Evidence for the Brief Mysticism Scale: Psychometric Properties, and Moderation and Mediation Effects in Predicting Spiritual Self-identification
July 24, 2021 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/6bx2s (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 3,074 |
| Population | American and German adults |
| Duration | Three waves, average 4 to 5 years apart |
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Keywords | Religiosity Moderation Scale ratio Mediation Spirituality Theology |
| Key findings | The 8-item brief Mysticism Scale shows good psychometric properties, moderates the effect of self-rated religiosity on self-rated spirituality, and mediates the prediction of self-rated religiosity on self-rated spirituality over time. |
Abstract
How are mystical experiences related to self-rated spirituality? Is the recently developed short 8-item version of Hood’s (1975) Mysticism Scale an efficient measurement? The current study expands evidence for both questions using N = 1,582 American and N = 1,492 German samples measured in three waves, average 4 to 5 years apart. Results show that the 8-item brief M-Scale has good psychometric property evidenced by 1) measurement invariance across time, and 2) good test-retest reliability. Results further demonstrate that the 8-item brief M-Scale 3) moderates the effect of self-rated religiosity on self-rated spirituality, and 4) mediates the prediction of self-rated religiosity on self-rated spirituality over time. We conclude that the M-Scale can be used as a measure for self-attributed spirituality and that the 8-item brief version of the M-Scale can be used, when questionnaire length is an issue.
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
Cites 4
- Mystical Experience Among Tibetan Buddhists: The Common Core Thesis Revisited Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion June 1, 2011
- Common Core Thesis and Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Mysticism in Chinese Buddhist Monks and Nuns Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion December 1, 2011
- A Comparative Study of Mystical Experience Among Christian, Muslim, and Hindu Students in Tamil Nadu, India June 1, 2010
- RESEARCH: "Responses to the Mystical Scale by Religious Jewish Persons: A Comparison of Structural Models of Mystical Experience" 2005