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Brain functional network dynamics in women with alleged mediumship: a controlled study
Jéssica Plácido1, Marco Aurélio Vinhosa Bastos2, Paulo Roberto Haidamus de Oliveira Bastos3
1Psychology Course, Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Health, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Psychiatry Research. Neuroimaging
|February 20, 2026
Summary
Brain Functional Networks analysis revealed distinct brain activity patterns during mediumistic trance compared to prayer. Mediumship represents an altered state of consciousness, not a pathology.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Psychology
Background:
- The Brain Functional Networks (BFN) approach integrates Electroencephalography (EEG), Graph Theory, and Motif Synchronization to map brain connectivity.
- BFN identifies functionally connected brain regions over time, regardless of spatial proximity, offering a novel perspective on complex brain states like mediumship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and analyze the topological indices of Brain Functional Networks (BFN) during a mediumistic trance state.
- To differentiate the neural correlates of mediumship from other cognitive states.
Main Methods:
- Utilized secondary EEG data from 28 female participants (14 mediums, 14 controls) in Campo Grande, Brazil.
- Compared brain activity during a resting state, a mediumistic trance task (Mediums Group), and a prayer task (Control Group).
- Constructed and analyzed EEG-derived brain networks across Delta, Theta, Alpha, and Beta frequency bands.
Main Results:
- The Mediums Group exhibited significant changes in Delta (p=0.002), Theta (p=0.006), and Alpha (p=0.035) bands during mediumistic trance.
- The Control Group showed significant alterations in the Beta band (p=0.008) during the prayer task.
- These findings indicate distinct neural network modulations associated with each task.
Conclusions:
- The study suggests that distinct tasks, including mediumistic trance and prayer, induce specific alterations in brain activity patterns.
- Mediumistic trance is characterized as an altered state of consciousness, differing from sleep.
- Results support the classification of mediumship as a non-pathological, altered brain state, distinct from neurological or psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia.
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