ICTAL RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE

The term ictal religious experience is indebted to the Latin nounictus(thrust, blow). It is used to denote a religious experience taking place during an epileptic seizure. The duration of this experience is usually seconds to minutes, although in the perception of the affected individual it may seem to last much longer (see also the entry Time distortion). Empirical research indicates that such religious experiences occur in 0.43.1% of individuals with partial epileptic seizures. It has been suggested that the limbic system -in addition to the temporal lobe - may play a crucial role in the mediation of these phenomena. The "visual, "auditory, and "compound hallucinations that may accompany the experience are also designated as " religious hallucinations. They have been attributed to the involvement of temporal and occipital cortical areas. Ictal religious experiences are classified as "ecstatic aurae or ecstatic seizures. The term ictal religious experience is used in opposition to " postictal religious experience and " interictal religious experience.

Devinsky, O., Lai, G. (2008). Spirituality and religion in epilepsy.Epilepsy and Behavior, 12, 636-643.