Measurement and Incidence of Mystical Experiences: An Exploratory Study
L. Eugene Thomas, Pamela E. Cooper
Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion December 1, 1978 DOI: 10.2307/1385407 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAbout a third of 302 young adults reported having had an intense spiritual experience on a structured questionnaire, matching a prior national survey. When asked to describe their experiences in their own words, the accounts included classical mystical experiences, trivial or irrelevant events, psychic experiences, and experiences of faith and consolation. The authors conclude that measurement techniques must be refined before reliable conclusions can be drawn about how common mystical experiences actually are.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 302 |
| Population | Young adults |
| Citations | 41 |
| Key finding | A third of respondents reported an intense spiritual experience on a structured item, but open-ended descriptions included a mix of classical mystical, trivial, psychic, and faith-related experiences, highlighting the need for better measurement methods. |
Abstract
The study explored types and incidence of intense experiences reported by normal adults. A structured question developed by Greeley (1974) and an open-ended question asking respondents to describe their experiences were completed by 302 young adults. A third of the respondents indicated on the structured item that they had had an intense spiritual experience, a percentage similar to that found by (Creeley with a national sample. Content analysis of the open-ended responses showed these to include classical mystical experiences, irrelevant or trivial experiences, psychic experiences, and Faith and Consolation experiences. The findings reaffirm the need for more careful development of measurement techniques before conclusions about the incidence of mystical experiences can be reached.