The Content of Religious Experience: The Roles of Expectancy and Desirability
Bernard Spilka, Kevin L. Ladd, Daniel N. McIntosh, Sara Milmoe, Carl O. Bickel
International Journal for the Psychology of Religion April 1, 1996 DOI: 10.1207/s15327582ijpr0602_3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 347 |
| Population | 178 people reporting religious experiences, 57 people without such experiences (expectation group), and 112 people rating desirability |
| Citations | 17 |
| Key findings | The data suggest that people who have religious experiences tend to experience contents that match their prior expectations, and that these expectations emphasize highly desirable components. The authors interpret this as evidence that anticipation and desirability shape reported religious experience. |
Abstract
This study assessed the degree to which the contents of religious experiences agree with the expectations and rated desirability of various experiential contents. The respondents were 178 people who reported having had religious experiences, 57 without such encounters comprised an expectation group, and 112 persons who constituted a desirability rating group. Thirty-seven elements reported by those who had religious experiences and five factor scales comprised the test instrument. In sum, the data suggest that those who have religious experiences get what they anticipate, and their expectations emphasize highly desirable components in such experience.
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Transcendent and aesthetic experience of religious art in Eastern Orthodox Christianity: Iconography, ritual, and psychology Zbornik radova Filozofskog fakulteta u Pristini 2025
- The Contribution of Integral Transpersonal Psychology Approach to Religion and Spirituality Diálogo June 30, 2021
- Neural correlates of religious experience. European Journal of Neuroscience April 1, 2001