Religion, Altered States of Consciousness, and Social Change
Review of Religious Research January 1, 1976 Ralph W. Hood, Erika Bourguignon 174 citations
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Ralph W. Hood
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
7 papers in the library · 537 citations · publishing 1974-2016
Papers
Of Roots and Fruits: A Comparison of Psychedelic and Nonpsychedelic Mystical Experiences
Journal of Humanistic Psychology October 24, 2016 David B. Yaden, Khoa D. Le Nguyen, Margaret L. Kern et al. 125 citations
Religious, spiritual, or mystical experiences triggered by psychedelic substances are rated as more intensely mystical and produce a reduced fear of death, a greater sense of purpose, and increased spirituality compared to similar experiences arising through other means. These findings held even after controlling for gender, education, socioeconomic status, and religious affiliation. The results support the view that psychedelic-induced experiences are genuinely mystical and generally positive in outcome.
The language of ineffability: Linguistic analysis of mystical experiences.
Psychology of Religion and Spirituality July 27, 2015 David B. Yaden, Johannes C. Eichstaedt, H. Andrew Schwartz et al. 68 citations
People who report having had mystical experiences use language that is more socially and spatially inclusive—words like 'close,' 'we,' and 'with'—and fewer overtly religious terms such as 'prayed,' 'Christ,' or 'church' compared to those who have not had such experiences. This pattern emerged from quantitative linguistic analysis of 777 participants' written accounts of their most significant spiritual or religious experience. The findings suggest that mystical experiences, though often described as ineffable, can be meaningfully communicated, and that language analysis offers a way to study them.
Psychological Strength and the Report of Intense Religious Experience
Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion March 1, 1974 Ralph W. Hood 63 citations
Intense religious experiences are not necessarily linked to psychological weakness. Across two studies, a negative correlation between intense religious experience and ego-strength disappeared when religion-related items were removed from the ego-strength scale. In a second study, people with low psychic inadequacy reported intense religious experiences more often than those with high psychic inadequacy. The findings suggest that such experiences, often called mystical or peak, can occur in psychologically healthy individuals and are not inherently pathological. The authors emphasize using independently defined measures to assess the relationship between religious experience and psychological health.
Common Core Thesis and Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Mysticism in Chinese Buddhist Monks and Nuns
Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion December 1, 2011 Zhuo Chen, Qi Wen, Ralph W. Hood et al. 54 citations
Among 139 Chinese Pure Land and Chan Buddhist monastics, the common facets of mysticism identified by Stace and measured by Hood's Mysticism Scale successfully described Buddhist experience, though modified by Buddhist doctrines. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that Stace's three-factor structure fit the data, but the hypothesized separation between introvertive and extrovertive unity converged in this Chinese Buddhist context. These results strongly support the idea that mystical experience has a common experiential core across religious traditions and that this core can be studied with mixed methods.
Mystical experience: Conceptualizations, measurement, and correlates.
American Psychological Association eBooks December 31, 2012 Ralph W. Hood, Leslie J. Francis 52 citations
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Religious Ecstasy and Other Intense Emotions
Religion and Spirituality Across Cultures January 1, 2014 Ralph W. Hood 1 citation
Ecstatic and mystical states, whether achieved through hyperarousal or hypoarousal, can contribute to human flourishing and a positive sense of the sacred. Fisher's model of ergotropic and trophotropic arousal provides a neurophysiological basis for these states, which minimize focus on the ego in favor of union with a larger consciousness. Such states are facilitated by various procedures and, when placed in a proper set and setting, support well-being.