Out-of-Body Experience Status as a Moderator of Effects of Narcissism on Paranormal Beliefs

Narcissism has a small but significant direct link with belief in Psi and Precognition among college students. Among the 56 students who reported out-of-body experiences, narcissism showed moderate correlations with belief in Psi, Precognition, Witchcraft, and Superstition. For the 327 who did not report such experiences, only a small link between narcissism and Precognition appeared. These differing patterns suggest that personal experience with out-of-body phenomena may shape how narcissistic traits relate to paranormal beliefs, as interpreted through schemata theory.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The Narcissistic Personality Inventory and the Paranormal Belief Scale were given to 383 college students. As hypothesized, significant but small direct correlations were obtained between narcissism and belief in Psi and in Precognition. When the sample was divided into those 56 who reported out-of-body experiences and 327 nonreporters, an interaction emerged. Among the former, narcissism showed significant moderate correlations with belief in Psi, Precognition, Witchcraft, and Superstition. Among the latter only one small significant relationship was found between narcissism and Precognition. These differential relationships between narcissism and paranormal beliefs for reporters and nonreporters of out-of-body experiences were interpreted in terms of schemata theory.