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.

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Intro and Outro music: Inspiring Morning by Playsound

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Episode Transcript

Tatiana (00:00):
Before we dive into today's episode, I wanted to

(00:02):
share something special withyou.
If you've been listening to ourconversations about integrating
spirituality into therapy, youmight be wondering where to
start with your own clients.
To help you with that, I'vecreated a free guide called 20
Client Conversation Starters, XExploring Spirituality

(00:24):
Ethically.
Now, these aren't just anyrandom questions.
They're carefully craftedprompts designed to open up
meaningful dialogue whilerespecting ethical boundaries
and diverse beliefs.
With each question, you will begiven a context for when and how
to raise it with a client toprovide you with that extra

(00:47):
guidance.
You can download this guideright now by heading to the link
in the show notes.
Let me know how you go withusing this conversation.
Starters, I'd love to hear fromyou.
Now, today's episode.
Welcome to the Integrated WisdomPodcast.
I'm your host, Tatiana DaSilva.

(01:09):
Join me as we discuss what itmeans to live an integrated life
and explore ways for you tocreate a life filled with
greater meaning, peace andconnection by integrating the
wisdom of spirituality,psychology.
Neuroscience, epigenetics andenergy psychology.

(01:31):
I hope to empower you to createdeeper and more loving
connections with yourself andothers, whilst also paving the
way for humanity at large to bereimagined and inspired to
become the very best version of.
Hello and welcome to theIntegrated Wisdom Podcast.

(01:54):
Thank you so much for joining mefor yet another week.
Today.
I'm really excited to kick offwhat's going to be a brand new
series where we will dive intosome of the deepest and most
profound questions around thescience of spirituality.
The series would be called theScience of Spiritual Perception.

(02:15):
And over the next severalepisodes, we're going to explore
whether human biology orspecifically our genes, our
brain and even our immune systemmight be wired to perceive
realities beyond the physical.
So in this first episode, we'retackling a bold and fascinating

(02:35):
question, is spiritualperception in our DNA.
Could our genetic makeupinfluence your ability to
perceive dimensions of realitythat others cannot?
And if so, what does that meanfor the way we understand human
consciousness?
We're going to unpack agroundbreaking, brand new study

(02:56):
that has for the first timeexplored whether There are
specific genes linked tospiritual mediumship, the
ability to communicate with orbe influenced by non-material
entities or spiritual entities.
We're going to also explore howour immune system might play a
surprising role in alteredstates of consciousness, or at

(03:17):
the very least, have somecorrelation with those
experiences.
And we're going to also look at.
The, the role of the pinealgland or what some people have
often called the third eye.
So let's just dive right in.
Let's just start by booking atthe study itself.
This study was published in theBrazilian general of psychiatry

(03:38):
in 2025.
Uh, so it's brand spanking new.
Um, and this study was puttogether by the medicine
faculties of three majoruniversities in Brazil, and so
these group of researchersconducted for the first time
ever, a whole exome sequencinganalysis on a group of what they

(04:00):
perceive to be highly giftedspiritual mediums, um, with a
lot of experience.
Behind them in, in engaging inmediumship.
So just to put this into alittle bit of context first, for
those that are not familiar,exome sequencing is a technique
that allows scientists toexamine parts of our DNA that

(04:23):
directly code for proteins, youknow, which we know is the
building blocks of life.
So these researchers looked at.
54 mediums who had beenpracticing as mediums for over
10 years and compared theirgenetic profiles to 53 of their

(04:46):
first degree relatives that didnot have mediumship abilities.
And just for some furthercontext, 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 upthere until we migrated to
Australia when I was just turned11.
So in Brazil, many mediums workin spiritual centers where they

(05:11):
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 therole that mediumship plays in a
part, or why a person might begiven those abilities or might
be born with those abilities andthe perception around, across

(05:31):
several of the spiritualdenominations or philosophies
where mediums are actively usedin, in their work.
Um, believe that mediumshipactivities should be given to
the public or should be given toothers, um, at no cost.
So these mediums that weresourced for these studies came

(05:53):
from some of these centers.
And so they're, they're used toengaging in their mediumship,
either through psychography orother types of channeling, but
they do it at no charge.
Okay.
Um, I think it's, it's importantto put that distinction in
there.
What their, what the resultsshowed, and this was mind

(06:14):
blowing, is that they found15,669 genetic variants that
were unique to the mediums.
So in other words, compared totheir non-med first degree
relatives, these mediums hadalmost 16,000.

(06:34):
Gene variants that theirrelatives did not.
And interestingly, 33 specificgenes that were altered in at
least a third of these mediumswere completely absent in their
non medium relatives.
So just.
Is preempting again, this was apreliminary study.

(06:56):
It was the first of its kind, soit's very early days and there's
definitely more study that needsto be conducted to understand
what these results are showing.
But I think it's already prettyclear just on that alone, that
there are distinctive.
Genetic differences betweenindividuals that have medium

(07:17):
ship abilities and those that donot.
And I guess that's the beauty ofcomparing it to first degree
relatives who don't have thoseabilities because you can really
start to see that these, um,these variations are unique to
the individual and theircapacity to, to connect with
spirit.
And another thing that wasextremely interesting about this

(07:38):
study.
Is that many of the alteredgenes that they found were
directly linked to the immunesystem, specifically something
called, um, the ZAP 70 pathway.
So what exactly is the ZAP 70pathway and why does it matter
now?
For disclosure, I am not, um,you know, I'm not a geneticist.

(08:01):
I'm not a biologist, so myunderstanding is extremely
rudimentary.
Um, but on a high level, the ZAP70 pathway is a protein that
plays a crucial role in how ourT cells, so those immune cells
that are responsible fordefending against diseases,

(08:22):
communicate and respond tooutside stimuli.
So typically we think of theimmune system as protecting us
from physical threats likeviruses or bacteria.
But this study suggestssomething much more profound and
our immune system might alsoshape how we perceive and
interact with reality.
At least that was one of thetheories that the researchers

(08:42):
posited when they found this,that so many of the genes that,
um, occurred in the mediums wereinvolved or were connected to
the immune system.
Personally, I have anothertheory which I would love to
explore further with, um,someone that understands this a
little bit more and hopefullyfor future studies will look

(09:04):
into this.
But I've also wondered whetherthe, the toll that.
I guess straddling both worlds,right?
Connecting with spiritual realmsand spiritual entities, and then
being able to be this conduitfor of information into the
physical plane, whether thatactually takes a really big toll

(09:24):
on a person's physiology or on aperson's immune system.
And, and maybe that's why thesegenes need to be.
Um, I guess more prevalent inmediums to almost give them an
extra buffer of protection forthe toll that these interactions

(09:44):
may be taking on their, on theirphysical health.
I don't know.
That's something that occurredto me as I was reading.
Um, it's some, certainlysomething worth exploring and
I'm going to do a little bitmore deep diving into other
research that may be pointing tothese or explaining this a
little bit more.
But that was another reallyfascinating find that came out
of this study.
Um, you know, it definitelyraises the question, uh, about

(10:09):
the role that our immune systemplays in perceiving or
interacting with other realms.
So the questions that come tomind, uh, is there a biological
mechanism that allows someindividuals to access non
material dimensions and if thesegenes exist, is it possible that
we all carry the potential toperceive realities beyond the

(10:30):
physical, but some people arejust simply more genetically
tuned in?
So these are fascinatingquestions that you know are
worthy of further exploration insome spiritual philosophies.
There is certainly theperception that all human beings
have the capacity for connectingwith spirit or.

(10:51):
You know, types of mediumship,but it occurs on a spectrum.
So some people have really tinyfleeting insights into those
realms and other people, so likemore explicit, overt mediums,
they have a lot more access to,you know, to those realms.
So it, it definitely, theredefinitely seems to be something

(11:11):
to this that research isstarting to demonstrate is very
likely true.
And, you know, as mind blowingas this sounds and it's, you
know, already just that at leasttwo findings alone already make
us go, what the heck is going onhere?
It wasn't the only biologicalmystery that this study found.
So throughout history, mysteryand philosophers have pointed to

(11:35):
this tiny structure deep in thebrain.
It's called the pineal gland.
It's literally a little tinygland 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 littlestructure in the brain was the

(11:57):
seat of spiritual awareness.
Renee Descartes himself famouslycalled it the seat of the soul.
And in many ancient traditions,it has been associated with the
third eye, or you know, thestructure that allows us to
perceive realms beyond ordinarysight.
And what this study found thatwas particularly intriguing is

(12:17):
that there is a genetic mutationin gene called MUC 19, which is
highly expressed in the pinealgland.
This gene was mutated in 87% ofthe medium.
And 91% of the validationsample.
So it was very, very prevalentacross, you know, the

(12:39):
participants in this study.
So, in modern science, what weunderstand of the pineal glands
role in our biophysiology isthat it's been associated with
regulating ulcer rhythms, forexample, through the production
of melatonin.
But what if that's not all thatdoes?
Right?
Like it, there's certainly otherquestions that are being raised

(13:00):
around this.
Uh, and could this ancient thirdeye structure truly play a role
in accessing spiritualtranspersonal realms?
What was specifically striking,and I guess what further, what
leads further support to some ofthese questions is that this
mutation of the MUC 19 gene wasnot present in the medium

(13:25):
relatives.
So what this suggests is thatthe mediums might possess a
unique biological predispositionor.
Structure, the biologicalstructure that allows them to
access information orexperiences beyond ordinary
awareness.
Something about theirphysiological makeup is the

(13:45):
gatekeeper or what allows'em tobe able to have these
experiences.
So it's fascinating, right?
There are distinctivephysiological and genetic
differences between individualsthat have mediumship abilities.
And those that do not.
So is there a biological gatewayto the unseen world hidden

(14:06):
within us?
That's the question.
And there is now a growing bodyof research that seems to be
saying yes there is.
But what are the implicationsfor human consciousness from
these findings?
If this research is correct,it's challenging the very
foundation of the science thatwe've had up until now.

(14:29):
You know?
So for decades, mainstreamneuroscience has assumed that
consciousness is simply abyproduct of brain activity.
But what if consciousness ismore like of receiver, right?
And certain genetic variants orbrain structures, tune the dial
to realities beyond thephysical.

(14:51):
So it raises so many questions,doesn't it?
Like?
I was so excited when I readthis article because again, it's
further proof that science isturning.
To explaining the spiritualcorrelates of our existence with
more, um, serious thought.

(15:12):
There is a, a really vast numberof studies now that have been
looking at these relationshipson multiple levels.
So from, you know,neuroscientific levels now from
a DNA level.
Um.
It's, and it's, it's excitingbecause as those of you that
have been following the podcasthave heard me say time and time

(15:34):
again, it is only a matter oftime before we all start to
understand very tangibly that weare spiritual beings having a
human physical experience.
So our essence, our true essenceis spiritual, and the studies
are starting to demonstrate thatvery clearly and slowly

(15:54):
dismantling.
This idea that we are onlymatter and that matter is all
there is.
Um, which, yeah, for me it just,it fills me with excitement.
It makes me feel like theserecognition is imminent, that,
you know.
I am in my mid forties rightnow, and I feel more and more

(16:16):
hopeful every day as I've comeacross studies like this that
I'm going to witness this, um,this transformation in my
lifetime still, you know, Ihope.
Um, but there it's, I thinkwe're living through very
exciting times, and this studyis, you know, I, I guess a
really concrete indication ofthat.

(16:37):
So I want to hear from you.
Have you ever had an experienceyou simply couldn't explain?
I sense of being contacted bysomething that was unseen or an
intuitive, knowing that thefight logic, send me your
stories, you know, if you'reopen to me sharing it in future
episodes.
I would love to be able to, tounderstand what some of you are

(17:01):
experiencing and how some ofthese insights and studies might
be helping you understand.
The experiences that you'rehaving or some curious, some
other curiosities that you maybe having about what this all
means, right?
So please reach out to me.
Send me your story, send me yourquestions.
Like I said, this is going to bea series now that, um, will be

(17:22):
made up of six episodes wherewe'll be doing a deeper dive
into some of the, theimplications that are coming out
of this study.
And some other related studies,so please reach out, let me know
what you want me to payparticular attention to and
explain in more detail.
You can contact me by email at.
[e-mail] au,or you can DM me on Instagram at

(17:47):
Integrated underscore Wisdom.
I really, really wanna hear fromyou.
And if you found today's episodethought provoking and exciting,
I invite you to subscribe or hitfollow and please share it with
somebody who is also curiousabout the intersection of
science and spirituality.
Let's spread the word.
Let's get people talking aboutthis.

(18:07):
Because the more of us thatstart to, to connect with this
awareness, this understanding,the more we start to turn the
tide around some of thesebeliefs and who knows what can
come from that, right?
So in our next episode of theScience of Spiritual Perception
Series, we're going to do adeeper dive into the reducing
valve theory.

(18:28):
And that is the idea that ourbrains might not generate
consciousness, but actuallyfilter it.
And if that's true, what mightwe all be capable of perceiving
if those filters were removed?
So until then, be gentle withyourself, stay curious, stay
open, and I hope you'll have alovely week.

(18:50):
Speak you soon.
Thank you for tuning into thisepisode of Integrated Wisdom.
It's my sincere wish thattoday's episode may have
intrigued and inspired you toreclaim your power and step into
becoming more fully integratedspiritual beings.
New episodes are published everysecond Wednesday, and I hope

(19:11):
you'll continue to join us as wedive deeper into what it means
to live an integrated life.
So if it feels aligned to you.
I invite you to hit subscribeand share it with others who you
feel may benefit to.
Meals will find me on Instagramat integrated underscore wisdom.
Remember, each moment is anopportunity to embrace your

(19:34):
divine potential and create aworld that is more frequently
inspired.
So for now, stay connected, stayinspired, and keep shining your
light into the world.