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Phenomenology of felt presence across degrees of psychosis-risk and spirituality.

Tatiana Baxter, Sohee Park

Psychosis August 18, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/17522439.2026.2692077 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational survey Peer reviewed
Sample size 337
Population General population adults recruited for an anonymous online survey
Topics Philosophy of mind
Keywords Felt presence Psychosis-risk Spirituality
Key findings Both psychosis-risk and spirituality were associated with more frequent, vivid, and distressing felt-presence experiences. Unexpectedly, positive feelings during felt presence were more closely linked with psychosis-risk than with spirituality. The authors argue that felt presence is relatively common but its qualities depend on context, and that the overlap between spiritual and psychosis-risk contexts remains under-studied.

Abstract

Felt presence (FP) involves sensing another social entity nearby without clear, corresponding evidence. Characteristics of FP depend on context. Previous work suggests FP is meaningful and welcomed in spiritual practice, but in psychotic-like states, FPs are intrusive, distressing, and intense. However, real-world contexts are rarely so discrete. A total of 337 participants completed an anonymous online survey with validated measures of FP, spirituality, and psychosis-risk. Both psychosis-risk and spirituality are associated with more frequent, distressing, and vivid FP experiences. Unexpectedly, positive feelings during FP were more closely linked with psychosis-risk than spirituality. Though FP is relatively common in the general population, qualities of the experience depend on context. Multiple factors (including spirituality and psychosis-risk) appear to play a role in characterizing FP but the overlap across contexts is under-studied. Specifically, the possibility that spirituality intensifies distress and minimizes positive aspects of FP among individuals at increased risk for psychosis merits further study.

Comparable studies

Other cross-sectional and survey studies on philosophy of mind, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Survey of entity encounter experiences occasioned by inhaled N,N-dimethyltryptamine: Phenomenology, interpretation, and enduring effects. People who had a memorable entity encounter after taking N,N-dimethyltryptamine 2020 Survey n = 2,561
Future directions in meditation research: Recommendations for expanding the field of contemplative science Meditators 2018 Cross-sectional online survey n = 1,120
The Phenomenology of Lucid Dreaming: An Online Survey Respondents to an online survey about lucid dreams 2014 Online survey n = 684
The neurophenomenology of early psychosis: An integrative empirical study. Ultra-high risk for psychosis patients, first episode psychosis patients, and healthy... 2019 Cross-sectional n = 123
Spontaneous Spiritual Awakenings: Phenomenology, Altered States, Individual Differences, and Well-Being People reporting their most powerful Spontaneous Spiritual or Kundalini Awakening 2021 Mixed within and between-participants self-report survey design n = 152

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