Spontaneous mystical experience among atheists: meaning-making, psychological distress, and wellbeing
Jan van der Tempel, R. Moodley
October 20, 2020 DOI: 10.1080/13674676.2020.1823349 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 8 |
| Population | Male and female atheists of diverse backgrounds |
| Topics | Mystical experience |
| Key findings | Spontaneous mystical experiences in atheists resemble those in religious individuals in content but differ in appraisal, coping, and outcomes, with challenges reconciling the experience linked to psychological distress. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT In religious individuals, spontaneous mystical experiences (SMEs) tend to reinforce pre-existing beliefs and are associated with enhanced wellbeing, mediated by adaptive interpretive frameworks and accepting social environments. The meaning-making and outcomes of SMEs among atheists have not been investigated to date. Using a grounded theory approach, the present study found that the SMEs of eight male and female atheists of diverse backgrounds resembled those of religious experiencers in phenomenal content, but differed with respect to appraisal, coping, and outcome. Challenges in reconciling the SME with secular views and values were common and linked to varying degrees and durations of psychological distress, especially in relation to negative reactions from the social environment. No participant embraced organised religion, but most adopted more agnostic or spiritual worldviews, and ultimately associated their SMEs with enhanced wellbeing in various domains. However, participants who reported persisting doubt and preoccupation about their SMEs experienced deteriorating mental health.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on mystical experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The nature of peak experience in wilderness. Participants who had visited wilderness areas in Victoria, Australia, recruited via a... | 2009 | Qualitative study | n = 39 |
| Qualitative and Quantitative Features of Music Reported to Support Peak Mystical Experiences during Psychedelic Therapy Sessions Individuals with extensive experience administering psilocybin or psilocybin-containing... | 2017 | Survey and qualitative/quantitative analysis | n = 10 |
| Cannabis as entheogen: survey and interview data on the spiritual use of cannabis. Participants recruited from seven online communities, median age 33, 81% male | 2020 | Mixed methods (qualitative interviews and quantitative survey) | n = 319 |
| Clarifying and measuring the characteristics of experiences that involve a loss of self or a dissolution of its boundaries. Adults who reported an experience involving dissolution of self-boundaries or loss of... | 2024 | Cross-sectional survey with confirmatory factor analysis and qualitative thematic analysis | n = 386 |
| The developmental impact of not integrating childhood peak experiences Adults recalling their childhood peak experiences | 2007 | Qualitative study | n = 12 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Defining Transformative Experiences: A Conceptual Analysis Frontiers in Psychology June 24, 2022
- ‘Mind-Revealing’ Psychedelic States: Psychological Processes in Subjective Experiences That Drive Positive Change Psychoactives September 27, 2024
- Ecstatic or Mystical Experience through Epilepsy Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 2023
- Realization experiences: a convergent account of insight and mystical experiences Philosophical Psychology 2026
- Charismatic, Synchronous and Psychedelic Religious Experiences: A Personal Account Religions April 7, 2022
and 4 more in the library
Cites 14
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 11, 2016
- The Varieties of Religious Experience July 26, 2012
- Meditation leads to reduced default mode network activity beyond an active task Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience April 22, 2015
- Neural correlates of mystical experience Neuropsychologia November 26, 2015
and 9 more in the library