Introspection into the living body, i.e., somatic introspection, is where religious experience begins. The following study of Tibetan meditation using neurophenomenological approach shows that introspective religious states can have direct correlation in the functioning of the brain. Other papers show similar perspective.
Kozhevnikov, M., Louchakova, O., Josipovic, Z., & Motes, M. A. (2009). The enhancement of visuospatial processing efficiency through Buddhist deity meditation. Psychological Science, 20(5), 645-653.
Louchakova-Schwartz, O. 2013. Cognitive phenomenology in the study of Tibetan meditation: Phenomenological descriptions versus meditation styles. In S. Gordon (Ed.), Neurophenomenology: Its Applications to psychology (pp. 61-87). Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.
Bob, P. & Louchakova, O.“Dissociative States in Dreams and Brain Chaos: Implications for Creative Awareness”. Frontiers in Psychology, 6 (07 September 2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01353
Louchakova-Schwartz, O. 2016. Theophanis the Monk and Monoimus the Arab in a Phenomenological-Cognitive Perspective. Cognitive Science of Religion Open Access.Open Theology. Volume 2, Issue 1, ISSN (Online) 2300-6579, DOI: 10.1515/opth-2016-0005, February 2016.