Artificial Intelligence at the Boundary of Spiritual Experience and Psychopathology: A Scoping Review of Evidence from Türkiye, the USA, the UK, Poland, South Korea, and Israel.
Rohman Hikmat, Muntazhar Nur Syabana, Ade Kosasih, Eka Kurnia Firmansyah, Roxsana Devi Tumanggor
Journal of Religion and Health September 13, 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-026-02777-1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Scoping review Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 9 |
| Population | Nine included studies from Türkiye, the USA, the UK, Poland, South Korea, and Israel, comprising clinical case reports, retrospective electronic health record analyses, qualitative studies, machine-learning investigations, and conceptual modeling |
| Topics | Mystical experience |
| Keywords | Artificial intelligence Psychopathology Psychosis Scoping review Spirituality |
| Key findings | The authors report that conversational AI was described as a catalyst, amplifier, co-author, or object of spiritually framed delusions, particularly when psychosis, mania, sleep disruption, substance exposure, or impaired reality testing were present. They also report that natural language processing and machine-learning models showed preliminary potential for identifying documented psychotic episodes and predicting relapse, and argue that prospective, culturally diverse, externally validated research is needed to clarify causal mechanisms and establish safeguards. |
Abstract
The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into everyday life has created new intersections among digital technology, spirituality, mystical experience, and psychopathology. This scoping review aimed to map evidence on how AI mediates, reinforces, detects, predicts, or interprets religious and spiritual experiences at the boundary with psychosis and dissociation. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Scopus were searched through June 30, 2026, with supplementary reference-list screening and forward citation tracking. Study selection followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews. Nine studies from Türkiye, the USA, the UK, Poland, South Korea, and Israel were included. The evidence comprised clinical case reports, retrospective electronic health record analyses, qualitative studies, machine-learning investigations, and conceptual modeling. Conversational AI was reported as a catalyst, amplifier, co-author, or object of spiritually framed delusions, particularly in the presence of psychosis, mania, sleep disruption, substance exposure, or impaired reality testing. Conversely, natural language processing and machine-learning models showed preliminary potential for identifying documented psychotic episodes and predicting relapse. AI may therefore contribute to the reinforcement of psychopathological experiences while also offering preliminary support for psychiatric screening and risk prediction. Prospective, culturally diverse, and externally validated research is needed to clarify causal mechanisms and establish clinical, ethical, and technological safeguards.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on mystical experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| Classic Hallucinogens and Mystical Experiences: Phenomenology and Neural Correlates. | 2018 | Review | |
| Peak experiences and the afterglow phenomenon: When and how do therapeutic effects of hallucinogens depend on psychedelic experiences? | 2015 | Review | |
| Are “mystical experiences” essential for antidepressant actions of ketamine and the classic psychedelics? | 2024 | Review | |
| Psychedelic Mystical Experience: A New Agenda for Theology | 2022 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- Exploring the role of psychedelic-assisted therapy in enhancing spirituality and mystical experiences in patients with life-threatening illnesses: A systematic review. Journal of Psychosomatic Research February 1, 2025
- Substance-induced manic psychosis in which delusions were corroborated by a chatbot - case report. BMC Psychiatry June 4, 2026
- Does Psychological Flexibility Correlate with Mystical Experiences: A Machine Learning Approach Including State of Surrender, Near-Death Experiences, and Psilocybin Consumption. Behavioral Sciences April 30, 2026
- From collective memory to clinical cases: analyzing political delusions in patients with psychotic disorders. BMC Psychiatry November 3, 2025