title: Right hemisphericity, low self-esteem, and unusual experiences: a response to Vingiano.
abstract: Vingiano's (1992) challenge concerning the relationship between right hemisphericity, low self-esteem, mystical experiences, and religiosity can be clarified by the concept of vectorial hemisphericity. Ontogenetic intrusions of right-hemispheric processes into the left hemispheric sense of self should be experienced most frequently as an apprehensive "presence" that results in lower self-esteem. Because transient above-normal left-hemispheric activity enhances positive affect and the sense of self, concurrent right-hemispheric intrusions are experienced as mystical experiences. Religiosity would be the consequence of persistent above-normal left-temporofrontal activation that encourages the delusion. Hence, extreme conditions, such as left lateralized temporal-lobe epileptic foci, encourage both mystical and religious experiences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Persinger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001076:Aptitude; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010268:Parapsychology; D011930:Reaction Time; D014825:Vocabulary; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic