cIRcle (University of British Columbia)
January 1, 2016
Christopher Laursen
2 citations
Twentieth-century American and British psychical researchers, psychoanalysts, and parapsychologists reframed the poltergeist—traditionally attributed to spirits, demons, or elementals—as a product of the human mind, proposing the psychokinesis hypothesis: that the mind could affect the material environment. This shift was a form of scientific boundary-work aimed at gaining epistemic authority. The author argues that collaborative knowledge-making between researchers and those who experienced poltergeist manifestations enabled this hypothesis. No one is certain what causes the poltergeist phenomenon today, and few study it first-hand. The hypothesis itself became a mischievous force in twentieth-century culture and science.
cIRcle (University of British Columbia)
January 1, 2009
Thomas Johannes Biela
1 citation
Mystical experiences are deeply woven into the fabric of individuals' life histories, making holistic research methods essential for understanding their meaning. In a qualitative study of three people in their fifties, each with a relevant mystical experience, intensive interviews were analyzed as individual stories and a common narrative. The findings indicate that these phenomena are intimate to the lives as lived, challenging traditional approaches focused on generalization. The work suggests that counselors can benefit from a narrative, contextual approach to help clients integrate such experiences meaningfully.
cIRcle (University of British Columbia)
July 10, 2026
Joshua Levesque
People who experience psychosis communicate their altered worldview through memoirs and graphic novels using rhetorical language, not meaningless 'word salad.' Combining cognitive linguistics and phenomenology, the author analyzes three memoirs and three graphic novels to show how psychotic viewpoint construction blends literal and figurative elements into 'figurative scenes' that draw on all senses, including vestibular motion. Comics extend these strategies through medium-specific conventions like eye-replacements and page layout. The mental space approach characterizes alternativity relations between psychotic and sane viewpoints that are often represented simultaneously. This cognitive-phenomenological approach is argued to be the most effective way to analyze creative psychotic discourse in terms of inner experience.
cIRcle (University of British Columbia)
January 1, 2018
Andrew Jones
Psychedelic drugs show promise for treating psychological disorders, but understanding how they work requires mechanistic evidence—reasoning about the causal pathways behind their effects. This thesis surveys past and current proposals, identifying two broad views: “mind-manifesting” views, where psychedelics help by revealing unconscious content, and “mind-modifying” views, where they disrupt rigid thought patterns and boost psychological flexibility. These views are often conflated in research, and the author argues they must be clearly distinguished to better understand psychedelic benefits. The work then explores using “psychedelic testimony” to help separate these views.
cIRcle (University of British Columbia)
January 1, 2011
Wolfgang G. Jilek
The Coast Salish guardian spirit complex historically combined the spirit quest of Plateau tribes with secret society features of Northwest Coast culture. After suppression by church and government following White intrusion, spirit dancing revived in the Fraser Valley. Altered states of consciousness were essential to traditional ceremonies, with spirit illness serving as a stereotyped prelude to public spirit powers. Today, this illness often fuses with psychophysiologic symptoms amid cultural deprivation, termed anomic depression. Diagnosis as spirit illness allows re-identification with aboriginal culture through initiation, which uses shock, sensory deprivation, and indoctrination for personality depatterning.
cIRcle (University of British Columbia)
January 1, 2008
Scott E. Lawrance
Long-term meditation practice, spanning at least ten years, follows a trajectory from alienation toward meaning and engagement. Based on interviews with five meditators, twelve common themes emerged, organized into a movement through struggle and problem solving to consolidation. This progression depends on resolving three tasks: clarifying the relationship with the teacher, mastering meditation techniques, and achieving cognitive restructuring. The findings suggest meditation can complement or serve as an alternative to psychotherapy, with implications for counseling and personal growth.