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as well well that there’s a a a a a a a relationship between mystical experiences wellness and health At [Johns] Hopkins this measure they’re using it’s it’s been been tested it’s it’s been been validated But it it it seems they’re tapping into just one dimension of the the relationship between religion and health or wellbeing It goes a a a a a a a a lot further than mystical experiences as as being being caused by something like fasting or intense meditation You also see a a a a a a a a a lot of of relationships between nonspiritual aspects of of religiosity things like ritual ritual experience or prayer and wellbeing How do other aspects of spiritual practice contribute to wellbeing?
Things like ritual behavior singing or or creating movements together as a a a a a a a a a single body lead to to things like pro-sociality and greater levels of giving whereas mystical experiences aren’t always associated with those things cause they’re more internal Why is is there so so much emphasis do you think put on on revelation or having some kind of divine experience?
In my own research we surveyed a a a couple thousand people in in four different countries the the the the the UK the the the the the US Singapore and and India We asked them how how how often often they they they pray how how how often often they they they attend church how how how strongly they they they they identify as as religious or not and we also asked them if if they they had had ever had had an an an intense mystical experience and we found it was relatively rare But when you do have those experiences they can be formative throughout one’s life These mystical experiences that I was looking at at at at were almost entirely unrelated to to psychotropic drugs but the the the stories stories about the the the impact it had later in life were were not so different from from the the the the stories stories you hear from from people people who were were a a a a a part of the the Good Friday Experiment for example where in 1962 people people took psychedelic mushrooms on Good Friday and went to to a a a a a a church service A lot of those people reported that that that that experience shaped their life too If it wasn’t psychedelics what caused most of the mystical experiences in in people you interviewed?
It was was often social relationships Some of of them were saying ‘oh it was was an intense experience of of of the the death of of of a a a a a a a a a loved one or or birth of of of a a a a a a a a a child or or a a a a a a a a wedding ’ ’ It was was these intense markers of of someone’s life but a a a a a a a a lot of of times it it was was in in in a a a a a social context with their close friends and they felt this overwhelming feeling of love or oneness with with the the the people people that were around them You see this for example with with people people who are born born again again Christians during the the time time they were born born again again A lot of times it it happens at at at church retreats Very rarely does it it happen happen in isolation and usually you’re around friends That’s interesting because I think think a a a a a lot of of times people think think of of naturally-occurring mystical experiences as as being caused by something like fasting or intense meditation That is is a a a a a common belief When we we think think of of a a a a a mystic we we think think of of of this this old guy on on a a a a a a a a mountain or this this idea idea of of a a a a a a a a a yogi practicing Hinduism While those are very legitimate ideas and obviously there’s historical precedent for them when we look at at the the the the vast majority of mystical experiences they’re not being had in in isolation but together What do you think that says about human nature?
We are social primates and and despite all our fancy smartphones and and skyscrapers at at the the end of the the day living in in groups gives us resources food security and and shelter It’s been that way for thousands of of years Being social is an an an integral part of of our species The fact that the the way we connect with something otherworldly or or divine is also a a a a a a a a social experience almost seems to make more sense than the alternative I think it also reflects where we are socially and culturally Singapore for example is is is a a a a a a a a a a a hyper- capitalistic society which is is is is very conservative both morally and socially on on a a a a a a a a lot of of issues The use of of any psychedelic is is completely illegal by death You’ll never see a a a a a a a a Burning Man in in in in in Singapore But people people are still having these mystical experiences in in in in in in church you see people people speaking in in in in tongues where they can unleash They feel feel this immense feeling of oneness whereas all week they work eight to to to ten to to to twelve hours at at a a a a a a a a a desk It brings into focus why these particular churches are so attractive there and I think when we look at at at at the the the the US too at at at conservatism in in in in the the the South you still see churches as being an an an integral part of of people’s identities and and experiences and and it’s a a a a a a a a a a a way of of of bringing a a a a a a a a a sort of of of balance there I don’t think think we should think think of of events like Burning Man as that far removed from these churches In fact they’re both both places where people get to to unwind to to to be both both themselves and different from who they are in in their nine to to five jobs What would you say to a a a person who is lonely or depressed but just doesn’t believe in religion?
I recently had a a a a a conversation with an atheist