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Quasi-Experimental Elicitation of the Differential Report of Religious Experience Among Intrinsic and Indiscriminately Pro-Religious Types

R. Hood, R. J. Morris, P. Watson

Dimensions of Mystical Experiences June 1, 1990 DOI: 10.2307/1387425 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Experimental study Peer reviewed
Sample size 73
Population Participants categorized by religious orientation (intrinsic, extrinsic, or indiscriminately pro)
Interventions Isolation tank experience religious set condition
Measures modified mysticism scale (factor I: minimal phenomenological experience; factor II: religious interpretation)
Key findings Religious orientation did not affect reports of minimal phenomenological mystical experience across set conditions. Indiscriminately pro participants reported higher religious interpretation under the religious set condition, whereas intrinsic and extrinsic types were unaffected by set condition. Intrinsic types reported higher religious interpretation and extrinsic types lower, regardless of set condition.

Abstract

In this research, 73 participants were categorized according to religious orientation (intrinsic, extrinsic, or indiscriminately pro) and were subjected to an isolation tank experience under one of two set conditions (religious or nonreligious). The experience was assessed by means of a modified mysticism scale with two factors: a minimal phenomenological experience factor (I) and a religious interpretation factor (II). As predicted, religious types did not differ on the report of minimal phenomenological properties of mysticism (factor I) as a function of set conditions. However, as predicted, indiscriminately pro participants had higher factor II scores (religious interpretation) under the religious set condition, while factor II scores were unaffected by set conditions for extrinsic and intrinsic types. Also, as anticipated, intrinsic types had higher factor II scores, while extrinsic had lower factor II scores regardless of set conditions.

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