The Serpent's Wisdom

crossposting to darkpaganism

The entry I made last night, excerpting a book on neurotheology and outlining the brain processes behind the experience of "religious awe" brought about by ritual, relate also to another experience that I have had: subspace.

In the past I've made entries regarding links I and others have intuited between BDSM and yoga or religious ritual. If you haven't read them before I highly recommend them if this is a topic of interest:

http://www.livejournal.com/community/darkpaganism/197733.html
http://www.livejournal.com/users/sophiaserpentia/169873.html
http://www.livejournal.com/users/sophiaserpentia/171294.html

Drs. D'Aquili and Newberg describe two types of "transcendent" religious experience relating to the overflowing of the autonomous nervous systems: the sympathetic or arousal system, and the parasympathetic or quiescent. The difference between the two depends on which is focused first.

If one begins with silent stillness meditation, one activates strongly the quiescent system and feels an overwhelming sense of peace. When this "overflows" and activates the arousal system, there is a sudden feeling of "rushing" or of being transported. I have felt this, and knew immediately what it was the authors were describing.

If one begins by focusing on the arousal system, as through long-distance running, drumming/dancing (like Sufi or Voodoo dancing) -- or concentrated, rhythmic, ritualistic pain -- one's amygdala (which is on the lookout for threats and controls the fear response) is kept in an abnormally sustained state of alertness. When this system "overflows" the quiescent system can be simultaneously activated -- causing a sudden rush of peacefulness and calm.

So many things I have experienced make perfect sense now...