A CONFIRMATORY STUDY OF THE RELATION BETWEEN SELF-REPORTED COMPLEX PARTIAL EPILEPTIC SIGNS, PEAK EXPERIENCES AND PARANORMAL BELIEFS

Data obtained from a sample of 102 university students were used to ca lculate Pearson product moment correlations between measures of comple x partial epileptic signs, peak experiences and paranormal beliefs. Si gnificant correlations ranging from .35 to .42 (P < .001) were found b etween all three measures. Moreover, notable relations were obtained b etween complex partial epileptic signs and a number of subscales of th e paranormal measure including precognition (r = .43), psi beliefs (r = .40), spiritualism (r = .40), extraordinary life forms (r = .26) and superstition (r = .22). The results are consistent with previous rese arch linking temporal lobe signs to paranormal and peak experiences.