Investigating Mediumship/Possession-Relevant Experiences: Contributions from a Feature-Based, Subject-Dependent Approach to Definition and Measurement.
Transcultural Psychiatry July 2, 2026 Everton de Oliveira Maraldi, Ronald Fischer, Maria Vitoria de Lima Varejão et al.
A new feature-based, subject-centered approach to measuring mediumship and possession-like experiences was developed and validated in Brazil, where such traditions are rich. Ten key phenomenological features were identified through a multi-step process involving systematic review, input from practitioners and religious leaders, and validation in a Brazilian population sample. Some of these experiences were reported by more than 60% of participants, indicating high prevalence. The findings underscore the value of culturally sensitive, feature-based instruments for studying non-ordinary experiences across cultures and provide recommendations for future research on their phenomenology and cultural interpretations.