The Construction, Preliminary Validation, and Correlates of a Dream‐Specific Scale for Mystical Experience
R. E. Sears
March 1, 2015 DOI: 10.1111/jssr.12169 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Instrument development and validation study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 289 |
| Population | Adults affiliated with an American evangelical Christian school |
| Measures | Spiritual Dreams Scale (SDS), Hood's Mysticism (M) Scale, absorption scale, dream beliefs scale, dream recall scale, kataphatic prayer scale, apophatic prayer scale |
| Topics | Mystical experience |
| Key points | The SDS has a three-factor structure reflecting mystical psychology, perceived alternate reality, and noesis. Scores correlated positively with absorption, dream beliefs, dream recall, and kataphatic prayer, but not with apophatic prayer. |
Abstract
This study aimed to create and test a dream‐specific version of Hood's Mysticism (M) Scale for the purpose of studying dreaming mystical experience. Factor analysis of the Spiritual Dreams Scale (SDS), based on data collected from 289 adults affiliated with an American evangelical Christian school, clearly resulted in three factors in accordance with prior studies of the M Scale. However, the factor composition of the SDS did not identically resemble the findings of previous studies of the M Scale. Instead, the three‐factor solution suggested a Jamesian interpretation according to which the factors were labeled mystical psychology (passivity), perceived alternate reality (ineffability), and noesis. Scores on the SDS shared significant positive correlations with scores for absorption, dream beliefs, dream recall, and kataphatic prayer. A scale for apophatic prayer failed to share a significant correlation with the SDS.
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- The Epistemic Limits of Impactful Dreams: Metacognition, Metaphoricity, and Sublime Feeling Brain Sciences May 22, 2024
- From living metaphors in impactful dreams to sublime disquietude and sublime enthrallment Frontiers in Psychology August 11, 2026
- Dreaming mystical experience among Christians and Hindus: the impact of culture, language, and religious participation on responses to the Dreaming Mysticism Scale Assessment of Mental Health, Religion and Culture September 13, 2016
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