Propensity to Report Paranormal Experiences is Correlated with Temporal Lobe Signs

Bivariate correlation analyses indicated that people who reported greater numbers of different types of paranormal experiences also reported greater numbers of temporal lobe signs. Whereas responses of one group (n= 108) of male and female university students gave a correlation of 0.60 between the two measures, for another group (n= 41) the correlation was 0.72. Partial correlation analyses, which involved holding the shared variance with affirmative responses to mundane psychological statements or odd sensations constant, did not alter the strength of the relationship. These results support the hypothesis that spontaneous paranormal experiences and the psychological components of complex partial (psychomotor) epilepsy may exist along the same continuum of temporal lobe sensitivity.