Enriching the Common Core of Mystical Experience: A Qualitative Analysis of Interviews with Daoist Monks and Nuns
Z. Chen, Shuozhi Guo, R. Cowden
International Journal for the Psychology of Religion October 2, 2023 DOI: 10.1080/10508619.2023.2265267 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 19 |
| Population | Highly experienced Daoist monks and nuns |
| Topics | Mystical experience |
| Key findings | Daoist mystical experiences include both common core features like ego loss and unity and unique themes of bodily sensations and spirit egress that extend the common core thesis. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT The scientific study of psychedelic, religious, spiritual, and mystical (PRSM) experiences can be advanced by applying culturally inclusive qualitative methodologies that illuminate the breadth and depth of individual experiences in a variety of contexts. To enrich the common core thesis of mysticism and offer insights that could contribute more generally to bridging the gap between psychedelic and religious experiences, the current study used a phenomenological approach to explore the structure and content of mystical experiences among Daoist practitioners. The sample included 19 highly experienced Daoist monks and nuns. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with orienting questions that were adapted from the theoretical framework of the modified common core thesis, which taps into eight broad categories of mystical experience (i.e. ego loss, timelessness and spaceless, unity, inner subjectivity, positive affect, sacredness, noetic quality, and ineffability). Thematic coding suggested two clusters of Daoist experiences, one featuring a group of themes comprising dissolution of self, unitary experiences, and bodily sensations, and the other group of themes including egress of spirit and resonance with divinities and spirits. The derived themes corresponded to some prescriptions of the common core thesis, yet extended the theory with unique themes – egress of spirit and bodily sensations – that connect introvertive, extrovertive, and interpretive mysticisms. We draw on ideas found in Daoist canons and scriptures to provide a contextualized discussion of the findings, and highlight some of the ways that the findings contribute to expanding the common core thesis to a broader range of PRSM experiences.
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 3
- The Psychology of Mysticism Cambridge University Press eBooks January 27, 2026
- Psychedelics, Harm Reduction, and Life's Big Questions: Making Sense of Spirituality and Religion After the Journey Anthropology of Consciousness August 27, 2025
- Standing like a Tree: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol Examining Daoist Zhanzhuang within a PNEI Framework Brain Behavior and Immunity Integrative September 1, 2026
Cites 12
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- Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin Journal of Psychopharmacology October 6, 2015
- The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists PLoS One May 24, 2017
- Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness Frontiers in Psychology September 4, 2018
- Survey of subjective "God encounter experiences": Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT PLoS One April 23, 2019
and 7 more in the library