Making Sense of Spiritual, Metaphysical, and Eschatological Elements in Delusions: A Qualitative Study Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.
Daniel Nischk, Rico Gutschmidt
Psychopathology 2024 DOI: 10.1159/000540120 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 7 |
| Population | Individuals who have experienced spiritual, metaphysical, or eschatological elements in delusions |
| Topics | Mystical experience |
| Keywords | Delusion Interpretative phenomenological analysis Schizophrenia Self-disorder |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Spiritual, metaphysical, or eschatological elements in delusions are similar to mystical experiences in alterations of space, time, and unity, and are interpreted in multiple ways, but integrating them into one's life is challenging. |
Abstract
Spiritual, metaphysical, or eschatological elements in delusions (SMEDs) are frequent and often subjectively regarded as profound transformational experiences, similar to mystical experiences. This study aimed (1) to explore how SMEDs are experienced and in which aspects they are similar to mystical experiences and (2) to investigate how individuals make sense of SMED. Seven participants were interviewed, and their expressions were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. We found that SMEDs were similar to mystical experiences with regard to alterations in perception of space, time, and unity. Furthermore, SMEDs were accompanied by a sense of enlightenment that however remained ineffable. SMEDs were interpreted from different viewpoints, i.e., as a source of ontological insight, as a mental health issue, as an inspiration for a new orientation in the world, and, for some participants, as an example of the limits of knowledge. Making sense of SMED appeared to follow a lively internal dialogue in which various, sometimes contradictory positions were reflected upon. Participants usually struggled to align the ostensible ontological significance of SMED to the dominating illness explanation. SMEDs have similarities to mystical experiences, but integrating SMED into one's own life is challenging. We propose a philosophical, non-pathological interpretation of SMED derived from a novel perspective on mystical experience which may also have some therapeutic utility.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on mystical experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The nature of peak experience in wilderness. Participants who had visited wilderness areas in Victoria, Australia, recruited via a... | 2009 | Qualitative study | n = 39 |
| Qualitative and Quantitative Features of Music Reported to Support Peak Mystical Experiences during Psychedelic Therapy Sessions Individuals with extensive experience administering psilocybin or psilocybin-containing... | 2017 | Survey and qualitative/quantitative analysis | n = 10 |
| Cannabis as entheogen: survey and interview data on the spiritual use of cannabis. Participants recruited from seven online communities, median age 33, 81% male | 2020 | Mixed methods (qualitative interviews and quantitative survey) | n = 319 |
| Clarifying and measuring the characteristics of experiences that involve a loss of self or a dissolution of its boundaries. Adults who reported an experience involving dissolution of self-boundaries or loss of... | 2024 | Cross-sectional survey with confirmatory factor analysis and qualitative thematic analysis | n = 386 |
| The developmental impact of not integrating childhood peak experiences Adults recalling their childhood peak experiences | 2007 | Qualitative study | n = 12 |
Citations in the library
Cites 11
- Survey of subjective "God encounter experiences": Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT PLoS One April 23, 2019
- Mysticism and schizophrenia: A phenomenological exploration of the structure of consciousness in the schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Consciousness and Cognition July 1, 2016
- Investigating modes of being in the world: an introduction to Phenomenologically grounded qualitative research Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences February 16, 2021
- Double bookkeeping in schizophrenia spectrum disorder: an empirical-phenomenological study. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience September 1, 2024
- Subjective experience and meaning of delusions in psychosis: a systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis. The Lancet Psychiatry May 1, 2022
and 6 more in the library