Publication details
Mystická zkušenost v laboratoři: Terapie tmou
| Title in English | Mystical Experience and Dark Therapy |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2018 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Sacra |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://www.sacra.cz/2018-2/3_Sacra_16-2018-2_4.pdf |
| Keywords | mystical experience, suggestibility, imaginative suggestibility, predictive models of perception, dark therapy, dunkelterapie, alternative spirituality, mystical experience in the lab |
| Description | A new growing tradition of methodology dealing with the induction of mystical experience in the laboratory has emerged from the theory of predictive models of perception. With the methodological and theoretical framework based on previous experimental research, this study induced “unusual” experiences in participants in a controlled environment. However, I used a novel suggestive context, “Dark Therapy”, which meets the required conditions for sensory deprivation of participants. The aim was to find out how mystical experiences emerge and how participants are influenced by their individual suggestibility and cultural framework (New Age). The experimental group was composed of participants with active experience in spiritual practices and these were compared with a nonreligious control group. Results suggest a connection between mystical experiences, higher ratings of suggestibility, and active spiritual practice. The paper also discusses the limitations and errors of the project, and possible future directions. |