title: Emanuel Swedenborg.
abstract: How is it that the name of a brilliant 18th century scientist and philosopher, many of whose exceptional achievements were often advanced for his time, is almost never mentioned in the annals of science? And how did it happen that a man very deeply dedicated to the advancement of science experienced a vision that completely altered the course of his life? We suggest, based on his extensive self-analytical writings, that the source of his spiritual experiences was temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and that he is among the group of creative religious thinkers also suspected or known to have had epilepsy, from St. Paul and Mohammed to Dostoevsky, who have changed Western civilization.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Foote-Smith
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000266:history*; D005197:Famous Persons; D049671:History, 18th Century; D006801:Humans; D010684:Philosophy / Q000266:history; D012586:Science / Q000266:history; D013548:Sweden