Mystical experiences remain an under researched topic in the academic world due to their difficult
to measure and seemingly mysterious nature. The present study aimed to present an overview of
academic study of mystical experiences thus far and examine their occurrence, experience and
effect on various aspects of wellbeing and life-satisfaction among Slovene meditators. A mixed
methods approach was used. In the quantitative part of the study, 103 regular meditators
participated in an online survey, consisting of the Satisfaction with Life Scale, short version of the
Psychological Well-Being Scale and the Mystical Experience Questionnaire, which was translated
and adapted for use in the context of meditation. Results show that during meditation,
respondents most frequently experience feelings of peace and joy, often experience loss of their
usual sense of time and space and most have experienced core feelings of mystical experiences
(e.g. experience of oneness with oneself and surrounding objects) at least a few times. Hierarchical
multiple regression analysis showed that experiencing dimensions of mystical experiences during
meditation had the highest contribution in the prediction of life-satisfaction. However, combined
with length of regular meditation, dimensions of mystical experiences were shown to be the
strongest predictor of autonomy. In the qualitative part of the study, 10 semi-structured
interviews were conducted with meditators, who reported having had a mystical experience in
the context of their meditation practice. Five themes were developed using thematic analysis:
experience in the context of spiritual practice, transcendence of self and the external world, peak
emotions, ineffability and transformative power. Meditators described mystical experiences as
states that cannot be adequately described in words since usual everyday perceptions of the world
are surpassed. They reported a reduced sense of self, accompanied by an experience of unity or
connectedness with something greater than oneself and feelings of joy and tranquillity.
Participants reported that the experience had significant effect on various aspects of their life,
such as greater self-acceptance, reduced fear of death, broader perspective on life and improved
relationships. These results coincide with existing literature on mystical experiences and research
done with hallucinogens. The present study presents an important first step in the psychological
study of mystical experiences among meditators in Slovenia and offers a starting point for further
systematic research.
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