Peak experiences on mountain peaks
Are high altitudes conducive to revelations and other spiritual experiences, and if so, why? That’s the topic of a recent article in Medical Hypotheses by Swiss and Israeli neuroscientists.
According to the authors, mountaineers have described the experience of feeling or hearing presences, autoscopic phenomenon (seeing an image of yourself externally), hallucinations, and other manifestations, especially when alone on the mountain.
Why? The authors note that “brain areas such as the temporo-parietal junction and the prefrontal cortex have been suggested to be altered in altitude. Moreover, acute and chronic hypoxia significantly affect the temporo-parietal junction and the prefrontal cortex and both areas have also been linked to altered own body perceptions and mystical experiences”.
It may not just be the thin air up there; it could also be the climb. The authors point to research that “stressful events, physically and emotionally, while climbing mountains, cause release
of endorphins, which are known to lower the threshold for temporal lobe epilepsy, which, in turn, may evoke revelation-like experiences”.
There is no new research here, just ideas. But these ideas lead to some fairly straightforward experimental designs—researching the results of meditating in a hyperbaric chamber immediately comes to mind.
November 30th, 2009 at 17:55
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