Selective damage to the left and right posterior parietal regions induced a specific increase in a personality trait called self-transcendence (ST), thought to reflect a decreased sense of self and an ability to identify one’s self as an integral part of the universe as a whole, Dr. Cosimo Urgesi from the University of Udine and colleages have found by studying patients before and after surgery to remove a brain tumor.

“If a stable personality trait like ST can undergo fast changes as a consequence of brain lesions, it would indicate that at least some personality dimensions may be modified by influencing neural activity in specific areas,” suggests Dr. Salvatore M. Aglioti from Sapienza University.