Measuring the Psychic Brain: What Happens Neurologically During Mediumship
I recently had the fascinating opportunity to observe a real-time EEG reading of Tyler Henry, the well-known Hollywood medium, while he performed a psychic reading. Working alongside Dr. Drew Pinsky, we captured live brain wave data as Tyler read Steve-O from MTV's Jackass. What we discovered challenges our understanding of consciousness states and provides concrete neurological evidence for what happens during mediumship.
The Setup: Measuring an Unusual Brain
Tyler arrived with clear curiosity about his own neural patterns. Since age 10, he'd wondered what was happening in his brain during readings. He reports consistent physical effects during sessions: sweating, feeling overwhelmed, pressures and pains throughout his body. These somatic experiences suggested significant neurological changes were occurring.
We started with baseline measurements using quantitative EEG (qEEG), mapping Tyler's brain activity in a normal, alert state. The plan was simple: capture his baseline patterns, then monitor in real-time as he performed a reading with an unknown subject.
The Subject: A Skeptical Brain
Steve-O proved an ideal test case. As he put it: "I've been bopped in the head quite a bit" from his Jackass stunts, and he arrived as a complete skeptic. He had no prior exposure to Tyler's work and expected to "not really buy it." This skepticism was crucial—it eliminated any possibility of the subject unconsciously providing cues or information.
The Neurological Shift: What We Observed
The moment Tyler began his reading process, his brain activity transformed dramatically. Within 30 seconds of entering his meditative state, we observed what I can only describe as extraordinary neural patterns:
Massive Alpha Surges in Visual Cortex
Tyler's visual processing areas exploded with alpha waves (8-12 Hz)—the frequency associated with relaxed awareness and visual imagery. But these weren't typical alpha patterns. The amplitude was so large I had to double the scale on our recording equipment mid-session. His brain was generating alpha waves at twice the intensity we'd measured during baseline.
Unusual Beta-Alpha Combinations
Most remarkably, Tyler showed simultaneous beta (13-30 Hz) and alpha activity—a combination rarely seen in normal brain states. Beta typically indicates active, focused thinking, while alpha suggests relaxed receptivity. These frequencies usually don't coexist at high amplitudes. Tyler's brain was somehow maintaining both states simultaneously.
Disconnected Network Communication
Parts of Tyler's brain appeared to stop communicating in typical patterns. Normal brain function relies on coordinated networks talking to each other. During the reading, Tyler showed what looked like isolated processing—different brain regions operating independently rather than in their usual integrated fashion.
The Hypnagogic State Connection
What Tyler achieved neurologically resembles the hypnagogic state—that twilight zone between waking and sleep where vivid imagery and unusual perceptions occur. His EEG patterns showed characteristics of someone "opening and closing his eyes but not" or "falling asleep and waking up but not," as I noted during the session.
This state is associated with:
- Enhanced visual imagery
- Reduced critical thinking
- Increased pattern recognition
- Altered sense of time and space
- Heightened receptivity to subtle information
The Information Flow: What Tyler Retrieved
During this altered brain state, Tyler produced remarkably specific information about Steve-O's family:
- Immediately identified maternal family connections
- Referenced "Janice" (Steve-O's mother's sister who had passed)
- Described his mother's concerns about his sister versus him
- Accurately portrayed family dynamics and his mother's final thoughts
- Connected current life patterns to past relationships
The accuracy was striking, but from a neuroscience perspective, the mechanism remained the puzzle.
My Theory: Accessing Relational Imprints
I don't believe Tyler is "talking to dead people" in a supernatural sense. Instead, I propose he's accessing what I call "relational imprints"—remnant patterns that significant relationships leave in our neural networks.
Here's the mechanism I hypothesize:
Co-Created Consciousness
Human consciousness isn't generated in isolation. We co-create our sense of self through relationships with others. Important people literally become part of our neural architecture through repeated interactions, shared experiences, and emotional bonds.
Residual Neural Patterns
When someone significant to us dies, they leave behind neural traces—not ghosts, but actual brain patterns shaped by years of interaction. These "imprints" contain behavioral patterns, emotional responses, and relational dynamics that persist in the survivor's brain.
Enhanced Pattern Recognition
In his altered brain state, Tyler appears to access these residual patterns with extraordinary accuracy. His disconnected network communication might actually be advantageous—it allows pattern recognition without the usual filtering and skeptical analysis that would dismiss subtle information.
The Thalamocortical Connection
Tyler's brain state shares characteristics with what we see in advanced meditators and individuals with unusual perceptual abilities. The thalamocortical system—connecting the thalamus (sensory relay center) to the cortex—appears to be functioning differently.
Normal thalamocortical activity filters incoming information, allowing only relevant data to reach conscious awareness. In Tyler's altered state, this filtering might be reduced, permitting access to information patterns that typically remain below conscious threshold.
The robust alpha activity in visual areas suggests he's literally "seeing" information—not through his eyes, but through enhanced internal visualization systems accessing stored relational data.
Clinical Implications
This research has broader implications beyond understanding psychic phenomena:
Trauma and Memory Processing
If we can access "imprints" of significant relationships, this might explain certain trauma responses and therapeutic breakthroughs. Clients sometimes report feeling the presence of deceased family members or accessing information they shouldn't consciously know.
Consciousness Studies
Tyler's brain patterns challenge traditional models of consciousness as purely individual. If we carry neural representations of others, consciousness might be more interconnected than we assume.
Therapeutic Applications
Could we train similar brain states therapeutically? The combination of relaxed receptivity (alpha) with focused awareness (beta) might be valuable for accessing unconscious material in therapy or enhancing creativity.
The Evidence and Limitations
While Tyler's accuracy was impressive, we must acknowledge limitations:
- Single subject observation
- No controlled replication
- Possible cold reading techniques
- Confirmation bias in interpretation
However, the neurological changes were undeniable. Something significant was happening in Tyler's brain that differs markedly from normal conscious processing.
Future Research Directions
This preliminary investigation opens several research avenues:
- Replication studies with multiple psychics/mediums
- Control comparisons with actors simulating readings
- Training protocols to induce similar brain states
- Connectivity analysis using advanced neuroimaging
- Information theory approaches to quantify accuracy
The Takeaway
Tyler Henry's brain shows measurable, dramatic changes during psychic readings that correspond with remarkable information retrieval. While the mechanism remains unclear, the neurological reality is documented. His brain enters a unique state combining enhanced visual processing, altered network communication, and heightened pattern recognition.
Whether he's accessing "spirits" or sophisticated relational imprints stored in neural networks, Tyler demonstrates that human consciousness has capabilities we're only beginning to understand. The intersection of neuroscience and consciousness studies continues to reveal how much mystery remains in the three pounds of tissue between our ears.
As scientists, our job isn't to dismiss unusual phenomena but to measure, understand, and learn from them. Tyler's brain offers a window into consciousness possibilities that challenge our current models—and that's exactly where the most interesting discoveries begin.
Dr. Andrew Hill is a neuroscientist specializing in brain optimization and neurofeedback. He has analyzed over 25,000 brain scans and researches consciousness, peak performance, and neuroplasticity.