The language of ineffability: Linguistic analysis of mystical experiences.
David B. Yaden, Johannes C. Eichstaedt, H. Andrew Schwartz, Margaret L. Kern, Khoa D. Le Nguyen, Nancy Wintering, Ralph W. Hood, Andrew B. Newberg
Psychology of Religion and Spirituality July 27, 2015 DOI: 10.1037/rel0000043 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 777 |
| Population | Participants who recounted their most significant spiritual or religious experience in an online survey |
| Topics | Mysticism Mystical experience |
| Keywords | Linguistics Epistemology Linguistic analysis Cognitive science |
| Citations | 68 |
| Key findings | Participants who have had mystical experiences used more socially and spatially inclusive language and fewer overtly religious words than those without such experiences. |
Abstract
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 religious experience as part of an online survey. High and low scorers on a measure of mystical experiences differed in the language they used to describe their experiences. Participants who have had mystical experiences used language that was more socially and spatially inclusive (e.g., “close,” “we,” “with”) and used fewer overtly religious words (e.g., “prayed,” “Christ,” “church”) than participants without such experiences. Results indicated that people can meaningfully communicate their mystical experiences, and that quantitative language analyses provide a means for understanding aspects of such experiences.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on mystical experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neural correlates of a mystical experience in Carmelite nuns Carmelite nuns | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| EEG activity in Carmelite nuns during a mystical experience Carmelite nuns | 2008 | Observational cohort | n = 14 |
| Neural correlates of mystical experience Vietnam veterans with penetrating traumatic brain injury and matched healthy controls | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 148 |
| The Peak Experience Variable in DPT-Assisted Psychotherapy with Cancer Patients Cancer patients | 1977 | Observational study | n = 128 |
| Psilocybin-Induced Mystical-Type Experiences are Related to Persisting Positive Effects: A Quantitative and Qualitative Report Healthy volunteers | 2022 | Observational cohort | n = 28 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 34
- The Varieties of Self-Transcendent Experience Review of General Psychology May 1, 2017
- Pharmacological, neural, and psychological mechanisms underlying psychedelics: a critical review Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews September 1, 2022
- Of Roots and Fruits: A Comparison of Psychedelic and Nonpsychedelic Mystical Experiences Journal of Humanistic Psychology October 24, 2016
- The Psychedelic Debriefing in Alcohol Dependence Treatment: Illustrating Key Change Phenomena through Qualitative Content Analysis of Clinical Sessions Frontiers in Pharmacology February 21, 2018
- Psychedelics and Psychotherapy: Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches as Default Frontiers in Psychology May 23, 2022
and 29 more in the library
Cites 7
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later Journal of Psychopharmacology May 30, 2008
- Do Drugs Have Religious Import? The Journal of Philosophy October 1, 1964
- Mystical Experience Among Tibetan Buddhists: The Common Core Thesis Revisited Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion June 1, 2011
- The Innate Capacity: Mysticism, Psychology, and Philosophy Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion December 1, 1999
and 2 more in the library