Mystical experiences can be studied in a controlled laboratory setting. A review of previous methods highlights problems with certain approaches, leading to a new experimental paradigm. In a study using this paradigm, participants reported experiences with high authenticity based on subjective ratings, interview descriptions, and data collected three months later. The experiences had lasting effects on memory and attribution, demonstrating that at least some forms of mystical experience are amenable to controlled investigation. The findings indicate the viability of an experimental approach to mysticism, with prospects and limitations discussed.
Occulture refers to the growing presence of esotericism, occultism, magic, and spirituality in media, popular culture, and contemporary arts as part of a spiritual revolution in Western societies. Existing research in sociology and media studies focuses on mediatization and commodification, while religious studies examines artists as spiritual seekers. This article argues these perspectives are pieces of a larger mosaic and proposes a material cartography of occulture that maps relationships among artists, artworks, and audiences, which can embody both secular and religious values. The navigational cartography is based on five key tensions: secular versus sacred art, lowbrow versus highbrow art, metaphysical versus performative ontology, author's intention versus audience's reception, and spiritual seekers versus religious dwellers.