I Found God (Not in a Church or even Tripping Balls)
When Science Works With Mysticism
Turns out, spiritual experiences aren’t just reserved for monks in caves or peyote-fueled visions in the sweltering desert or a semi-abandoned warehouse a few blocks east of Main Street, Vancouver. God—or something that feels transcendent, mystical, connective, and anything but a bearded white dude judging the entire world—was in my brain the whole time. Specifically, in the alpha state.
The Schumann Resonance and the Alpha State
Lisa Miller, in The Awakened Brain, talks about how 7.83 Hz, the Earth's Schumann Resonance, aligns perfectly with the human alpha wave state—the mental rhythm when we’re deeply relaxed, meditating, being creative, gaming, getting lost in conversation, playing sports we love, and fucking. No, Lisa does not use the same language as I do. And no, we’re not on a first-name basis.
Anyway, she argues that this is not just a coincidence but evidence that human consciousness is wired to sync with something greater, something beyond the limits of our individual minds.
We could think of The Schumann Resonance as the Earth's electromagnetic heartbeat. Discovered by physicist Winfried Otto Schumann in 1952, these resonant frequencies arise due to the space between the Earth's surface and the ionosphere. While the fundamental frequency is 7.83 Hz, harmonics extend further, interacting with biological systems in ways researchers who actually understand what the hell I just wrote are still exploring. Some scientists theorize that long-term exposure to these frequencies could enhance cognitive function and mental well-being, while disruptions (like electromagnetic pollution) might contribute to stress and disconnection.
Flow State: The Brain’s Gateway to Transcendence
This is where our boy Steven Kotler comes in.
Kotler, the godfather (well, esteemed American dude) of Flow State research, describes how peak human performance occurs when our brain enters a theta-alpha border, shutting off the prefrontal cortex (the overthinking, ego-driven part of us I sometimes cut off with IPAs) and letting the subconscious take over.
In The Rise of Superman, he studies extreme athletes—big wave surfers, wingsuit flyers, and other unhinged professionals who throw amazing parties—who consistently tap into this altered state, where time slows down, awareness expands, and their actions become effortless, and yes, sometimes lead to to death. Flow, as he describes it, is a state of complete presence. No past, no future—just the now, maaan.
Neuroscience backs this up. According to research published in Frontiers in Psychology (2016), flow states occur when dopamine, norepinephrine, and endorphins flood the brain like a Hollywood cocktail (but without the chance of celebrity overdose), reducing the noise of the prefrontal cortex and enhancing focus and creativity. MRI scans show decreased activity in the default mode network (DMN)—the part of the brain associated with self-referential thinking. This temporary quieting of the ego may explain why flow states feel spiritual, transcendent, or one of the lamest adjectives, good.
The Science of Spiritual Experiences
Lisa Miller’s research goes further, arguing that the awakening of the spiritual brain is more than just a psychological trick, but an evolutionary advantage. In The Awakened Brain, her studies show that people with a strong sense of spirituality have greater resilience, lower rates of depression, and higher life satisfaction (they feel good). Neuroscientific evidence suggests that spiritual practices strengthen the anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex, areas associated with emotional regulation and decision-making.
In a 2014 study published in JAMA Psychiatry, Miller and her team found that individuals who reported strong spirituality had thicker cortical regions, especially in areas linked to emotional processing and awareness. This does not mean religious fundamentalists aren’t thick; this suggests that cultivating spirituality—through meditation, prayer, deep connection with nature, and some of the examples I already mentioned—physically changes the brain in ways that promote mental health.
So…
Are We Wired for Transcendence?
This is where Miller’s spiritual brain and Kotler’s performance brain come together in my mind. Whether you call it mysticism or neurobiology, transcendence or chemistry, something happens when get in da zone. Alpha waves, flow state, spiritual alignment—it’s all the same frequency, the same shift in consciousness that makes us feel deeply connected to something bigger than ourselves. Why do monks, artists, and extreme athletes talk about touching the divine? They’re hacking into the same neurological pathway. Actually, that’s a lie. I’ve never heard extreme athletes talk about touching the divine—drugs, yes, but anyway.
Some researchers believe this could explain why religious and spiritual experiences are often accompanied by visions, feelings of unity, and profound insights. Andrew Newberg, a neuroscientist known for his studies on brain function and spirituality, has conducted fMRI scans on meditating monks and praying nuns. His findings, published in Neurotheology: How Science Can Enlighten Us About Spirituality, suggest that deep meditative states deactivate the parietal lobe, which is responsible for our sense of self in space. This could explain why people in profound spiritual or flow states often describe a feeling of oneness with the universe.
Which brings us to…
The Modern Disconnection Problem
If our brains are naturally wired to sync with the Earth’s resonance and enter flow states, why do so many of us feel disconnected? Part of of the answer is that shit that was supposed to connect us. Yes, you got it. Social media.
Modern life is an assault on our nervous systems. Constant exposure to screens, artificial lighting, and information overload keeps our brains in a beta-wave-dominant state—a mode associated with stress, anxiety, overthinking, self-loathing, wondering how the fuck so many people are getting it right when you’re hopelessly lost, and so on. In summary, most of us are rarely in alpha, let alone flow.
Practices like meditation, breathwork, and spending time in nature help realign us with this natural rhythm—yes, this is the same advice holistic influencers tell you while you’re scrolling through the garbage that’s messing you up to begin with. Anyway, studies from the University of Michigan have found that even 20 minutes in a natural setting can lower cortisol levels and increase alpha wave activity. Similarly, research in Cognitive Processing (2019) suggests that practicing mindfulness strengthens the connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and limbic system, improving emotional regulation and resilience.
So, Where Do We Find God?
So maybe ‘God’ isn’t in a church or the sky (unless, you’re a extreme wing suit athlete, I guess). Maybe she’s in the space between thoughts, in the resonance of the Earth, in the moments we let go and sync up. Maybe it’s when we’re in nature, when we’re creating, when we’re pushing the edges of what’s possible, and doing what truly makes us feel good rather than just distracting us from what us makes us feel anything. Maybe transcendence isn’t a place but a frequency.
And if that’s true, the path to connection isn’t complicated—it’s already built into us. I guess that’s kind of like saying, “We’re god.”
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For those interested in learning more about meditation, I highly recommend checking out ’s .
Books:
Miller, L. (2021). The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life. Random House.
Kotler, S. (2014). The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance. New Harvest.
Newberg, A. (2018). Neurotheology: How Science Can Enlighten Us About Spirituality. Columbia University Press.
Research Papers & Studies:
Newberg, A., et al. (2001). “The Measurement of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow During the Complex Cognitive Task of Meditation: A Preliminary SPECT Study.” Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 106(2), 113-122.
Miller, L., et al. (2014). “Neural Correlates of Spirituality in Depression.” JAMA Psychiatry, 71(2), 128-134.
Ulrich, R. S., et al. (1991). “Stress Recovery During Exposure to Natural and Urban Environments.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11(3), 201-230.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row.
Dietrich, A. (2003). “Functional Neuroanatomy of Altered States of Consciousness: The Transient Hypofrontality Hypothesis.” Consciousness and Cognition, 12(2), 231-256.
Van der Linden, D., et al. (2019). “Alpha Power at Rest as a Predictor of Creativity and Creative Fluency.” Cognitive Processing, 20(4), 485-496.
Kuo, M., et al. (2019). “The Impact of Time Spent in Natural Environments on Attention and Mood: A Meta-Analysis.” Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 4(43), 1-16.