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In the past, epilepsy has been associated with religious experiences and even demonic possession. Historically, epilepsy was called the " Sacred Disease" because people thought that epileptic seizures were a form of attack by demons, and that the visions epileptics experienced were sent by the Gods. Hippocrates remarked that epilepsy would be considered divine only until it was understood [1].

1 Types of seizures

Epileptic seizures are classified both by their patterns of activity in the brain and their effects on behaviour.

In terms of their pattern of activity, seizures may be described as either partial (focal) or generalised. Partial seizures only involve a localised part of the brain, whereas generalised seizures involve the entire cortex. The term 'secondary generalisation' may be used to describe a partial seizure that later spreads to the whole of the cortex and becomes generalised.

Partial seizures may be further subdivided into simple and complex seizures. This refers to the effect of such a seizure on consciousness; simple seizures cause no interruption to consciousness (although they may cause sensory distortions or other sensations), whereas complex seizures interrupt consciousness. This does not necessarily mean that the person experiencing this sort of seizure will fall unconscious (like a faint). For example, complex partial seizures may involve the unconscious repetition of simple actions, gestures or verbal utterances.

The effects of partial seizures can be quite dependent on the area of the brain in which they are active. For example, a partial seizure in areas involved in perception may cause a particular sensory experience (for example, the perception of a scent, music or flashes of light) whereas, when centred in the motor cortexEarly Work on Motor Cortex Function Back in the 1940s, Canadian neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield wanted to know which bits of epileptic's brains he could suck out without them noticing. To work out which were the really important bits of cortex he electricall, a partial seizure might cause movement in particular groups of muscleskeletal muscle Muscle is one of the four tissue types. The other three types are: epithelium, connective tissue and nervous tissue. The primary purpose of muscle tissue is to contract. Muscle contraction is used to move parts of the body, as well as to ms. This type of seizure may also produce particular thoughts or internal visual images or even experiences which may be distinct but not easily described. Seizures centred on the temporal lobeThe temporal lobe is part of the cerebrum. It lies at the side of the brain, beneath the lateral or Sylvian fissure. Seen in profile, the human brain looks something like a boxing glove. The temporal lobe is where the thumb would be. Behind (posterior to)s are known to produce mysticalMysticism is meditation, prayer, or theology focused on the direct experience of union with divinity, God, or Ultimate Reality, or the belief that such experience is a genuine and important source of knowledge. Perspectives of mysticism A wide range of pe or ecstaticAnother article on a related topic is titled ecstasy. Religious ecstasy is a trance-like state that is deliberately induced using a variety of techniques, including prayer, meditation, breathing exercises, dancing, fasting, thirsting, and the consumption experiences in some people. These may result in a misdiagnosis of psychosisPsychosis is a psychiatric classification for a mental state in which the perception of reality is distorted. Persons experiencing a psychotic episode may experience hallucinations (often auditory or visual hallucinations), hold paranoid or delusional bel or even schizophreniaSchizophrenia is a psychiatric diagnosis denoting a persistent, often chronic, mental illness variously affecting behaviour, thinking, and emotion. The term schizophrenia comes from the Greek words schizo split or divide) and phrenos mind) and is best tra, if other symptoms of seizure are disregarded and other tests are not performed. Unfortunately for those with epilepsy, anti-psychotic medications prescribed without anti-convulsants in this case can actually lower the seizure threshold further and worsen the symptoms.

In about half of cases of temporal lobe epilepsy, very strong ictal headaches[2] may occur, often misdiagnosed as migraine with aura. However, these headaches may be much more intense, and are sometimes even accompanied by temporary blindness.

When these effects appear as a 'warning sign' before a more serious seizure they are known as an aura and may be the result of a partial seizure which later becomes generalised.

Generalised seizures can be sub-classified into a number of categories, depending on their behavioural effects:

• Absence seizures (sometimes referred to as petit mal seizures) involve an interruption to consciousness where the person experiencing the seizure seems to become vacant and unresponsive for a short period of time (usually up to 30 seconds). Slight muscle twitching may occur.
• Tonic-clonic seizures (sometimes referred to as grand mal seizures), involve an initial contraction of the muscles (tonic phase) which may involve tongue biting, urinary incontinence and the absence of breathing. This is followed by rhythmic muscle contractions (clonic phase). This type of seizure is usually what is referred to when the term 'epileptic fit' is used colloquially. These tend to be accompanied by intense visions or hallucinations, often of a mystical or religious nature. The epileptic may, upon regaining consciousness, hold very strong beliefs deriving from their experience that may persist for some time.
• Myclonic seizure s involve sporadic muscle contraction and can result in jerky movements of muscles or muscle groups.
• Atonic seizure s involve the loss of muscle tone, causing the person to fall to the ground. These are sometimes called 'drop attacks' but should be distinguished from similar looking attacks that may occur in narcolepsy or cataplexy .
• Status epilepticus refers to continuous seizure activity with no recovery between successive tonic-clonic seizures. This is a life threatening condition and emergency medical assistance should be called immediately if this is suspected. A tonic-clonic seizure lasting longer than 5 minutes (or two minutes longer than the usual seizures for a given epileptic) is usually considered grounds for calling the emergency services.
• Epilepsia partialis continua is a rare type of recurrent motor seizures that are focal ( hands and face), and recur every few seconds or minutes for extended periods (days or years). They are usually due to strokes in adults and focal cortical inflammatory processes in children ( Rasmussen's encephalitis ), possibly caused by chronic viral infections or autoimmune processes.