The Mystical Experience as a Suicide Preventive
American Journal of Psychiatry March 1, 1973 DOI: 10.1176/ajp.130.3.294 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 3 |
| Population | Suicidal adolescents suffering from schizophrenic reactions |
| Topics | Mysticism Mystical experience |
| Keywords | Loneliness Consciousness Phenomenon Suicide prevention Psychotherapist Psychoanalysis Poison control Medical emergency Literature Epistemology |
| Key findings | The ability to conjure a mystical consciousness provided a reliable safeguard against loneliness and possible suicide in three suicidal adolescents with schizophrenic reactions. |
Abstract
Three suicidal adolescents suffering from schizophrenic reactions developed the ability to conjure up a mystical consciousness. Directly experiencing this "oceanic" state (or just its memory) provided the patients with a reliably soothing safeguard against their overwhelming loneliness and possible suicide. Recognition by the psychiatrist of the mystical state as a transitional phenomenon points the way to the most effective therapeutic stance.