Magic and brain: Interview with Dr. Peter Brugger, Head of the Department of Neuropsychology, University Hospital Zurich

Abstract

Peter Brugger talks about his research on the relationship between the belief in paranormal phenomena (e.g., telepathy, clairvoyance) and brain functions. Experiments about semantic priming are being presented, through which a neuropsychological achievement, e.g., associative behavior as a function of belief, is investigated. These experiments show that believing respondents have better priming in the right cerebral hemisphere compared with the left. This is in line with previous indications of indirect and metaphorical thought processes as primarily mediated by the right half of the brain. Magical thinking has a Janusian face: On the one hand we need a little bit of magic if we want to surpass the limits of science. However, if the magical thinking grows to the extent of being pathological, e.g., in schizophrenia, it hinders adaptation to reality.

Keywords Belief; Paranormal phenomena; Brain function; Associative behavior