Psychology of Mystical Experience: Muḥammad and Siddhārtha
Abdulla Galadari
Anthropology of Consciousness September 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1111/anoc.12116 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mystical experience |
| Key points | Argues that Muhammad's mystical experience appeared based on an altered state of consciousness, while Siddhartha's teachings may reflect high openness to experience that fortified him from becoming delusional. |
Abstract
AbstractA comparison between Muḥammad and Siddhārtha's psychological states is made to identify how they had their mystical experiences and how their presuppositions and personalities shaped their interpretation of these experiences. Muḥammad's mystical experience appeared to be based on an altered state of consciousness. Siddhārtha's teachings include that one must not have blind faith and remain open to various truths. These teachings may reflect that he was high in openness to experience, which may have fortified him from becoming delusional. While mystical experiences may have pathological overlaps, they could be categorized in a similar way to psychological states. Yet, mindful presuppositions and personality traits, especially from within openness to experience spectrum, are what make perceptions of these experiences diverse.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on mystical experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis | 1983 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Psychedelic Mystical Experience in the Human Encounter with Death | 1969 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Vectorial Cerebral Hemisphericity as Differential Sources for the Sensed Presence, Mystical Experiences and Religious Conversions | 1993 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The epistemic innocence of psychedelic states. | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mystical Experience and Religious Doctrine | 1982 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 21
- Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness Journal of Psychopharmacology September 28, 2011
- Enhanced repertoire of brain dynamical states during the psychedelic experience Human Brain Mapping July 3, 2014
- Neural correlates of a mystical experience in Carmelite nuns Neuroscience Letters July 27, 2006
- Buddha's Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation [In the Spotlight] IEEE Signal Processing Magazine 2008
- Long-term use of psychedelic drugs is associated with differences in brain structure and personality in humans European Neuropsychopharmacology January 16, 2015
and 16 more in the library