The Science of Spiritual Perception Series: #1 - Is Spiritual Perception In Our DNA?

In this groundbreaking first episode of our new series "The Science of Spiritual Perception," we explore the fascinating question: Is spiritual perception encoded in our DNA? We dive into a brand-new 2025 study from Brazilian researchers that found nearly 16,000 genetic variants unique to experienced spiritual mediums compared to their non-medium relatives.

Episode Highlights:

• Discover how researchers identified 33 specific genes altered in mediums but completely absent in their non-medium relatives
• Learn about the surprising connection between spiritual abilities and the immune system, particularly the ZAP-70 pathway
• Explore the ancient mystery of the pineal gland (the "third eye") and how genetic mutations in this area appeared in 87% of mediums studied
• Consider the revolutionary implications for our understanding of human consciousness - could we be "receivers" rather than "generators" of consciousness?

This episode challenges conventional scientific thinking and suggests we may all carry the biological potential to perceive realities beyond the physical world, with some individuals more "genetically tuned" to access these dimensions.

Join us next time as we explore the "reducing valve theory" - the idea that our brains might not generate consciousness but actually filter it - and what we might perceive if those filters were removed.

I am so excited to announce that my SOLD OUT ‘The Conscious Therapist’ course will be running again in May 2025. Register now for our waitlist to be the first to get access to this course and other insiders treats by clicking this link below:

https://www.integratedwisdom.com.au/conscioustherapistwaitlist

FREE Guide: 20 Client Conversation Starters Guide

https://www.integratedwisdom.com.au/20conversationstarters

Be sure to SHARE this episode to anyone you feel may be interested or benefit from this content.

And please don't forget to hit SUBSCRIBE to keep up to date with our episodes and give us a RATING below. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You can now send me your comments or questions, to hello@integratedwisdom.com.au or you can also find me on Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/integrated_wisdom/

Intro and Outro music: Inspiring Morning by Playsound

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

Transcript

Tatiana: 0:00

Before we dive into today's episode, I wanted to share something special with you. If you've been listening to our conversations about integrating spirituality into therapy, you might be wondering where to start with your own clients. To help you with that, I've created a free guide called 20 Client Conversation Starters, X Exploring Spirituality Ethically. Now, these aren't just any random questions. They're carefully crafted prompts designed to open up meaningful dialogue while respecting ethical boundaries and diverse beliefs. With each question, you will be given a context for when and how to raise it with a client to provide you with that extra guidance. You can download this guide right now by heading to the link in the show notes. Let me know how you go with using this conversation. Starters, I'd love to hear from you. Now, today's episode. Welcome to the Integrated Wisdom Podcast. I'm your host, Tatiana DaSilva. Join me as we discuss what it means to live an integrated life and explore ways for you to create a life filled with greater meaning, peace and connection by integrating the wisdom of spirituality, psychology. Neuroscience, epigenetics and energy psychology. I hope to empower you to create deeper and more loving connections with yourself and others, whilst also paving the way for humanity at large to be reimagined and inspired to become the very best version of. Hello and welcome to the Integrated Wisdom Podcast. Thank you so much for joining me for yet another week. Today. I'm really excited to kick off what's going to be a brand new series where we will dive into some of the deepest and most profound questions around the science of spirituality. The series would be called the Science of Spiritual Perception. And over the next several episodes, we're going to explore whether human biology or specifically our genes, our brain and even our immune system might be wired to perceive realities beyond the physical. So in this first episode, we're tackling a bold and fascinating question, is spiritual perception in our DNA. Could our genetic makeup influence your ability to perceive dimensions of reality that others cannot? And if so, what does that mean for the way we understand human consciousness? We're going to unpack a groundbreaking, brand new study that has for the first time explored whether There are specific genes linked to spiritual mediumship, the ability to communicate with or be influenced by non-material entities or spiritual entities. We're going to also explore how our immune system might play a surprising role in altered states of consciousness, or at the very least, have some correlation with those experiences. And we're going to also look at. The, the role of the pineal gland or what some people have often called the third eye. So let's just dive right in. Let's just start by booking at the study itself. This study was published in the Brazilian general of psychiatry in 2025. Uh, so it's brand spanking new. Um, and this study was put together by the medicine faculties of three major universities in Brazil, and so these group of researchers conducted for the first time ever, a whole exome sequencing analysis on a group of what they perceive to be highly gifted spiritual mediums, um, with a lot of experience. Behind them in, in engaging in mediumship. So just to put this into a little bit of context first, for those that are not familiar, exome sequencing is a technique that allows scientists to examine parts of our DNA that directly code for proteins, you know, which we know is the building blocks of life. So these researchers looked at. 54 mediums who had been practicing as mediums for over 10 years and compared their genetic profiles to 53 of their first degree relatives that did not have mediumship abilities. And just for some further context, in Brazil, I dunno if many of you may not know this, but I am actually from Brazil. I was born in Brazil and grew up there until we migrated to Australia when I was just turned 11. So in Brazil, many mediums work in spiritual centers where they will provide their, I guess, their guidance, their services with no charge. Um, there's, there's a lot of, um. Beliefs in Brazil around the role that mediumship plays in a part, or why a person might be given those abilities or might be born with those abilities and the perception around, across several of the spiritual denominations or philosophies where mediums are actively used in, in their work. Um, believe that mediumship activities should be given to the public or should be given to others, um, at no cost. So these mediums that were sourced for these studies came from some of these centers. And so they're, they're used to engaging in their mediumship, either through psychography or other types of channeling, but they do it at no charge. Okay. Um, I think it's, it's important to put that distinction in there. What their, what the results showed, and this was mind blowing, is that they found 15,669 genetic variants that were unique to the mediums. So in other words, compared to their non-med first degree relatives, these mediums had almost 16,000. Gene variants that their relatives did not. And interestingly, 33 specific genes that were altered in at least a third of these mediums were completely absent in their non medium relatives. So just. Is preempting again, this was a preliminary study. It was the first of its kind, so it's very early days and there's definitely more study that needs to be conducted to understand what these results are showing. But I think it's already pretty clear just on that alone, that there are distinctive. Genetic differences between individuals that have medium ship abilities and those that do not. And I guess that's the beauty of comparing it to first degree relatives who don't have those abilities because you can really start to see that these, um, these variations are unique to the individual and their capacity to, to connect with spirit. And another thing that was extremely interesting about this study. Is that many of the altered genes that they found were directly linked to the immune system, specifically something called, um, the ZAP 70 pathway. So what exactly is the ZAP 70 pathway and why does it matter now? For disclosure, I am not, um, you know, I'm not a geneticist. I'm not a biologist, so my understanding is extremely rudimentary. Um, but on a high level, the ZAP 70 pathway is a protein that plays a crucial role in how our T cells, so those immune cells that are responsible for defending against diseases, communicate and respond to outside stimuli. So typically we think of the immune system as protecting us from physical threats like viruses or bacteria. But this study suggests something much more profound and our immune system might also shape how we perceive and interact with reality. At least that was one of the theories that the researchers posited when they found this, that so many of the genes that, um, occurred in the mediums were involved or were connected to the immune system. Personally, I have another theory which I would love to explore further with, um, someone that understands this a little bit more and hopefully for future studies will look into this. But I've also wondered whether the, the toll that. I guess straddling both worlds, right? Connecting with spiritual realms and spiritual entities, and then being able to be this conduit for of information into the physical plane, whether that actually takes a really big toll on a person's physiology or on a person's immune system. And, and maybe that's why these genes need to be. Um, I guess more prevalent in mediums to almost give them an extra buffer of protection for the toll that these interactions may be taking on their, on their physical health. I don't know. That's something that occurred to me as I was reading. Um, it's some, certainly something worth exploring and I'm going to do a little bit more deep diving into other research that may be pointing to these or explaining this a little bit more. But that was another really fascinating find that came out of this study. Um, you know, it definitely raises the question, uh, about the role that our immune system plays in perceiving or interacting with other realms. So the questions that come to mind, uh, is there a biological mechanism that allows some individuals to access non material dimensions and if these genes exist, is it possible that we all carry the potential to perceive realities beyond the physical, but some people are just simply more genetically tuned in? So these are fascinating questions that you know are worthy of further exploration in some spiritual philosophies. There is certainly the perception that all human beings have the capacity for connecting with spirit or. You know, types of mediumship, but it occurs on a spectrum. So some people have really tiny fleeting insights into those realms and other people, so like more explicit, overt mediums, they have a lot more access to, you know, to those realms. So it, it definitely, there definitely seems to be something to this that research is starting to demonstrate is very likely true. And, you know, as mind blowing as this sounds and it's, you know, already just that at least two findings alone already make us go, what the heck is going on here? It wasn't the only biological mystery that this study found. So throughout history, mystery and philosophers have pointed to this tiny structure deep in the brain. It's called the pineal gland. It's literally a little tiny gland smack bang in the center of our brain. Looks like a little bean. And for many, many, you know, throughout history there was this perception that this little structure in the brain was the seat of spiritual awareness. Renee Descartes himself famously called it the seat of the soul. And in many ancient traditions, it has been associated with the third eye, or you know, the structure that allows us to perceive realms beyond ordinary sight. And what this study found that was particularly intriguing is that there is a genetic mutation in gene called MUC 19, which is highly expressed in the pineal gland. This gene was mutated in 87% of the medium. And 91% of the validation sample. So it was very, very prevalent across, you know, the participants in this study. So, in modern science, what we understand of the pineal glands role in our biophysiology is that it's been associated with regulating ulcer rhythms, for example, through the production of melatonin. But what if that's not all that does? Right? Like it, there's certainly other questions that are being raised around this. Uh, and could this ancient third eye structure truly play a role in accessing spiritual transpersonal realms? What was specifically striking, and I guess what further, what leads further support to some of these questions is that this mutation of the MUC 19 gene was not present in the medium relatives. So what this suggests is that the mediums might possess a unique biological predisposition or. Structure, the biological structure that allows them to access information or experiences beyond ordinary awareness. Something about their physiological makeup is the gatekeeper or what allows'em to be able to have these experiences. So it's fascinating, right? There are distinctive physiological and genetic differences between individuals that have mediumship abilities. And those that do not. So is there a biological gateway to the unseen world hidden within us? That's the question. And there is now a growing body of research that seems to be saying yes there is. But what are the implications for human consciousness from these findings? If this research is correct, it's challenging the very foundation of the science that we've had up until now. You know? So for decades, mainstream neuroscience has assumed that consciousness is simply a byproduct of brain activity. But what if consciousness is more like of receiver, right? And certain genetic variants or brain structures, tune the dial to realities beyond the physical. So it raises so many questions, doesn't it? Like? I was so excited when I read this article because again, it's further proof that science is turning. To explaining the spiritual correlates of our existence with more, um, serious thought. There is a, a really vast number of studies now that have been looking at these relationships on multiple levels. So from, you know, neuroscientific levels now from a DNA level. Um. It's, and it's, it's exciting because as those of you that have been following the podcast have heard me say time and time again, it is only a matter of time before we all start to understand very tangibly that we are spiritual beings having a human physical experience. So our essence, our true essence is spiritual, and the studies are starting to demonstrate that very clearly and slowly dismantling. This idea that we are only matter and that matter is all there is. Um, which, yeah, for me it just, it fills me with excitement. It makes me feel like these recognition is imminent, that, you know. I am in my mid forties right now, and I feel more and more hopeful every day as I've come across studies like this that I'm going to witness this, um, this transformation in my lifetime still, you know, I hope. Um, but there it's, I think we're living through very exciting times, and this study is, you know, I, I guess a really concrete indication of that. So I want to hear from you. Have you ever had an experience you simply couldn't explain? I sense of being contacted by something that was unseen or an intuitive, knowing that the fight logic, send me your stories, you know, if you're open to me sharing it in future episodes. I would love to be able to, to understand what some of you are experiencing and how some of these insights and studies might be helping you understand. The experiences that you're having or some curious, some other curiosities that you may be having about what this all means, right? So please reach out to me. Send me your story, send me your questions. Like I said, this is going to be a series now that, um, will be made up of six episodes where we'll be doing a deeper dive into some of the, the implications that are coming out of this study. And some other related studies, so please reach out, let me know what you want me to pay particular attention to and explain in more detail. You can contact me by email at. hello@integratedwisdom.com au, or you can DM me on Instagram at Integrated underscore Wisdom. I really, really wanna hear from you. And if you found today's episode thought provoking and exciting, I invite you to subscribe or hit follow and please share it with somebody who is also curious about the intersection of science and spirituality. Let's spread the word. Let's get people talking about this. Because the more of us that start to, to connect with this awareness, this understanding, the more we start to turn the tide around some of these beliefs and who knows what can come from that, right? So in our next episode of the Science of Spiritual Perception Series, we're going to do a deeper dive into the reducing valve theory. And that is the idea that our brains might not generate consciousness, but actually filter it. And if that's true, what might we all be capable of perceiving if those filters were removed? So until then, be gentle with yourself, stay curious, stay open, and I hope you'll have a lovely week. Speak you soon. Thank you for tuning into this episode of Integrated Wisdom. It's my sincere wish that today's episode may have intrigued and inspired you to reclaim your power and step into becoming more fully integrated spiritual beings. New episodes are published every second Wednesday, and I hope you'll continue to join us as we dive deeper into what it means to live an integrated life. So if it feels aligned to you. I invite you to hit subscribe and share it with others who you feel may benefit to. Meals will find me on Instagram at integrated underscore wisdom. Remember, each moment is an opportunity to embrace your divine potential and create a world that is more frequently inspired. So for now, stay connected, stay inspired, and keep shining your light into the world.