Differences in Existential Perspectives as a Function of Having a Mystical-Type Experience
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9022243 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Alex Sielaff (0000-0002-8573-5166, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA, corresponding author), Dylan E Horner (0000-0002-6065-5434, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA), Jeff Greenberg (0000-0002-2206-0771, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Publication date | 2023-03-09 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Humanistic Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-1678 • E-ISSN: 1552-650X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00221678231158679 |
| OpenAlex | W4323665084 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 30 |
Prior research suggests that unique phenomenological experiences called “mystical-type experiences” (MTEs) have the potential to induce significant and persisting worldview changes. In this article, two studies add to this literature by using cross-sectional data from 837 and 1,086 participants, respectively, to investigate whether people who have had one of these experiences differ in predictable ways from those who have not on relevant existential variables. Specifically, we tested two novel hypotheses rooted in terror management theory, along with two predictions based on past research. In specific, the yes-MTE group was hypothesized to have (a) less fear of death and greater belief in death as a passage, (b) a more intrinsic and growth-oriented worldview, (c) fewer mental health symptoms, and (d) higher trait absorption. The data largely supported hypotheses 1, 2, and 4 while the results for hypothesis 3 were opposite of expectations, suggesting that clinical research with psychedelic-induced MTEs may not be generalizable to MTEs experienced outside the supportive therapeutic context
Anxiety · Context (archaeology · Death anxiety · Epistemology · Existentialism · Mysticism · Psychiatry · Terror management theory · Theology · Trait · Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs · Philosophy · Psychedelics and Drug Studies · Psychology · Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices · Social Psychology
Religions, values, and peak-experiences
Mysticism and philosophy.
Realms of the human unconscious
The varieties of religious experience
Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin
Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness
Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance
Openness to absorbing and self-altering experiences ("absorption"), a trait related to hypnotic susceptibility.
Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer
Attachment and Exploration in Adults
Existential Threat Fuels Worldview Defense, but not after Priming Autonomy Orientation
The language of ineffability
Self‐Regulation and the Problem of Human Autonomy
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of a Revised Death Transcendence Scale
The Ontological Representation of Death
The Psychology of Religion and Spirituality? Yes and No
The "What" and "Why" of Goal Pursuits
The psychology of religion
Terror management and religion
A Terror Management Analysis of the Psychological Functions of Religion
The structure of psychological well-being revisited
The Varieties of Self-Transcendent Experience
Measuring Religion as Quest
Toward a Theory of Death Transcendence
Being Religious' or 'Being Spiritual' in America
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |