Development and Validation of the Integrated Transcendent Experience of Consciousness Scale (ITEC-18)

A broad range of transcendent experiences—mystical, near-death, Kundalini, and others—overlap in their phenomenology and aftereffects, and a common underlying mechanism may explain this overlap. An online survey of 630 people and psychometric analyses (factor analysis, cluster analysis, decision trees) showed that diverse transcendent experiences loaded strongly onto a single latent construct. A new scale measuring transcendent experiences of consciousness was developed and validated, with factors including unity-consciousness, bliss, insight, somatic energy sensations, and luminosity. The scale had good internal consistency and generalizability. A predictive model accurately classified high-intensity experiencers, and experiences of selflessness were among the statistical predictors of transcendent experiences of consciousness.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Transcendent experiences such as mystical, near-death, and Kundalini overlap in their phenomenology and aftereffects. Current theories and psychometric scales offer limited theoretical explanation for the overlap. This study psychometrically tests an explanatory framework proposing a common mechanism underlying transcendent experiences, including transcendent experiences of consciousness. A scale measuring transcendent experiences of consciousness is developed, validated, and used to identify related experiences.A global online survey of transcendent experiences and their effects was administered (n = 630). Factor analysis, essential unidimensionality assessments, and cross-validation were used to examine the common variance of transcendent experiences, and to develop a scale measuring transcendent experiences of consciousness. Regularized Multiple Indicators, Multiple Causes (MIMIC) was used to identify experiences related to transcendent experiences of consciousness. Cluster analysis and decision trees were used for subject-wise classification. A broad range of transcendent experiences loaded strongly onto a single latent construct. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency, generalizability, and validity. Scale factors included unity-consciousness, bliss, insight, somatic energy sensations, and luminosity. A predictive model accurately classified high-intensity experiencers. Statistical predictors of transcendent experiences of consciousness were identified, including experiences of selflessness. A novel method with broad applicability is introduced to regularize out-of-sample structural equation modeling predictions, improving accuracy.The findings demonstrate that transcendent experiences, though diverse, might share a common underlying mechanism. Transcendent experiences of consciousness are identified primarily by unity-consciousness, with significant self-reported physical and psychological indications. The scale provides a psychometric foundation for investigating predictors and biological correlates of transcendent experiences of consciousness.