Persinger.

Question 1

Psychological influences- the body.

Answer 1

Physical conditions like epilepsy, severe migraines, brain damage, tumours and the impact of bright light may cause these experiences.

Question 2

Criticisms of psychological experiences.

Answer 2

-God can work through peoples’ conditions.
-Not everyone with a religious experience has a condition, not everyone with a condition has a religious experience.
-There are conditions that do not result in hallucinations.

Question 3

Persinger’s helmet (study.)

Answer 3

The Temporal Lobe plays a role in religious experiences. He simulated this using a helmet with a weak magnetic field: many of the participants had religious experiences.
Religious figures had the temporal lobe suppressed and said it was similar to meditation.