GenAI Mapping of Dimensional-Slips to Classic Transcendental Spaces

Anomalous 'dimensional-slip' experiences reported by a woman named Nell closely match the 'Spirit World' of shamanic and indigenous traditions, a space marked by vivid encounters with spirits, ancestral memory, and moral-emotional reckoning. A content analysis using ChatGPT-4o compared four of Nell's written accounts to 32 classic transcendental realms from spiritual and psychological traditions. The strongest alignment was with realms containing symbolic-archetypal contents that serve integrative, transformative, and revelatory functions. Nell's own post-hoc assessment under masked conditions partially supported this interpretation. The study demonstrates how large language models can enrich spirituality research and offers a replicable framework for investigating certain consciousness states.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This research explored whether anomalous ‘dimensional-slip’ experiences—reported by an allegedly haunted woman named “Nell”—would systematically map to distinctive features of various transcendental spaces discussed in spiritual and psychological traditions. A two-part content analysis using ChatGPT-4o compared the phenomenology of Nell’s written accounts (n = 4) to an inventory of 32 classic transcendental realms sourced via a rapid literature review. Results revealed strong alignment with realms containing symbolic-archetypal contents and serving integrative, transformative, and revelatory functions. Ultimately, the GenAI program determined that the available details of Nell’s journeys most strongly aligned the ‘Spirit World’ of shamanic and indigenous traditions—a space characterized by vivid encounters with spirits, ancestral memory, and moral-emotional reckoning. Her own post-hoc assessment under masked conditions also partially supported this interpretation. The study demonstrates the potential of large language models to enrich spirituality studies and transpersonal research, as well as offers a replicable framework for investigating certain consciousness states. It also opens new cross-disciplinary avenues for understanding the wide spectrum of encounter experiences through metaphysical, clinical, and narrative lenses.