Our Thanks to misterpoll for their invaluable help in gathering this data.

Over 200 responses in less than six months without one penny of research funding.

EXPERIENCES IN CONSCIOUSNESS

Here is some basic data about how often a 'normal' population (a group of internet users willing to answer a 'poll') experiences the most common spontaneous altered states of consciousness (known as Temporal Lobe Signs).

Even though internet users are a 'normal' group, we can't consider this to represent the 'general population'. We should assume that only those who are interested in altered states to begin with would choose to participate in the online 'poll' used here. Those who never have these experiences might easily lack any motivation to participate. One study found that the frequency of these experiences in a group of university psychology students formed a continuum with the frequencies of temporal lobe signs pretty evenly distributed across the group. These students did not volunteer as readily as the internet group represented below. They were given credit for participating, while this group was given no compensation whatever. The frequencies of their experiences should be expected to be higher than a more 'typical' group, because of the method used to gather the data. Nevertheless, the relative frequencies of specific experiences within this group that emerge in this data make it worth examining.

How often do you experience Deja vu?

(all answers are estimates)


between yearly & monthly (31%)


about once/month (18%)


about twice per month (18%)


never (less than 1x/year) (13%)


about once per week (9%)


more than once per week (4%)


just about all the time (2%)


once a day (most days) (0%)

 

 

more than once per day (0%)

 211 total votes


How often do you feel that everything is strange, odd, dreamlike, disconnected, unreal or just strange?


From 1x/Mo. to 1x / Yr. (27%)


never (less than 1x per year). (19%)


Around once a week. (13%)


About once a month. (10%)


Around twice per month. (8%)


More than once a week. (8%)


Most of the time. (7%)


Once a day on most days. (4%)


More than once a day. (0%)

 210 total votes

how often do you get the feeling that there is someone or something in the room with you when there's nobody there or that you're 'not alone' or 'being watched' when you're by yourself?


Never (less than 1x/year). (28%)


From 1x/Mo. to 1x / Yr.. (21%)


Around twice a month (11%)


About once a month. (10%)


Close to once a week (9%)


Once a day on most days (7%)


most of the time (6%)


More than once a day (4%)

 208 total votes

How often do you feel that your body is moving when its actually still (like the feeling that the bed is moving while dropping off to sleep)?


From 1x/Mo. to 1x / Yr. (28%)


Never (less than 1x/year) (22%)


About once a month. (14%)


Close to twice per month. (12%)


Around once a week. (6%)


More than once a week. (5%)


Once a day on most days. (4%)


Most of the time. (3%)


More than once a day. (2%)

 214 total votes

How often do you feel electric-like 'buzzes' in your body or pins-and-needles, 'tingley' sensations?


From 1x/Mo. to 1x / Yr.? (18%)


Never (less than 1x/year). (15%)


Around twice a month. (15%)


About once a month. (11%)


Close to once a week. (11%)


Once a day on most days. (8%)


More than once a week. (8%)


More than once a day. (7%)

Most of the time. (2%)

 212 total votes


I spend a lot of my free time writing.


 

False (63%)

 


 

True (37%)

 

 207 total votes

My spirituality is my real focus


False (59%)


True (41%)

 205 total votes

I'm always thinking about sex.


False (60%)


True (40%)

 206 total votes

My emotions are so strong that they often shock me.


False (52%)


True (48%)

 204 total votes

When it comes to sex, I just don't understand what the big deal is about.

 


False (70%)

 


True (30%)

 

 202 total votes

 

 

 

 

I set aside some time every day for meditation (or something like it)

 


False (55%)

 


True (45%)

 

 206 total votes

 

 

 

 

Sometimes I think that there are rules to life that everybody understands except me.

 


True (52%)

 


False (48%)

 

 207 total votes

 

 

 

 

Prayer is better than meditation for me.

 


False (58%)

 


True (42%)

 

 203 total votes


Other pages on this site:

Shakti - Magnetic Brain Stimulation

Deja Vu

Darwinian Reincarnation

Consciousness

Romantic Love and the Brain

Origins of spirituality in Human Evolution

Sacred Lands

"The Sensed Presence"

Glasses For Enhanced Visual Acuity

God in the Brain

Spiritual Aptitude Test

Stimulating My Brain As A Spiritual Path

Inventing Shakti

Sex and States of Consciousness

The Gay Male Brain - Evolutionary Speculations

Visions

The Spiritual Personality

Enlightenment And the Brain

Archetypes

A Diet For Epileptics?

Odd Experiences - Online Poll Results

Brain News

Out-Of-Body Experiences

Near-Death Experiences - Thai Case histories

The Big Bang

Meditations from Brain Science

Near-Death Experiences in Thailand - Discussion

The Terrorist Brain

Credentials

Hippocrates on Epilepsy

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