“Seat of the soul”? The structure and function of the pineal gland in women with alleged spirit possession—Results of two experimental studies
Abstract Background Cultural traditions attribute to pineal gland an important role for spiritual experiences. Mediumship and spirit possession are cultural phenomena found worldwide which have been described as having dissociative and psychotic‐like characteristics, but with nonpathological aspects...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Brain and Behavior |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.1693 |
| _version_ | 1819010661482496000 |
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| author | Marco Aurélio Vinhosa Bastos Jr. Paulo Roberto Haidamus de Oliveira Bastos Loyná Euá Flores ePaez Edna Oliveira deSouza Danielle Bogo Renata Trentin Perdomo Renata Boschi Portella Jorge Guilherme Okanobo Ozaki Décio Iandoli Jr. Giancarlo Lucchetti |
| author_facet | Marco Aurélio Vinhosa Bastos Jr. Paulo Roberto Haidamus de Oliveira Bastos Loyná Euá Flores ePaez Edna Oliveira deSouza Danielle Bogo Renata Trentin Perdomo Renata Boschi Portella Jorge Guilherme Okanobo Ozaki Décio Iandoli Jr. Giancarlo Lucchetti |
| author_sort | Marco Aurélio Vinhosa Bastos Jr. |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Cultural traditions attribute to pineal gland an important role for spiritual experiences. Mediumship and spirit possession are cultural phenomena found worldwide which have been described as having dissociative and psychotic‐like characteristics, but with nonpathological aspects. A sympathetic activation pattern in response to spirit possession has been reported in some studies, but empirical data on pineal gland is scarce in this context. Methods We aimed to investigate pineal gland and pituitary volumes, as well as urinary 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin levels in 16 alleged mediums (Medium Group‐MG) compared with 16 healthy nonmedium controls (Control Group) (Experiment 1). Furthermore, we aimed to evaluate urinary 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin and stress reactivity in GM (n = 10) under different physiological conditions (Experiment 2). Results In Experiment 1, MG presented higher scores of anomalous experiences, but there were no between‐group differences regarding mental health or subjective sleep quality. Similar pineal gland and pituitary volumes were observed between groups. There were no between‐group differences in urinary 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin collected under equivalent baseline conditions. In Experiment 2, the rise of anxiety and heart rate in response to mediumistic experience was intermediate between a nonstressful control task (reading) and a stressful control task (Trier Social Stress Test—TSST). No significant differences were observed in 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin urinary levels between the three conditions. The pattern of stress reactivity during the TSST was normal, but with an attenuated salivary cortisol response. Conclusion The normal neuroimaging and stress reactivity findings in MG contrast with the abnormal results usually observed in subjects with psychotic and dissociative disorders. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T01:15:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d50519563afd472b89996be64f53d833 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2162-3279 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T01:15:49Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain and Behavior |
| spelling | doaj.art-d50519563afd472b89996be64f53d8332022-12-21T19:20:48ZengWileyBrain and Behavior2162-32792020-07-01107n/an/a10.1002/brb3.1693“Seat of the soul”? The structure and function of the pineal gland in women with alleged spirit possession—Results of two experimental studiesMarco Aurélio Vinhosa Bastos Jr.0Paulo Roberto Haidamus de Oliveira Bastos1Loyná Euá Flores ePaez2Edna Oliveira deSouza3Danielle Bogo4Renata Trentin Perdomo5Renata Boschi Portella6Jorge Guilherme Okanobo Ozaki7Décio Iandoli Jr.8Giancarlo Lucchetti9Postgraduate Program in Health and Development Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul Campo Grande BrazilPostgraduate Program in Health and Development Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul Campo Grande BrazilSchool of Medicine Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul Campo Grande BrazilABRAPE Campo Grande BrazilSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul Campo Grande BrazilSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul Campo Grande BrazilSchool of Medicine Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul Campo Grande BrazilSonimed Imaging Clinic Campo Grande BrazilSchool of Medicine Anhanguera‐Uniderp University Campo Grande BrazilSchool of Medicine Federal University of Juiz de Fora Juiz de Fora BrazilAbstract Background Cultural traditions attribute to pineal gland an important role for spiritual experiences. Mediumship and spirit possession are cultural phenomena found worldwide which have been described as having dissociative and psychotic‐like characteristics, but with nonpathological aspects. A sympathetic activation pattern in response to spirit possession has been reported in some studies, but empirical data on pineal gland is scarce in this context. Methods We aimed to investigate pineal gland and pituitary volumes, as well as urinary 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin levels in 16 alleged mediums (Medium Group‐MG) compared with 16 healthy nonmedium controls (Control Group) (Experiment 1). Furthermore, we aimed to evaluate urinary 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin and stress reactivity in GM (n = 10) under different physiological conditions (Experiment 2). Results In Experiment 1, MG presented higher scores of anomalous experiences, but there were no between‐group differences regarding mental health or subjective sleep quality. Similar pineal gland and pituitary volumes were observed between groups. There were no between‐group differences in urinary 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin collected under equivalent baseline conditions. In Experiment 2, the rise of anxiety and heart rate in response to mediumistic experience was intermediate between a nonstressful control task (reading) and a stressful control task (Trier Social Stress Test—TSST). No significant differences were observed in 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin urinary levels between the three conditions. The pattern of stress reactivity during the TSST was normal, but with an attenuated salivary cortisol response. Conclusion The normal neuroimaging and stress reactivity findings in MG contrast with the abnormal results usually observed in subjects with psychotic and dissociative disorders.https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.16936‐sulfatoxymelatonindissociationmediumshippineal glandpituitary glandstress reactivity |
| spellingShingle | Marco Aurélio Vinhosa Bastos Jr. Paulo Roberto Haidamus de Oliveira Bastos Loyná Euá Flores ePaez Edna Oliveira deSouza Danielle Bogo Renata Trentin Perdomo Renata Boschi Portella Jorge Guilherme Okanobo Ozaki Décio Iandoli Jr. Giancarlo Lucchetti “Seat of the soul”? The structure and function of the pineal gland in women with alleged spirit possession—Results of two experimental studies Brain and Behavior 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin dissociation mediumship pineal gland pituitary gland stress reactivity |
| title | “Seat of the soul”? The structure and function of the pineal gland in women with alleged spirit possession—Results of two experimental studies |
| title_full | “Seat of the soul”? The structure and function of the pineal gland in women with alleged spirit possession—Results of two experimental studies |
| title_fullStr | “Seat of the soul”? The structure and function of the pineal gland in women with alleged spirit possession—Results of two experimental studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | “Seat of the soul”? The structure and function of the pineal gland in women with alleged spirit possession—Results of two experimental studies |
| title_short | “Seat of the soul”? The structure and function of the pineal gland in women with alleged spirit possession—Results of two experimental studies |
| title_sort | seat of the soul the structure and function of the pineal gland in women with alleged spirit possession results of two experimental studies |
| topic | 6‐sulfatoxymelatonin dissociation mediumship pineal gland pituitary gland stress reactivity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.1693 |
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