Russian-Language Version of R. W. Hood’s Mysticism Scale

A Russian-language version of Hood's Mysticism Scale was tested in 200 adults aged 19–61, half of whom reported having had mystical or transcendent experiences and half who had not. The scale showed a three-factor structure—introvertive mysticism, extrovertive mysticism, and interpretation—with high internal consistency. Scores on the scale correlated positively with existential fulfillment and intuition, and negatively with depression, as expected. The two groups differed in the predicted direction. The adapted scale demonstrated adequate reliability and validity for studying mystical experiences in Russian-speaking samples.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This study piloted and validated the Russian-language version of R. W. Hood’s Mysticism Scale in an adult sample. Two comparable groups participated (N = 200; age 19–61): 100 with self-reported mystical/transcendent experiences and 100 without such experiences. The adaptation used forward–back translation with expert review. Psychometrics included exploratory factor analysis (KMO = 0.86; Bartlett’s χ² = 2586.051; df = 496; p < 0.001), confirmation of the three-factor structure, internal consistency (α = 0.944–0.971; ω = 0.952–0.975), criterion validity (Mann–Whitney U; p < 0.001), and convergent/discriminant correlations with external scales. Findings supported the three factors (introvertive mysticism, extrovertive mysticism, interpretation) and high reliability. Expected positive associations with existential fulfillment and intuition and negative associations with depression were observed; groups differed in the expected direction. The Russian-language Mysticism Scale showed adequate psychometric properties and is suitable for studies of the phenomenology of mystical experiences in Russian samples