Mystical Experiences Without Psychedelics and How Integration Improves Well-Being in Adults

Frequency of complete mystical experiences will be assessed using the 30-item Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30), a validated self-report measure designed to assess key phenomenological features of mystical-type experiences. The MEQ30 includes four empirically derived subscales: Mystical, Positive Mood, Transcendence of Time and Space, and Ineffability. Participants rate the extent to which each item describes their experience. Higher scores reflect greater endorsement of mystical-type features.

To determine whether a participant had a complete mystical experience, scores will be calculated for each of the four subscales and expressed as a percentage of the maximum possible score for that subscale. A complete mystical experience is defined as meeting or exceeding 60% of the maximum possible score on all four MEQ30 subscales. The frequency of complete mystical experiences will then be calculated as the proportion of participants who meet this criteria.

The PERMA Well-Being Scale measures five dimensions of well-being-Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment-based on Martin Seligman's PERMA model. The scale contains 23 items, with 3-5 items per subdomain, scored on a Likert scale. Butler and Kern (2016) established the scale's internal consistency (α > .80) and construct validity.

The Ryff Psychological Wellbeing Scale (PWB) assesses six domains of well-being: autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relationships, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. It includes 42 items, scored on a Likert scale, with shorter versions available. Psychometric evaluation revealed high internal consistency (α > .80) and test-retest reliability across diverse populations (Ryff & Keyes, 1995). Example items include, "I like most parts of my personality" (self-acceptance) and "I am not afraid to voice my opinions, even when they are in opposition to most people" (autonomy).

The Multidimensional Existential Meaning Scale (MEMS) measures existential meaning across three dimensions: coherence, purpose, and mattering. The scale consists of 15 items rated on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree." Higher scores indicate a greater sense of existential meaning. Psychometric evaluations by George and Park (2017) demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α > .90) and robust construct validity. Example items include, "I understand how my life fits into the larger picture," "I feel that my life has a clear sense of purpose," and "I believe that my life is significant and matters." This scale is particularly suited for studies exploring the depth and breadth of meaning in individuals' lives.

The Flourishing Scale measures social-psychological prosperity across eight items that assess areas such as self-esteem, purpose, and optimism. Items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating greater well-being. Diener et al. (2010) demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α > .85). An example item is, "I lead a purposeful and meaningful life." This concise yet comprehensive scale is widely used in studies of well-being interventions.

The Quality of Life Rating Scale evaluates life satisfaction across physical, emotional, and social domains. The 16-item measure uses a 7-point Likert scale, with higher scores reflecting better quality of life. Burckhardt and Anderson (2003) reported strong psychometric properties, including internal consistency (α > .80). A sample item is, "To what degree do you feel your physical health limits your activities of daily living?"

The Spiritual Transcendence Scale measures the degree of an individual's sense of connectedness to a higher reality. The scale contains 24 items across three subdomains: prayer fulfillment (α = .85), universality (α = .85), and connectedness (α = .65). Piedmont (1999) reported good internal consistency on three subscales. Example items include, "I find strength in my religion or spirituality" (prayer fulfillment) and "I feel a sense of oneness with all humanity" (universality).

The Religious and Spiritual Struggles Scale (RSSS) measures the extent and nature of struggles individuals may have with their religion or spirituality. The scale includes 26 items and identifies six distinct domains of struggle: divine, demonic, interpersonal, moral, doubt, and ultimate meaning. Items are rated on a Likert scale, typically ranging from "not at all" to "a great deal," indicating the degree of struggle experienced. Exline et al. (2014) demonstrated strong internal consistency across subscales (α > .80) and solid construct validity in both clinical and non-clinical populations. Sample items include, "I felt angry at God," "I struggled with feeling rejected or unloved by my religious community," and "I questioned whether my life really matters."

The Attachment to God Scale (AGS) assesses individual differences in the quality of one's relationship with God, conceptualized through the lens of attachment theory. The scale consists of 9 items measuring two core dimensions: Anxiety (e.g., fear of abandonment by God) and Avoidance (e.g., discomfort with closeness to God). Participants rate each item on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree." Higher scores on each subscale indicate greater attachment-related insecurity in the corresponding domain. Rowatt and Kirkpatrick (2002) demonstrated high internal consistency (α > .85) for both subscales and strong construct validity, including associations with religious coping, mental health, and interpersonal relationships.

The Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) is a 26 question self-report scale designed to measure kindness and understanding toward oneself in instances of pain or failure (Neff, 2003). It has six factors including self-kindness, self-judgment, common humanity, isolation, mindfulness, and over-identification. The internal consistency was α = .92. A non-significant correlation of r = .05 (p = .34) was found between the SCS and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability scale. The SCS was also found to have good construct and discriminant validity as well as test-retest reliability (r = .93).

The Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) is a comprehensive tool designed to assess various dimensions of religious and spiritual life. The measure includes 29 items spanning multiple subdomains, such as religious practices (e.g., attendance at services, prayer), spiritual beliefs (e.g., beliefs in higher powers), coping strategies, and spiritual experiences. Items are rated on Likert scales or categorical responses, depending on the subdomain. The BMMRS has demonstrated strong psychometric properties, with internal consistency typically exceeding α = .80 across its subscales and evidence of validity in diverse cultural and religious populations.

The Modified Tellegen Absorption Scale (MODTAS) is a revised version of the original Tellegen Absorption Scale, designed to assess an individual's tendency to become fully engaged in sensory and imaginative experiences. It includes 34 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale from "not at all true" to "extremely true," improving upon the original true/false format to enhance psychometric robustness. The MODTAS measures various aspects of experiential absorption, including responsiveness to engaging stimuli, imaginative involvement, and altered states of consciousness. Jamieson (2005) reported strong internal consistency (α > .90) and construct validity in relation to hypnotizability and imaginative suggestibility.

Thematic analysis of participant-reported experiences collected via post-session interviews.

The Mysticism Scale evaluates mystical experiences, focusing on dimensions such as ineffability, transcendence of time and space, and unity. It includes 32 items, rated on a Likert scale, and has been validated in multiple cultural contexts (Hood et al., 2001). Hood (1975) reported strong psychometric properties, with internal consistency above α = .80. An example item is, "I have had an experience where everything seemed to disappear, leaving only a sense of unity."

The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES) measures the frequency of spiritual experiences in everyday life, focusing on feelings of connection, awe, gratitude, and a sense of divine presence. The scale includes 16 items rated on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from "many times a day" to "never or almost never," with higher scores reflecting greater frequency of daily spiritual experiences. Psychometric evaluations by Underwood and Teresi (2002) demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α > .90) and strong validity across diverse religious and non-religious populations. Sample items include, "I feel God's presence" and "I feel a deep inner peace or harmony." The DSES is particularly suited for studies investigating spirituality as an experiential and moment-to-moment construct.

The Religious Commitment Inventory-10 (RCI-10) assesses the degree to which religious beliefs and practices influence an individual's daily life and decisions. The scale consists of 10 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale from "not at all true of me" to "totally true of me." Higher scores indicate greater religious commitment. Worthington et al. (2003) reported excellent psychometric properties, including high internal consistency (α > .90) and predictive validity for religious behavior and its impact on psychological outcomes.

The Mysticism Scale - Lifetime measures the frequency and intensity of mystical experiences throughout a person's life. Based on the regular Mysticism Scale, the lifetime scale comprises 32 items divided into three subdomains: introvertive mysticism, extrovertive mysticism, and interpretation of mystical experiences. It evaluates core aspects such as unity, ineffability, and transcendence of time and space. Hood (1975) validated the measure, reporting high internal consistency (α > .80) and demonstrating its cross-cultural applicability in later studies (Hood et al., 2001).

The 5-Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (5D-ASC) assesses altered states across five dimensions: oceanic boundlessness, anxious ego dissolution, visionary restructuralization, auditory alterations, and vigilance reduction. The scale contains 94 items, rated on a visual analog scale. Dittrich (1998) reported robust psychometric properties, with internal consistency exceeding α = .85. Sample items include, "I felt an all-encompassing unity" and "I perceived the world in a fundamentally new way."

The Persisting Effects Questionnaire (Griffiths et al., 2006) assesses long-term changes in attitudes, moods, and behaviors following significant mystical experiences. The 89-item measure evaluates changes in spirituality, relationships, and life satisfaction.

Participants will be given an option to donate some or all of their monetary compensation. Participants will be informed of which charitable organizations their donation will benefit. This will be measured in dollar amounts and compared between the experimental conditions.

The following personal significance questions are based on those used in psychedelic-assisted therapy trials (e.g., Griffiths et al., 2006)

How personally meaningful was the experience you had during your in-person session?

Participants will respond with one of 8 responses ranging from "no more than routine, everyday experiences" to "the single most meaningful experience of my life"

Indicate the degree to which the experience was spiritually significant to you.

Participants will response with one of 6 responses ranging from "not at all" to "the single most spiritually significant experience of my life".

To what degree did the experience and your contemplation of the experience lead to changes in your sense of personal well-being or life satisfaction?

Participants will respond on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from "increased very much" to "decreased very much".

The Brief Remote Elkins-Alldredge Test of Hypnotizability is a virtual assessment based on the gold standard measure for hypnotizability, the Elkins Hypnotizability Scale (Muñiz et al., in press). The EHS is a 6 item, therapist-administered scale of hypnotizability. The six items include arm heaviness or immobilization, arm levitation, imagery involvement or dissociation, positive hallucination of the smell of a rose, positive hallucination of a block, and posthypnotic amnesia. Scoring is based on the respondent's subjective experience and observable behavioral responses which are summed to obtain a total score (range 0-12) with higher scores indicating greater hypnotizability. Categorizations of hypnotizability include low (1-4), moderate (5-8), and high (8-12). Validation studies have demonstrated that the EHS has good internal consistency in an outpatient clinical sample (a = .85; Elkins, 2014) and in a college student sample (a = .78; Kekecs et al., 2016).

The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) assesses the symptom severity of anxiety disorders and depression (Zigmond & Snaith, 1983). It has strong internal consistency. A recent literature review of 747 papers found an average Cronbach's alphas of .83 for the anxiety subscale and .82 for the depression subscale. It also has acceptable to strong convergent validity. It performs well as an assessment tool in somatic, psychiatric, and primary care patients as well as in the general population (Bjelland et al., 2002).

If given the opportunity, how likely would you be to participate in this activity again?

How likely are you to recommend this experience to others?

Both of these questions will be answered on a 0-10 scale where 0 = not at all likely and 10 = extremely likely.

In whatever way you define it, how spiritual do you consider yourself to be?

Participants will respond to this question on a 0-100 visual analog scale where 0 = not at all spiritual and 100 = extremely spiritual.