Measurement of the impact of orgasmic meditation on mystical experience
Vivian Siegel, Benjamin Emmert-Aronson
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey |
|---|---|
| Population | Practitioners of orgasmic meditation |
| Intervention | Orgasmic meditation |
| Topics | Meditation Mystical experience |
| Key findings | Orgasmic meditation produces moderate to strong mystical experiences, with a stronger correlation in MEQ scores between partners than between role and score. |
Abstract
Using a validated and quantitative measure of mystical experience called the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30), we assessed whether and to what extent participants report mystical experiences during orgasmic meditation (OM), and to what extent that experience is correlated between the partners. In the first half of this study, we asked participants to complete the MEQ30 with a single powerful OM in mind. Respondents reported a moderate to strong mystical experience, with 62% of respondents reporting a “complete mystical experience,” with women having a slightly stronger response than men. In the second study, we asked experienced practitioners to complete the MEQ30 after their next OM. These respondents reported a moderate mystical experience, with 23% reporting a “complete mystical experience”. Intriguingly, we found strong relationships between MEQ total score and role (i.e., stroker or strokee), awg = .46, but a significantly stronger relationship between partners and MEQ total score, awg = .71, zdiff = 2.10, p = .04. Whether the brains of people who OM show similar activity changes to those having other mystical experiences awaits future study.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on mystical experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Of Roots and Fruits: A Comparison of Psychedelic and Nonpsychedelic Mystical Experiences Self-selected participants who reported a religious, spiritual, or mystical experience | 2016 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 739 |
| Illicit Use of LSD or Psilocybin, but not MDMA or Nonpsychedelic Drugs, is Associated with Mystical Experiences in a Dose-Dependent Manner Adults recruited from the MAPS website and newsletter, most reporting use of various... | 2012 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 337 |
| Peak Experiences: Some Empirical Tests Random sample of adults in the San Francisco Bay Area | 1978 | Cross-sectional survey | |
| Peak Experience Tendencies | 1982 | Cross-sectional survey | |
| Rhythmic Chanting and Mystical States across Traditions. Regular chanters across 33 countries | 2021 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 464 |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology December 1, 2011
- Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin Journal of Psychopharmacology October 6, 2015
- Psilocybin-Occasioned Mystical Experiences in the Treatment of Tobacco Addiction Current Drug Abuse Reviews January 9, 2015
- Factor Analysis of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire: A Study of Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion December 1, 2012
- Psychedelic therapy for smoking cessation: Qualitative analysis of participant accounts Journal of Psychopharmacology June 25, 2018
and 1 more in the library