Some may recall my pointing out that the DMS-IV talks about exceptions to
the dissociated states diagnosis if they appear to be induced by
meditative/spiritual techniques and have no associated dysfunctional
symptoms.

My objection to the DSM-IV critereon was that perhaps there are genuine
physiological differences between witnessing and dissociative states that
the DSM-IV is ignoring. IOW, just because you THINK that your dissoicative
state is  spiritual, doesn't mean that it is.

In fact, there seems to be evidence of this. Witnessing/samadhi during
Transcendental Meditation is correlated with interhemispheric cohererence in
EEG. Here's a studythat appears to say that dissociated states show exactly
the opposite:



http://www.zynet.co.uk/imprint/Tucson/2_feb.htm

L-- Abstract No:1328

fMRI measures of hemispheric asymmetry in young adults verbally or
sexually abused as children: implications for dissociated states of
consciousness
C.M.Anderson(Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program & Dept.
Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School. McLean Hospital 115 Mill St.
Belmont, MA
02178<Remfract@..> ),F.Schiffer<>,C.A.Glod<>A.M.Pol
cari<>,S.L.Andersen<>,et.al.<>
Previous work from our group has demonstrated the profound and
persistent neural and psychological changes induced by early trauma
in EEG evidence of asymmetric hemispheric activation during the
recall of past trauma, as well as abnormal hemispheric coherence and
reductions in the size of the corpus callosum in abused and neglected
children treated at McLean Hospital (1). Functional hemispheric
asymmetry resulting from childhood abuse may play a role in altered
states of consciousness and emotional regulation. Schiffer (2) has
recently reported in 70 psychotherapy patients, changes in anxiety
levels induced by selective left or right lateral visual field
stimulation. In psychiatric interviews 40 of the 70 patients
manifested personality changes such that one lateral view induced a
more mature world view and greater sense of security while the other
view induced a less mature and anxious perspective.

As part of our ongoing study of early abuse on brain development,
Schiffer et al (3) found that left or right visual stimulation
altered the affect and theta EEG laterality of college students. On a
separate day each subject underwent an echo planar fMRI scan using a
unique T2 stepping procedure to assess T2 relaxation time as an
indirect non-invasive estimate of basal blood perfusion in each
hemisphere and in anterior temporal lobe (ATL) (GE 1.5T Signa scanner
with Advanced NMR systems whole body echo planner coil). Right-sided
resting ATL blood flow determined by baseline fMRI appeared to
predict EEG and affect responses to lateral visual field stimulation
(4). In normal students fMRI analysis indicated an extremely tight
coupling between right and left hemisphere T2 measurements (r =
0.995) with a slope that is extremely close to unity (b=1.048). In
contrast, abused subjects had a lower correlation (r=0.861) and
flatter slope, indicating an excess of right hemispheric activity.

Taken together these findings support Schiffer's view (5) that our
two hemispheres are like dual joined minds, or mental Siamese twins,
who learn in early life to harmoniously share their unique
specializations. This harmony is disrupted by abuse or traumatic
events which can unbalance the twins and lead to pathological
struggles for emotional dominance resulting in a wide range of
personality disorders, as well as altered states of consciousness.
For example, one twin, the right in many cases, may retain the memory
of abuse or trauma and as a result be functionally less mature. In
times of stress or anger, it may take control, sabotaging the good
efforts of the more mature personality resulting in acts of violence,
child abuse, self-destructive behavior or the appearance of alters.
Interhemispheric struggles, primarily a result of child abuse, may be
the psychological root of drug addiction (6), personality disorders
or other dissociated states of consciousness. (Supported by a
supplement to [MHT's] NIMH ROI-53636 supporting the recruitment of
individuals with disabilities into biomedical research careers.).

1) Teicher MH, Ito Y, Glod CG, Andersen SL, Dumont N, Ackerman E.
Preliminary evidence for abnormal cortical development in physically
and sexually abused children using EEG coherence and MRI. N.Y. Acad.
Sci. 1997. 821: 160-175.

2) Schiffer F. Affect changes observed with right versus left lateral
visual field stimulation in psychotherapy patients: possible
physiological, psychological, and therapeutic implications.
Comprehensive Psychiatry, 1997. 38: 289-295.

3) Schiffer F, Anderson CM, Teicher MH. EEG, Bilateral ear
temperature, and affect changes induced by lateral visual field
stimulation. J Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience (submitted).

4) Schiffer F, Anderson CM, Renshaw PF, Maas LC, Teicher MH, fMRI
correlates with EEG and affect responses to lateral visual field
stimulation, 1998 APA abstract (submitted).

5) Schiffer F. (in press) In Your Right Mind, Free Press:New York.

6) Anderson, CM Ibogaine therapy in chemical dependency and
posttraumatic stress disorder: a hypothesis involving the fractal
nature of fetal REM sleep and interhemispheric reintegration. MAPS
(in press), (http:// remfractal.mclean.org:8080/ibogaine.html) or
(http://www.maps.org/news-letters).

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