Language, mysticism, and hypnotizability: a brief communication.
Peter J Adams
International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 2008 DOI: 10.1080/00207140701673100 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 81 |
| Population | Participants who completed the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A and the Hood Mysticism Scale |
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Key findings | Participants with high mysticism scores scored significantly higher on hypnotizability compared to those with low mysticism scores. |
Abstract
People attempting to communicate religious and mystical experiences tend to use the same language strategies employed in inducing hypnotic trance. Both incorporate vague language that provides receptive listeners the opportunity to insert their own content. This study examines whether people who have had mystical or religious experiences are also more likely to respond to the language of hypnosis. Eighty-one participants completed the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A and the Hood Mysticism Scale. Participants were divided into 3 equal groups based on "high," "ambiguous," and "low" mysticism scale scores. The high group scored significantly higher on hypnotizability compared to the low group. The relationship between openness to mystical and religious experience and susceptibility to hypnotic suggestion warrants further investigation.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neural correlates of mystical experience Vietnam veterans with penetrating traumatic brain injury and matched healthy controls | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 148 |
| Intensity of Mystical Experiences Occasioned by 5-MeO-DMT and Comparison With a Prior Psilocybin Study Individuals at a psychospiritual retreat in Mexico | 2018 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| The language of ineffability: Linguistic analysis of mystical experiences. Participants who recounted their most significant spiritual or religious experience in... | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 777 |
| The Associations of Naturalistic Classic Psychedelic Use, Mystical Experience, and Creative Problem Solving Adults who completed a survey battery | 2016 | Observational study | n = 68 |
| Lasting increases in trait mindfulness after psilocybin correlate positively with the mystical-type experience in healthy individuals Healthy individuals | 2022 | Observational cohort | n = 39 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Mystical and Other Alterations in Sense of Self: An Expanded Framework for Studying Nonordinary Experiences Perspectives on Psychological Science February 13, 2020
- Clinical Utility of Mystical Experiences: An Overview and Conceptual Framework. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis July 21, 2025
- On the Science of Consciousness: Epistemological Reflections and Clinical Implications. Explore 2017
Cites 3
- Eastern meditative techniques and hypnosis: a new synthesis. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis October 1, 2003
- Behavioral and subjective scoring of the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility: further data and an extension. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis January 1996
- Hypnotic susceptibility and reported religious experience. Psychological Reports October 1, 1973