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.