Additionally, common methods of attaining states of religious and spiritual awareness such as "isolation, food and water deprivation, increased or decreased sexual activity, pain, drug use, self-mutilation, prayer, and meditation" result in the depletion of serotonin and other neurotransmitters (Joseph 129). ... The fact that these limbic system nuclei and the temporal lobe are common to all people could explain why the belief in souls, spirits, and mystical experiences is present in all cultures worldwide and throughout time. ... The most common reaction of abnormal or heightened activation o...

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