The language of ineffability: Linguistic analysis of mystical experiences.
Psychology of Religion and Spirituality July 27, 2015 David B. Yaden, Johannes C. Eichstaedt, H. Andrew Schwartz et al. 68 citations
Mystical experiences are often described as “ineffable,” or beyond language. However, people readily speak about their mystical experiences if asked about them. How do people describe what is supposedly indescribable? In this study, we used quantitative linguistic analyses to interpret the writings of 777 participants (45.5% female, 51.0% male) who recounted their most significant spiritual or...