The Mystical Experience as a Suicide Preventive
Paul Horton
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.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on mystical experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| This is your brain on death: a comparative analysis of a near-death experience and subsequent 5-Methoxy-DMT experience. An individual who had a near-death experience during a coma caused by bacterial... | 2023 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Immersion, Absorption, and Spiritual Experience: Some Preliminary Findings. Female participants scoring high and low on the Absorption Scale | 2020 | Case study | n = 4 |
| The Bad Seed: Mystical Experience and Time Travel in the Treatment of Psychopathy A psychopathic personality | 2023 | Case study | n = 1 |
| An exploration of mystical experiences through life histories Three individuals (one woman, two men) in their fifties with appropriate mystical... | 2009 | Multiple case study within narrative methodology | n = 3 |
| Mystical Experiences as Catalysts in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Case Study Patient with generalized anxiety disorder and migraines | 2026 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- The Physiology of Meditation and Mystical States of Consciousness Perspectives in biology and medicine March 1, 1976
- Spontaneous Spiritual Awakenings: Phenomenology, Altered States, Individual Differences, and Well-Being Frontiers in Psychology August 19, 2021
- Near‐Death Experiences and Attempted Suicide Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior March 1, 1981
- Near-Death Experiences and Antisuicidal Attitudes OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying March 1, 1993
- Autism, youth suicide, and psychedelics: A review of the 21st century evidence. Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA October 1, 2024
and 3 more in the library