For those who believe in a higher power, having a religious experience can be life changing.

Exactly what goes on in their brain when it happens has largely remained a mystery, with neurological studies typically based on scans taken long after the event has occurred.

But an Israeli team may have caught the brain in the act, with one man's experience of 'seeing God' being captured on the doctor's table.

Exactly what happens in their brain's of people who 'see God' has largely remained a mystery (pictured is an illustration of Moses seeing God). But an Israeli team may have caught the brain in the act, with one man's experience being captured on the doctor's table, with tests showing a spike in activity in the left temporal lobe

Researchers at Hadassah Hebrew University report a rare case in which they were treating a patient for a form of epilepsy when he had a religious experience in which he saw and conversed with God.

The intriguing case study offers a sliver of insight into what might be going on in the brains of those who claim to have 'seen God'.

Dr Shahar Arzy and Dr Roey Schurr were reportedly treating a 46-year-old man for temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), carrying out a battery of tests including an online electro encephalogram (EEG) which measured his brain activity.

In the run up to the tests the patient, a Jewish man who had reportedly never been especially religious, had stopped taking anticonvulsant medication for seizures.

The intriguing case study offers a sliver of insight into what might be going on in the brains of those who claim to have 'seen God'. Pictured is a still from Bruce Almighty, in which Jim Carrey (right) sees and speaks to God, played by Morgan Freeman (left)

The intriguing case study offers a sliver of insight into what might be going on in the brains of those who claim to have had intense religious experiences. Stock image

ONE MAN'S INSIGHT INTO SEEING THE DIVINE Researchers at Hadassah Hebrew University have reported a rare case study of a patient being treated for of epilepsy when he had a religious experience in which he reportedly saw and conversed with God. In the run up to the tests the patient, a 46-year-old Jewish man who had reportedly never been especially religious, had stopped taking anticonvulsant medication for seizures. Just before the incident, the doctors measured a spike in EEG activity in the patient's left prefrontal cortex - an area previously linked to religious and mystical experiences. The Israeli team believe the man suffered the visions as a result of a psychotic episode following a seizure. Intense religious experiences are well documented throughout history, with recorded instances of smells - such as roses - and other sensory events accompanying their visions. Such visions and smells have been also been reported by patients with types of epilepsy as 'auras' which may precede their epileptic seizures. Advertisement

But during testing, the researchers report the man froze and stared at the ceiling for several minutes, saying he felt like 'God was approaching him', before exclaiming 'Adonai', the name of the Hebrew God.

The man then removed the wires from his head before taking off and marching around the hospital trying to recruit followers, saying 'God has sent me to you', convinced his creator had singled him out to bring redemption to fellow patients and medical staff.

Just before the incident, the doctors measured a spike in activity in the patient's left prefrontal cortex.

The prefrontal cortex is a region of the brain associated with a number of higher functions, including planning and perception, and has been previously linked to religious and mystical experiences.

However, according to The Epilepsy Foundation, case studies of patents experiencing TLE seizures report the world seeming 'more real' and a dreamlike, disconnected state, with audio and visual 'warning' hallucinations not uncommon.

The Israeli team believe the man suffered the visions as a result of a psychotic episode following a seizure.

In a blog post on the case study for Discover magazine, Neuroskeptic explained that the patient's experience of seeing and being chosen by God bears a resemblance to key religious figures, from Moses to Jesus to Mohammed.

Neuroskeptic wrote: 'Of course, this doesn't mean that any of those leaders had epilepsy, but it is interesting that this phenomenology can occur in this disease.'

The findings were published in the journal Epilepsy and Behaviour.

Doctors were testing a 46-year-old man for his long-standing temporal lobe epilepsy, carrying out a battery of tests including an online electro encephalogram (EEG) which measured his brain activity. Pictured is a child receiving the EEG test during an experiment to monitor brain activity in response to different scenarios