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Cited by 140Paranormal Experiences and BeliefsPsychedelics and Drug StudiesReligion, Spirituality, and Psychology

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 98 of the 100 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Mystical and other alterations in sense of self: an expanded framework for studying nonordinary experiences.

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Taves, Ann·2020·Perspectives on Psychological Science
DOI 10.1177/1745691619895047
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Abstract

Although many researchers in psychology, religious studies, and psychiatry recognize that there is overlap in the experiences their subjects recount, disciplinary silos and challenges involved in comparing reported experiences have left us with little understanding of the mechanisms, whether biological, psychological, and/or sociocultural, through which these experiences are represented and differentiated. So-called mystical experiences, which some psychologists view as potentially sui generis, provide a test case for assessing whether we can develop an expanded framework for studying unusual experiences across disciplines and cultures. Evidence for the special nature of "mystical experience" rests on the operationalization of a metaphysically untestable construct in two widely used self-report scales: the Mysticism Scale and the Mystical Experiences Questionnaire. Consideration of the construct in light of research on alterations in sense of self induced by psychoactive drugs and meditation practices suggests that "positive experiences of undifferentiated unity" are not sui generis, but rather a type of "ego dissolution." To better understand the nature and effects of unusual experiences, such as alterations in the sense of self, we need self-report measures that distinguish between generically worded experiences and the way they are appraised in terms of valence, significance, cause, and long-term effects in different contexts.

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Citations

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Research works printed but not linked: 23

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Metadata

Authors
Taves, A.
Affiliations
University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
Corresponding author
Taves, Ann
ORCID
Taves, Ann
Venue
Perspectives on Psychological Science
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2020-02-13
Volume
15
Issue
3
Pages
669-690
ISSN
  • 1745-6916 (ISSN-L)
  • 1745-6924
DOI
10.1177/1745691619895047
OpenAlex
W3005896034
Cited by
140
References
100
Citations by year
2026: 24 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 40 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 4
FWCI
19.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
correction (2022-01-24)
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Perspectives on Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
  • PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
  • PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychedelics and Drug Studies
  • Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
Keywords
mystical experience, ego dissolution, selfhood, psychedelics, meditation, self-report measures, construct validity, cross-disciplinary comparison, altered states of consciousness
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Consciousness Disorders, Ego, Hallucinations, Humans, Life Change Events, Mysticism, Psychopathology, Surveys and Questionnaires, Self Concept, Stress, Psychological, Meditation, Comprehension, Sense of Coherence

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