Ecstatic seizures

The symptoms variably include feelings of increased self-awareness, mental clarity, certainty, feelings of "unity with everything that exists" (including the external environment), intense positive affect, a sense of intense serenity or bliss, mystical, spiritual, or religious experiences, physical well-being, a sense of "hyper-reality", and time dilation, among others. Positive emotions have been reported to be a trigger of ecstatic seizures in some. ==Causes==

The primary brain area thought to be involved in the generation of ecstatic seizures is the dorsal anterior insula. Intense time dilation has also been produced by stimulation of the right mid-dorsal insular region. This in turn results in an acute "ultimate stable state", with no ambiguity or "perfect prediction of the world", and associated positive feelings. A natural or physiological (but much less intense) analogue could be considered "aha!" or "eureka!" moments—that is, sudden understanding of a previously incomprehensible problem and associated joy, elation, and satisfaction—for instance discovering the cause of a difficult software bug in computer code. This has raised questions about the role of acetylcholine in predictive and emotional processing and in the experience of ecstatic seizures. Activation of the anterior insula may cause the positive affect of these various drugs, similarly to ecstatic seizures. However, the experience of ecstatic seizures has been anecdotally described by some as beyond that which could be achieved with any drug. The causes of ecstatic seizures may also overlap with other non-epileptic and non-pharmacological ecstatic or mystical experiences. The insula has been found to be activated by maternal and romantic love, as well as by pleasant and mesmerizing musical moments and deeper states of meditation. Besides the insula, the dopamine reward system of the ventral tegmental area and striatum or nucleus accumbens have also been found to be activated by musical moments. There are many parallels between ecstatic auras and deeper states of meditation. Greater activation of the dorsal anterior insula has been found in advanced meditators (>10,000hours of practice) and with greater self-reported intensity of meditation. More gray matter, a thicker cortex, and greater gyrification of the anterior insula have been found in meditators compared to non-mediators. In addition, more years of meditation is positively correlated with gyrification of the anterior insula. Some people have also been known to have spontaneous and naturally occurring ecstatic and/or mystical experiences similar to those of ecstatic auras, often as single episodes in their lives, that are of non-epileptogenic origin and are outside of a meditative or religious context. These have been referred to as "awakening experiences". The state in ecstatic seizures is in notable contrast to various neuropsychiatric disorders, like anxiety disorders, depression, and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), in which there is intolerance of uncertainty and ambiguous situations, abnormally increased anticipation of aversive stimuli, subjective feelings of doubt (as opposed to certainty), and/or accompanying avoidance behavior. Some of these conditions have been associated with increased activity of the dorsal anterior insula. Ecstatic seizures may provide insight into the understanding and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. The dorsal anterior insula has been proposed as a potential novel therapeutic target for treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders like severe depression, for instance through non-invasive intermittent brain stimulation techniques. This could be an alternative to the novel field of psychedelics for these conditions, under the assumption that transient mystical experiences could result in long-lasting therapeutic psychological benefits. ==History==

(1821–1881; photo in 1879). The first description of ecstatic seizures in the literature was by the 19th-century Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky. Subsequently, a series of additional case reports were published in the 1950s and thereafter. The term "ecstatic seizures" was coined by psychologist James H. Leuba. In-depth characterizations of the experiences of such patients have been published. Ecstatic seizures have been especially studied, reviewed, and brought greater attention to by Swiss neuroscientist Fabienne Picard and her colleagues beginning in 2009 and continuing to the present. The involvement of the dorsal anterior insula in ecstatic seizures was elucidated by her team in 2009 and thereafter. Cases of electrical brain stimulation inducing the experiences were published in 2013, 2019, and 2022. There have also been unpublished cases, for a total of six or seven cases (both with and without ecstatic epilepsy) as of 2023. ==Society and culture==

Notable individuals The 19th-century Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky had epilepsy and experienced ecstatic seizures. Ecstatic seizures have often been referred to as "Dostoevsky's epilepsy" as he was the first and among the most notable documented cases of the condition. Dostoevsky had an average of about one seizure a month from age 20 or 25years until his death at 59years of age, which would be a total of around 400 to 500seizures in his lifetime. Some researchers have proposed that ecstatic epilepsy may be linked to the experiences of several prominent religious figures throughout history. These hypotheses suggest that certain spiritual or mystical episodes described in historical texts might share characteristics with neurological conditions such as temporal lobe epilepsy. whose reported visions and dramatic religious conversion have been examined through both theological and neurological lenses. According to the Acts of the Apostles, Paul’s transformative experience occurred on the road to Damascus. This path has been interpreted as a profound inner event that reshaped his understanding and purpose. According to one reflection, such experiences may be understood as “epiphanies of the heart” that invite inward change and deeper spiritual awareness. The account describes a sudden flash of light, a voice from heaven, temporary blindness, and several days of fasting and prayer. While traditionally interpreted as a divine encounter, some modern scholars have noted similarities between this episode and symptoms associated with ecstatic seizures, such as visual and auditory hallucinations, transient loss of consciousness, and subsequent behavioral change. Additional insight into Paul's experiences appears in 2 Corinthians 12:2–10, where he refers to being "caught up to the third heaven," an experience he describes as ineffable and spiritually significant. He also alludes to a "thorn in the flesh," a persistent physical or psychological affliction. Though its nature remains uncertain, various interpretations have been proposed, including chronic illness, mental health conditions, and neurological disorders such as epilepsy. These interpretations remain speculative and are debated among scholars. The theory that Paul's mystical experiences may have had a neurological component is not intended to diminish their spiritual impact but to explore possible biological correlates of religious phenomena. Researchers in this field have suggested that certain altered states of consciousness may arise from temporal lobe activity, providing a neurological framework for understanding religious visions and experiences. Saint Paul is not the only historical figure associated with such interpretations. Saint Teresa of Ávila, a 16th-century Spanish Carmelite mystic, described intense episodes of spiritual ecstasy in her writings, including visions and a profound sense of divine union. One of the most well-known representations of her experience is Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s sculpture The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, located in Rome’s Cornaro Chapel. The sculpture captures the dramatic moment she described in her autobiography, where she felt her soul pierced by a divine force, resulting in overwhelming joy and physical stillness. While traditionally viewed through a theological lens, some modern scholars have drawn comparisons between such experiences and dissociative or seizure-like states, suggesting possible neurological components to her ecstatic visions. Joan of Arc, who claimed to hear divine voices and see visions beginning in adolescence, has similarly been the subject of retrospective medical hypotheses, including epilepsy and neuropsychiatric conditions. While these interpretations are speculative and not universally accepted, they illustrate the ongoing interest in the potential intersection of neurology and spirituality. Another figure mentioned in this context is Ramana Maharshi, a 20th-century Indian sage whose spiritual awakening reportedly began with an intense fear of death followed by a shift in consciousness. Though not involving convulsions or overt motor symptoms, his experience has been likened by some commentators to altered brain states described in neurological and meditative literature. These interpretations remain controversial and are part of broader interdisciplinary discussions among theologians, historians, and neuroscientists. While traditional religious narratives emphasize the divine origin of such experiences, some modern analyses consider possible physiological or psychological explanations, contributing to a more complex understanding of religious ecstasy across cultures. Popular media A character in the James Cameron film Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), named Kiri, experiences an epileptic seizure that results in "religious ecstasy". The titular character in the 2019 film Saint Maud is shown to have a similar, chronic condition. ==References==