calm over time).
One way to interpret this is that neural synchronization improves our brain’s “harmony” or “integrity”—leading to a state in which the brain works more coherently, resulting in a more global perspective. Other findings indicate the psychological consequences of this state—a higher neural synchronization tends to allow greater capacity for moral judgment and creative problem-solving.
Neural synchronization is also correlated with feeling more connected to oneself, which can in turn further enhance empathy, creativity, and effectiveness. In short, it is associated with greater self-awareness, which has many practical benefits. For example, psychologist Tasha Eurich recently wrote in the Harvard Business Review that people with higher self-awareness are more confident, make better decisions, build stronger relationships, and communicate more effectively. Those who are self-aware also receive more promotions, have more satisfied employees, and run more profitable businesses.
You might worry that adopting a neuroscientific approach to profound and ineffable spiritual experiences is reductive. But another perspective is that scientific exploration of these experiences could reveal the mechanisms that allow all of us to reach these states even in mundane moments, like waiting in traffic. Scientific discovery could transform seemingly subjective experiences into a unified (and unifying) understanding. In short, I have seen how spirituality can be experienced in the lab! Let me share some examples.
Most of my research over the past two decades is related to a moving meditation called Quadrato Motor Training (QMT), which requires both coordination and awareness. Practitioners alternate dynamic movements and static postures while dividing their attention between their body in the present moment and its position in space. QMT requires a connection between the “external” world and the inner realm, requiring participants to be intentionally aware of both the internal and external “worlds” simultaneously.
In our research, we found that QMT improved cognitive flexibility. For example, when thinking about a simple glass, most people associate it with drinking. But after QMT training, other “worlds of content” open up (the glass can be seen as “the Holy Grail” or as a hat), demonstrating greater cognitive flexibility. Indeed, our study showed that a seven-minute QMT session increased flexibility by 25 percent compared to simpler forms of movement or verbal training. Additionally, EEG measures showed that the increased cognitive flexibility associated with QMT training was also accompanied by greater brain synchronization previously linked to relaxation, attention, and flow state. Some might say QMT also fosters spirituality.
What else helps produce neural synchronization? Surprisingly, being in a space similar to a sensory deprivation chamber, with minimal external stimulation, also impacts neural synchronization. This was the idea behind the OVO chamber (“egg,” referring to the shape of the space), created by Italian Patrizio Paoletti, one of the leading meditation teachers, based on his “Sphere Model of Consciousness” (briefly, the model describes a spherical matrix mapping our subjective experiences, from ordinary automatic habits to higher states of consciousness achieved in contemplative practices). My colleagues and I found that immersion in the OVO leads to increased neural synchronization in the insula, a brain area linked to empathy and body self-awareness.
This, in turn, was accompanied by an increased sense of “absorption” (similar to the feeling of being overwhelmed by the beauty of a sunset and fully engaging our attention in the experience). Absorption is also closely linked to spirituality, meditation, and empathy, likely because all involve openness to experiences that transform the self and voluntarily enhance awareness.
Even if we do not all have access to an external OVO chamber, we can place ourselves at the center of our “sphere” in everyday life. By grounding ourselves, listening to our highest aspirations, and paying more attention to our breath, loved ones, and the present moment, we can transcend the here and now and create a more “spherical” life that shifts our focus from basic needs and fears to values. This is further accompanied by an intentional shift toward a clear “goal orientation,” represented by the center of our internal sphere in Paoletti’s model. In this sense, spirituality can be seen as actions that are not separate from daily life but congruently connected to its different aspects—body, family, career, friendshipEven though rudimentary forms of friendship are present in v... More, relationships, finances, and society.
In addition to finding Paoletti’s Sphere Model of Consciousness useful in my neuroscience research, I also use it as a practical tool for self-observation. Since spirituality is closely linked to the state of consciousness, self-awareness, and neural synchronization, the higher one’s consciousness, the more one feels the connection of things. Imagine being in your car, watching the sunset. Is your next thought about traffic, or are you marveling at the magnificent sunset and the daily planetary dance we all share? Now imagine the same journey. Someone recklessly cuts you off. Is your first reaction to get angry and chase them—endangering yourself and others? Or do you remain calm, your heartbeat unchanged from before the car passed you?
In both examples, the latter option engages a more mature and present part of ourselves, fully connected to the experience of the sights, sounds, and smells. This is the kind of experience some call spirituality—the interconnectedness of being. In contrast, whenever we react involuntarily, we are not anchored to our center but controlled by a more automatic state not chosen by us, and thus less connected both to ourselves and the greater good.
For me, a large part of spirituality is calmly and attentively navigating everyday difficulties. When we lose it, for example, what do we lose exactly? Nothing other than ourselves. We all lose it sometimes, but we can lose it less often by continuously reconnecting with our best selves and with each other.
Recently, while preparing for an online conference, I shared some of my data showing increasing relaxation levels among beginner, intermediate, and expert meditators. My curious seventeen-year-old daughter joked, “Mom, I know how to meditate. I’m an intermediate practitioner, right?” I replied, “Well, as you can see from these graphs, there’s a big difference between knowing how to meditate and practicing regularly. Imagine stairs you can climb to reach the sky. You have the means to get there, but now you have to keep climbing.”
As a neuroscientist, knowing that brain change is possible (even in adults) keeps me optimistic and motivated in my research.
