'Psychic sensitivity', mystical experience, head injury and brain pathology. 1985

P Fenwick, and S Galliano, and M A Coate, and V Rippere, and D Brown

The 'psychic' experiences of 17 students (sensitives) from the College of Psychic Studies were compared with those of 17 church-going control subjects, who were matched for age, sex, and approximate intellectual level. At interview, 67 items of information relating to the medical history, family history, 'psychic gifts', head injuries, and mystical experiences were obtained. The shortened WAIS, the Benton Visual Retention Test, with tests of both dominant (Wechsler Logical Memory) and non-dominant temporal lobe function (the Rey-Osterreith Test) were given. The results showed that the sensitive population contained more single or divorced people, and people who had sometime consulted a psychiatrist. They had experienced more head injuries and serious illnesses than the controls. Sixty-six per cent showed evidence of right hemisphere and right temporal lobe dysfunction and, of these, 35 per cent had poor visual memories. There was evidence to suggest that some 'psychic' experiences were associated with brain dysfunction. Despite an increased occurrence of head injury, no clear correlation with the onset of 'psychic' sensitivity was found. Mystical experiences showed a trend towards being related to non-dominant hemisphere dysfunction. Vagueness about the position of the sensitive's 'psychic helper' in physical space was also associated with non-dominant hemisphere dysfunction.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008568 Memory Complex mental function having four distinct phases: (1) memorizing or learning, (2) retention, (3) recall, and (4) recognition. Clinically, it is usually subdivided into immediate, recent, and remote memory.
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009228 Mysticism A philosophy based upon spiritual intuition that is believed to transcend ordinary sensory experiences or understanding. Mysticisms
D010268 Parapsychology Branch of psychology that deals with paranormal behavior and events such as telepathy, precognition, and clairvoyance, which are not explicable by present day "natural laws". Clairvoyance,Extrasensory Perception,Psychical Research,Psychic Research,Extrasensory Perceptions,Perception, Extrasensory,Perceptions, Extrasensory,Research, Psychic,Research, Psychical
D001921 Brain The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM. Encephalon
D004292 Dominance, Cerebral Dominance of one cerebral hemisphere over the other in cerebral functions. Cerebral Dominance,Hemispheric Specialization,Dominances, Cerebral,Specialization, Hemispheric
D005260 Female Females
D006259 Craniocerebral Trauma Traumatic injuries involving the cranium and intracranial structures (i.e., BRAIN; CRANIAL NERVES; MENINGES; and other structures). Injuries may be classified by whether or not the skull is penetrated (i.e., penetrating vs. nonpenetrating) or whether there is an associated hemorrhage. Frontal Region Trauma,Head Injuries,Head Trauma,Occipital Region Trauma,Parietal Region Trauma,Temporal Region Trauma,Craniocerebral Injuries,Crushing Skull Injury,Forehead Trauma,Head Injuries, Multiple,Head Injury, Minor,Head Injury, Open,Head Injury, Superficial,Injuries, Craniocerebral,Injuries, Head,Multiple Head Injuries,Occipital Trauma,Open Head Injury,Superficial Head Injury,Trauma, Head,Craniocerebral Injury,Craniocerebral Traumas,Crushing Skull Injuries,Forehead Traumas,Frontal Region Traumas,Head Injuries, Minor,Head Injuries, Open,Head Injuries, Superficial,Head Injury,Head Injury, Multiple,Head Traumas,Injuries, Minor Head,Injuries, Multiple Head,Injuries, Open Head,Injuries, Superficial Head,Injury, Craniocerebral,Injury, Head,Injury, Minor Head,Injury, Multiple Head,Injury, Open Head,Injury, Superficial Head,Minor Head Injuries,Minor Head Injury,Multiple Head Injury,Occipital Region Traumas,Occipital Traumas,Open Head Injuries,Parietal Region Traumas,Region Trauma, Frontal,Region Trauma, Occipital,Region Trauma, Parietal,Region Traumas, Frontal,Region Traumas, Occipital,Region Traumas, Parietal,Skull Injuries, Crushing,Skull Injury, Crushing,Superficial Head Injuries,Temporal Region Traumas,Trauma, Craniocerebral,Trauma, Forehead,Trauma, Frontal Region,Trauma, Occipital,Trauma, Occipital Region,Trauma, Parietal Region,Trauma, Temporal Region,Traumas, Craniocerebral,Traumas, Forehead,Traumas, Frontal Region,Traumas, Head,Traumas, Occipital,Traumas, Occipital Region,Traumas, Parietal Region,Traumas, Temporal Region
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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