Is there an affective neuroscience of spirituality? The development and validation of the OCEANic feelings scale
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience January 17, 2024 Beate Schmautz, Jürgen Fuchshuber, Deborah Andres et al. 7 citations
A new self-report questionnaire, the OCEANic scale, was developed to measure individual dispositions toward oceanic feelings—affective sensations of self-dissolution, unity, and transcendence. In a sample of 626 participants, confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor model (positive and negative oceanic feelings) with an overall factor, showing excellent fit. The scale demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.82 to 0.88) and correlated plausibly with measures of primary emotions (ANGER, FEAR, CARE, SEEK, PLAY, SADNESS, LUST) and Big Five personality traits. The instrument enables operationalization of oceanic feelings for future research on affective life and spirituality.