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The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain: A Neurologist's Search for the God Experience
"Bold, provocative, and highly readable."
-V. S. Ramachandran, M.D., author of Phantoms in the Brain What are near-death experiences, out-of-body sensations, and spiritual ecstasy? And what do they have in common? Perhaps no one is more qualified to answer these questions than renowned neurobiologist Dr. Kevin Nelson. Drawing on his more than three decades of groundbreaking research into the "borderlands of consciousness," Dr. Nelson offers an unprecedented journey into the site of spiritual the brain. Filled with amazing firsthand accounts as varied as a patient seeing the devil battling with his guardian angel to a man watching the universe synchronize around a pinball machine, The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain is an eloquent examination of our brains' spiritual "hardwiring" that will enthrall believers and skeptics alike.
-V. S. Ramachandran, M.D., author of Phantoms in the Brain What are near-death experiences, out-of-body sensations, and spiritual ecstasy? And what do they have in common? Perhaps no one is more qualified to answer these questions than renowned neurobiologist Dr. Kevin Nelson. Drawing on his more than three decades of groundbreaking research into the "borderlands of consciousness," Dr. Nelson offers an unprecedented journey into the site of spiritual the brain. Filled with amazing firsthand accounts as varied as a patient seeing the devil battling with his guardian angel to a man watching the universe synchronize around a pinball machine, The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain is an eloquent examination of our brains' spiritual "hardwiring" that will enthrall believers and skeptics alike.
336 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2010
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530 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 30, 2011
I closely read the first half of this book and skimmed and scanned the second half. I was hoping when I picked it up to see some blending of spirituality and science in the discussion of near-death experiences. But as I read, I realized that there would be no real discussion of spirituality and the possibility of an after-life. The title, I think, is a come-on for people like me who are interested in what comes after our physical death. I hope that there will be something. Dr. Nelson spends most of the book pounding nails into that coffin of hope. He seems to believe that all near-death experiences are simply a brain function. I got depressed. I really can't recommend the book unless you're into brain study. I don't think there is any real discussion of spirituality here.
May 25, 2015
Although it took me quite a while to finish this book, I think it is really high quality. The author seems to do a really great job of trying to be true to the scientific method and scientific way of thinking while approaching the idea of spirituality with an open mind and curiosity. He does not sacrifice his scientific thinking to try to understand this human experience. Nor does he seem to denigrate the idea of spirituality or seem to be set out to prove it all silly.
Instead, the author seems really keen on using science to understand this as well as other aspects of our human lives. The book is well written, and for the most part seems written in a way that the lay person can grasp it even if there is a lot of neuroscience and neurobiology in it. I enjoy that the author paid attention to the writing of the book and made it so that many of the more complex concepts might be just a little easier to grasp through clear explanation.
I would recommend this to anyone interested in the subject. The author touches on spiritual experiences mediated through near death experiences, spontaneous occurrences, in the lab, and through psychoactive drugs. The book feels fairly thorough in that regard. I'm very glad to see writing like this around. It is encouraging.
Instead, the author seems really keen on using science to understand this as well as other aspects of our human lives. The book is well written, and for the most part seems written in a way that the lay person can grasp it even if there is a lot of neuroscience and neurobiology in it. I enjoy that the author paid attention to the writing of the book and made it so that many of the more complex concepts might be just a little easier to grasp through clear explanation.
I would recommend this to anyone interested in the subject. The author touches on spiritual experiences mediated through near death experiences, spontaneous occurrences, in the lab, and through psychoactive drugs. The book feels fairly thorough in that regard. I'm very glad to see writing like this around. It is encouraging.
December 31, 2011
This book gives a nice overview of how our brain can cause many if not all of the symptoms of near-death experiences (NDEs). This doesn't prove (yet) that NDEs are caused by your own brain, just strongly suggests it. It does show that NDEs certainly do not prove the existence of an afterlife. With all the evidence for the former, and little or none for the latter, the afterlife hypothesis seems very far-fetched.
The book could have been organised better, and much of the evidence presented is anecdotal. As the author concludes: more data are needed to strengthen the neurological explanation of NDEs.
The book could have been organised better, and much of the evidence presented is anecdotal. As the author concludes: more data are needed to strengthen the neurological explanation of NDEs.
June 15, 2014
A bit too clinical for what I was looking for and expecting. It felt like a textbook at times. I'm sure it simply was just not a match for me.
August 8, 2025
Dr. Kevin Nelson's book, "The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain," is based on his research into the neurological basis of religious and mystical experiences. Throughout the book, he explores the ways in which the brain generates these experiences and how our understanding of these experiences can help us better understand the workings of the brain.
One of the key areas of the brain that Dr. Nelson focuses on is the temporal lobe, which has been linked to religious and mystical experiences. He suggests that the temporal lobe may play a role in generating experiences of transcendence, such as feelings of oneness with the universe or a sense of connection with a higher power.
In addition, Dr. Nelson explores the role of the parietal lobe in spiritual experiences. This region of the brain is involved in spatial awareness and sense of self, and Dr. Nelson suggests that disturbances in this area may lead to experiences of ego dissolution, which are often reported in mystical experiences.
Throughout the book, Dr. Nelson also discusses the ways in which certain neurological conditions, such as epilepsy, can lead to spiritual experiences. He shares case studies of patients who have reported religious experiences during seizures and explores the possible neurological mechanisms behind these experiences.
Overall, "The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain" is a fascinating exploration of the relationship between the brain and spirituality. While the book does not seek to prove or disprove the existence of God or spirituality, it offers insights into the ways in which our brains may shape our experiences of the divine.
One example of a spiritual experience that has been linked to the temporal lobe is the feeling of a "presence" or a "sensed presence." This is a common experience reported by people during religious or mystical experiences, and it involves feeling the presence of a supernatural being, a deceased loved one, or a spiritual force.
Studies have shown that electrical stimulation of the temporal lobe can induce these feelings of a sensed presence, and damage to the temporal lobe can also lead to these experiences. In addition, certain neurological conditions, such as temporal lobe epilepsy, have been associated with these experiences.
The feeling of a sensed presence is often described as a feeling of being surrounded by a powerful and benevolent presence. It can be accompanied by feelings of peace, joy, and love, and it is often reported as a transformative experience that provides a sense of connection to a higher power or a spiritual realm.
While the experience of a sensed presence is not unique to religious or mystical experiences and can occur in other contexts, such as during sleep paralysis or in certain psychiatric conditions, it is commonly reported during spiritual experiences and has been linked to the temporal lobe.
One of the key areas of the brain that Dr. Nelson focuses on is the temporal lobe, which has been linked to religious and mystical experiences. He suggests that the temporal lobe may play a role in generating experiences of transcendence, such as feelings of oneness with the universe or a sense of connection with a higher power.
In addition, Dr. Nelson explores the role of the parietal lobe in spiritual experiences. This region of the brain is involved in spatial awareness and sense of self, and Dr. Nelson suggests that disturbances in this area may lead to experiences of ego dissolution, which are often reported in mystical experiences.
Throughout the book, Dr. Nelson also discusses the ways in which certain neurological conditions, such as epilepsy, can lead to spiritual experiences. He shares case studies of patients who have reported religious experiences during seizures and explores the possible neurological mechanisms behind these experiences.
Overall, "The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain" is a fascinating exploration of the relationship between the brain and spirituality. While the book does not seek to prove or disprove the existence of God or spirituality, it offers insights into the ways in which our brains may shape our experiences of the divine.
One example of a spiritual experience that has been linked to the temporal lobe is the feeling of a "presence" or a "sensed presence." This is a common experience reported by people during religious or mystical experiences, and it involves feeling the presence of a supernatural being, a deceased loved one, or a spiritual force.
Studies have shown that electrical stimulation of the temporal lobe can induce these feelings of a sensed presence, and damage to the temporal lobe can also lead to these experiences. In addition, certain neurological conditions, such as temporal lobe epilepsy, have been associated with these experiences.
The feeling of a sensed presence is often described as a feeling of being surrounded by a powerful and benevolent presence. It can be accompanied by feelings of peace, joy, and love, and it is often reported as a transformative experience that provides a sense of connection to a higher power or a spiritual realm.
While the experience of a sensed presence is not unique to religious or mystical experiences and can occur in other contexts, such as during sleep paralysis or in certain psychiatric conditions, it is commonly reported during spiritual experiences and has been linked to the temporal lobe.
June 6, 2017
Those who wish to believe there is something more to the universe than what we can observe with our instuments and reason have focused a lot of attention of near death experiences (NDE) as phenomena that support the idea of surviving death. This book will not be reassuring to people who wish to believe such survival is proven. By testing the behavior of humans when various portions of their brains are injured or suffering loss of oxygen or under many other circumstances that happen during the stress of accidents. Everything experienced in NDEsis a natural bi-product of what our brains do. There is nothing in the NDE that cannot be explained by regular brain activity. That written, as the author points out, such proof (that the brain can naturally create all the phenomena of a NDE) does not mean that separate existence (aside from that provided by the brain and body) is disproven. It could still happen and still rely on natural brain processes to happen. Amazingly, most of the "hardware" creating such experiences are from the most primitive parts of the brain, those we share with most of our mammalian relatives.
December 6, 2017
Interesting book...because who doesn't love a few more severed corpus callosum stories? Also, why have I never heard of the locus coeruleus before? But his title is a bit misleading, since the book is primarily about near death experiences and what causes them. Spoiler alert - it's low blood flow to the eye's retina and a bunch of REM-related stuff. Only in the last few pages does he talk about other God experiences - mainly through the use of hallucinogens. Apparently, the God experience needs a lot of help.
August 11, 2019
Dr. Nelson explains a difficult and hard to explain topic, in an easy to read and understandable manner. Though, I had to reread parts to get a better grasp, the concepts in this book were written so people without medical backgrounds could understand them. It was a highly readable book and I enjoyed it very much.
July 9, 2017
Interesting insights into how the brain functions, but not conclusive in forming a junction of spirit and neurology.
October 19, 2018
The author makes a good deal of the complexity of the brain understandable and rightly does not go beyond what scientific experiments have shown to be true. There remains much to be learned.
October 28, 2021
It’s hard to argue with somebody who has had a genuine Near Death Experience (NDE) when they speak about the afterlife. After all, they have firsthand knowledge that very few can claim, or would want. In “The Spiritual Doorway to the Brain,” neurologist Kevin Nelson takes these accounts from people who have been brought back from the brink of death as accurate and truthful. Then, setting aside the subject’s interpretations of what happened, he examines what brain functions might account for these peculiar experiences.
For example, many report that during the experience of dying they see a bright light at the end of a long tunnel. Is this a beacon leading a soul to heaven? On that matter, Nelson has no theological opinion. But he does point out that when not enough blood is pumped to the brain, peripheral vision fails, creating “tunnel vision.” No woo-woo stuff is necessary to explain it.
Similarly, many NDE-ers have out of body experiences, often where they float above and gaze down upon their corporeal bodies. Is that proof that the soul is separate from the body? Well, not so fast. Scientists have demonstrated that stimulating the temporoparietal lobe of the brain disrupts a person’s conscious sense of their physical body and “Using our vision or visual memory, consciousness temporally projects itself onto a visual map, what we see around us, when the sensation map of the rest of our body is obscured.” Indeed, since out of body experiences can be artificially stimulated, it is hard to argue that it represents the liberation of a person’s immortal soul.
Nelson provides a broad review of how the brain organizes consciousness and sensation, common characteristics of NDEs, and how the latter possibly derives from the former. According to his analysis, NDEs emerge from the most primitive parts of our brains, the autonomic functions associated with the “fight or flight” instinct. He likewise sees a connection between REM consciousness – the dream state – and NDEs. “The borderland of dreams and death” is a strange territory, indeed:
“Our NDE study subjects clearly had a different arousal brain from most people’s. This difference is likely to close the REM switch itself. It is not only one part of REM consciousness that mixes with waking consciousness in these people – all parts do (paralysis and all kinds of hallucinations), and all the parts neurologically converge at the REM switch.”
Thus, NDEs occur when an “REM intrusion” triggers aspects of the phenomenon, such as visions of loved ones. NDEs are neurologically related to dreaming.
Nelson also discusses how studying the brain during mystical experiences, such as those achieved during intense meditation, can lend further insight into the mind’s functions in altered states of consciousness. He speculates that there may be a locus in the brain for spiritual experience and, if so, we might be able to learn to stimulate it therapeutically.
“The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain” presents fascinating science and compelling theory for lay readers. It probably won’t convince true believers that NDEs are anything less than glimpses of heaven, nor should it necessarily. Even if NDEs are nothing more than neurological fireworks, they sound pretty damn cool. Still, it is not an experience that I especially look forward to having.
For example, many report that during the experience of dying they see a bright light at the end of a long tunnel. Is this a beacon leading a soul to heaven? On that matter, Nelson has no theological opinion. But he does point out that when not enough blood is pumped to the brain, peripheral vision fails, creating “tunnel vision.” No woo-woo stuff is necessary to explain it.
Similarly, many NDE-ers have out of body experiences, often where they float above and gaze down upon their corporeal bodies. Is that proof that the soul is separate from the body? Well, not so fast. Scientists have demonstrated that stimulating the temporoparietal lobe of the brain disrupts a person’s conscious sense of their physical body and “Using our vision or visual memory, consciousness temporally projects itself onto a visual map, what we see around us, when the sensation map of the rest of our body is obscured.” Indeed, since out of body experiences can be artificially stimulated, it is hard to argue that it represents the liberation of a person’s immortal soul.
Nelson provides a broad review of how the brain organizes consciousness and sensation, common characteristics of NDEs, and how the latter possibly derives from the former. According to his analysis, NDEs emerge from the most primitive parts of our brains, the autonomic functions associated with the “fight or flight” instinct. He likewise sees a connection between REM consciousness – the dream state – and NDEs. “The borderland of dreams and death” is a strange territory, indeed:
“Our NDE study subjects clearly had a different arousal brain from most people’s. This difference is likely to close the REM switch itself. It is not only one part of REM consciousness that mixes with waking consciousness in these people – all parts do (paralysis and all kinds of hallucinations), and all the parts neurologically converge at the REM switch.”
Thus, NDEs occur when an “REM intrusion” triggers aspects of the phenomenon, such as visions of loved ones. NDEs are neurologically related to dreaming.
Nelson also discusses how studying the brain during mystical experiences, such as those achieved during intense meditation, can lend further insight into the mind’s functions in altered states of consciousness. He speculates that there may be a locus in the brain for spiritual experience and, if so, we might be able to learn to stimulate it therapeutically.
“The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain” presents fascinating science and compelling theory for lay readers. It probably won’t convince true believers that NDEs are anything less than glimpses of heaven, nor should it necessarily. Even if NDEs are nothing more than neurological fireworks, they sound pretty damn cool. Still, it is not an experience that I especially look forward to having.
December 16, 2016
The title "... in the brain" but not "in the mind" gives some protection to a neurologist's account. The physical aspect of the apparatus is emphasized while the philosophic and religious discussion can be slyly inserted. As the author said, this is a bottom-up approach, hence not starting with the grander top-down hypothesis of human consciousness. As much as possible, through "physical" measurements such as MRI in connection with spiritual experiences from the extremis of near-death trauma to ordinary nightly sleep, researchers and scholars in this field are straining to account spiritual experiences reductively (such as Bertrand Russell and majority in scientific fields) as brain playing tricks while the body is in crisis. Dr. Nelson allowed an aperture of alternative hypothesis on the existence of Divine/Oneness/Unity, while giving a thorough probing of all bottom-up reaching toward this question.
The author has a plain writing style, effective but also alluding to his broader readings in philosophy and theology. There is an implicit uneasiness in associating subjective account with religious practices, but he strode on the hedge with effortful balance.
This is an interesting read for readers curious about spiritual experience from the angle of scientific research. For this reader, it is akin to examine a dead butterfly. We would know much about its physical shape and reasonably speculate its movements when alive, but we shall never experience the shimmering, living beauty when it flits across our vision.
** Book notes
p 27. A. H. Maslow thought that all religions have at their core "the private, lonely, personal illumination, revelation, or ecstasy of some acutely sensitive prophet or seer ... Organized religion can be thought of as an effort to communicate peak-experiences to non-peakers, to teach them."
p 175 Dostoevsky's mock execution and his spiritual experience lasted for many years "I cannot recall when I was ever as happy as on that day."
p 225 W.T. Stace, and Ralph Hood "M" scale in measuring mystical experiences.
P 231 - review of Eckart and Sainte Teresa's mystical experiences.
p 241 - LSD research before criminalization by governmental regulation. Surprised that the author did not cite any of Aldous Huxley's writing.
The author has a plain writing style, effective but also alluding to his broader readings in philosophy and theology. There is an implicit uneasiness in associating subjective account with religious practices, but he strode on the hedge with effortful balance.
This is an interesting read for readers curious about spiritual experience from the angle of scientific research. For this reader, it is akin to examine a dead butterfly. We would know much about its physical shape and reasonably speculate its movements when alive, but we shall never experience the shimmering, living beauty when it flits across our vision.
** Book notes
p 27. A. H. Maslow thought that all religions have at their core "the private, lonely, personal illumination, revelation, or ecstasy of some acutely sensitive prophet or seer ... Organized religion can be thought of as an effort to communicate peak-experiences to non-peakers, to teach them."
p 175 Dostoevsky's mock execution and his spiritual experience lasted for many years "I cannot recall when I was ever as happy as on that day."
p 225 W.T. Stace, and Ralph Hood "M" scale in measuring mystical experiences.
P 231 - review of Eckart and Sainte Teresa's mystical experiences.
p 241 - LSD research before criminalization by governmental regulation. Surprised that the author did not cite any of Aldous Huxley's writing.
June 4, 2011
I'm in constant search for the explanation of "reality". Why is what I see and experience feel real to me, and why is someone else's experience of an exact situation different. How does everything from hormones to physics affect the way we differently interpret the same things? How do we know when our perception is truth or a fiction of our brain chemistry. As an atheist , and skeptic, I'm curious about all existential matters that help me better understand my own reactions to life, and more importantly, other peoples realities. Does it matter whose reality is truer. Is there even anything as truth given the multiplicity of individual realities? This book explains the chemistry and biology of a variety of mystical experiences, without saying outright that these experiences are not godly . As a layperson, I found that it was not as tightly organized as I would have liked to explain the neurological functioning of mystical experiences, but maybe I'm just not smart enough to easily catch on. This happens to me a lot!
That being said, I did get the gist of his explanations,and I felt it furthered my elusive grasp of the nature of reality.
That being said, I did get the gist of his explanations,and I felt it furthered my elusive grasp of the nature of reality.
February 14, 2014
This was a good book but it was way too clinical for what I was looking for. It read like a college text book much of the time and I was expecting it to be more on the "spiritual" side. There were various clinical studies about how the brain reacts given certain injuries or circumstances and how that could indicate why people are thinking they are having a spiritual experience. In the end it wasn't conclusive to indicate it this can be all created in the brain messaging or not.
So it just wasn't what I expected and it was not an easy read for me. I like to read right before bed and this was a pretty challenging book to get through.
Good if that's what you are looking for, just not what I was hoping for.
So it just wasn't what I expected and it was not an easy read for me. I like to read right before bed and this was a pretty challenging book to get through.
Good if that's what you are looking for, just not what I was hoping for.
September 17, 2013
This was a great book that balanced spiritual curiosity and exploration with empirical data. As someone who enjoys both, this was very intriguing and certainly has contributed to how I understand my spiritual life. I really enjoyed the exploration of specific areas of the brain, how they contribute to specific experiences, the observations about how we conceive of our selves and the documentation of many peoples' experiences.
September 3, 2016
This is a fascinating book about "the spiritual brain". Dr. Nelson is a neurologist who is looking at people who have near death experiences and trying to understand what the brain may be doing. "Understanding the brain as a spiritual organ strengthens our quesst for meaning and complements a mature spirituality". I agree and hope a lot of people will read his book.
October 12, 2012
Outstanding, stimulating material about out-of-body experience, near-death experience, mystical experience, consciousness, REM and non-REM sleep.Many of his findings are in my new book and gave me a new way of thinking about what ecstasy is. He wrote an endorsement for my new book, Hungry for Ecstasy: Trauma, the Brain, and the Influence of the Sixties.
March 26, 2015
the spiritual doorway
This is a fairly technical book but I thought very informative. I am not very scientific so it was a struggle for me personally, to fully stay in tune with that part of the book but there are also plenty of layman's explanations to keep my interest. I love reading about this kind of research.
This is a fairly technical book but I thought very informative. I am not very scientific so it was a struggle for me personally, to fully stay in tune with that part of the book but there are also plenty of layman's explanations to keep my interest. I love reading about this kind of research.
July 19, 2011
Latest research into interface between material realm (brain chemistry and wiring) with mind/spirit realm underscores why we need to develop new methods of research and tools to better understand what lies beyond the limitations of the reductionist methods science has used since the 17th century.
June 17, 2011
If you're interested in this subject, I'd recommend instead reading John Horgan's Rational Mysticism, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83....
June 21, 2011
Spirituality and The Brain are two of my favourite topics, and yet having had to force myself to finish. In other words, not a good read at all imho.
Currently reading
August 12, 2011So far....very interesting.
September 26, 2011
Extremely interesting book. The author explains the workings of the brain in layman's terms, details how scientists have replicated the near death experience and the ongoing research on the matter.
March 24, 2012
A profound book that offered a deep explanation for near-death experiences that is only let down by never really completing the thought.
November 4, 2012
Easy to read but a lot of scientific information to back up his theories. Facinating subject
September 23, 2013
excellent
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews