Apparitional Research Articles

Content Analysis of Spiritual Life in Contemporary USA, India, and China

This study investigates the lived-experience of spiritual life in contemporary USA, India, and China. A qualitative coding frame was constructed based on participant responses to open-ended questions regarding spirituality. Qualitative analysis was facilitated by the use of Dedoose, a mixed methods software. The exploratory approach of this study takes on a cross-culturally comparative lens, and has two primary questions: (1) What are the universal aspects of lived spirituality across cultures, and (2) How does culture shape spiritual experience (e.g., typology and prevalence)? A total of 6112 participants (41% women, mean age of 29 years, range 18–75 years) were recruited, and analysis was conducted on a subset of 900 participants. The primary thematic categories derived by content analysis included religion (religious traditions, religious conversion, religious professionals, religious figures “theophany,” and religious forces “heirophany”), contemplative practice (meditation, mindful movement, prayer, and rituals), ancestors (ancestral worship, dreams about ancestors, and general mention of ancestors), natural world (animals, and nature), and metaphysical phenomena. Metaphysical categories were further parsed apart to include extrasensory perception (telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, realistic dreams, and intuitive impressions), psychokinesis, survival hypothesis (near death experiences, out of body experiences, and apparitional experiences), and faith and energy healing (recovery/remission of illness, and spiritual practitioners). Explanatory factors for similarities and differences across groups, and the origins of spirituality, are discussed.

Understanding Medjugorje Apparitional Experiences: Medical and Parapsychological Perspectives

Background. The continuing apparitional events at Medjugorje in Bosnia offer an opportunity for sceptics to gain fresh insight into an alleged mystical-cum-paranormal phenomenon. Initially, the apparitional experiences occurred in a collective manner ruling out the possibilities of psychological and spiritual artefacts. Ostensibly, according to the percipients, an active apparition—that has inserted itself harmoniously into our three-dimensional world—is manifesting itself at Medjugorje. In this respect, science is hindered by the lack of both theoretical tools and the vocabulary to handle mystical and paranormal events. Apparitional occurrences involve apparitional experience, the apparition and social events. The apparition is beyond the parameters of science and only apparitional experience can be scientifically studied; social events are more important to social sciences and theology. Aim. To test the postulation that visionary experiences involving RSPK, or RSPK-like activity may be instances of apparitions at the physical site and find the results applying this criterion along with other distinguishable features specific to Marian apparitional experiences. To evaluate the different psychological, parapsychological, psychopathological views usually held against true apparitional experiences. Method. Observational and quantitative studies attempted accepting the limitations. Selective survey of the scientific and journalistic literature including previous reviews has been carried out to collect different interpretations which also help to form a framework for an informed conclusion. Results. The voice extinction and sensory disconnection exhibited by the Medjugorje witnesses could probably be explained as a manifestation of psychokinetic-like activity of the apparition. Unlike other generic apparitional experiences reported in the scientific literature on parapsychology, the percipients and the apparition at Medjugorje partake in back and forth communication for extended periods of time. It is obvious that these are not self-generated. Medical studies indicate that there are dual modes of perception proving an inward cum outward apparitional experience. These apparitional experiences have the same pattern as those the officially authenticated Marian apparitions of the past. Additionally, the terrestrial memories revealed to the percipients prove the identity of the apparition as the Mother of Jesus. Apart from the spiritual and religious implications, Medjugorje is thought to be at the forefront of a revolutionary paradigm shift in the field of consciousness studies that may be unprecedented in scope. Psychiatry is currently founded on medical reduction and will have to make many adjustments according to the paradigmatic shifts in cognitive sciences; mental health professionals should be tuned to these on-going mystical happenings.

The Physiology of Incarnation Process; Lessons from Pre-birth Experiences and Reincarnation-type Cases

Subjective sciences fail the cast iron scientific test of replicability and struggle to get acclaimed by the mainstream sciences. The world’s major faith traditions embrace the concept of a spiritual body formed in another dimension which incarnates into the product of conception while in the embryonic or foetal stage. The refoulement process has significance in the ethical discussion of such diverse matters as induced abortion and embryonic stem-cell research. The most dynamic phenomenon in human physiology is the incarnation process, which distinguishes human beings from the rest of the animal kingdom even though the evidence for the actual incarnation process may be admittedly fragmentary. A cluster of paranormal phenomena may be associated with it, such as telepathy, tele-somatic features, announcing dreams – those which convey information about the child a woman is carrying or going to be and apparitional experiences. Study of the incarnation process would be a valuable contribution to the embryonic and developmental physiology where such a phenomenon is not currently even thought about. It also contests the ultra-reductionist views developing in particle physics. If near death experiences probably indicate where we go after physical extinction, pre-birth experiences hint us about our roots and the beginning of our spiritual evolution. Reincarnation may be only a scientific idea and not a scientific truth, but theoretical speculations presented in this paper may help to bring about further progress in this research arena.

Límite fino y transliminalidad en relación con experiencias aparicionales y sensación de presencia

Objetivo. Comparar la transliminalidad y el límite fi no en personas que tienen experiencias de apariciones y sensación de presencia con un grupo control. Se plantea como hipótesis que las personas que reportan experiencias aparicionales y sensación de presencia tienen: (a) mayor propensión a tener experiencias anómalas, (b) mayor transliminalidad y (c) límites más fi nos en comparación con un grupo control. Método.Se administraron cuatro medidas, la Escala Cardiff de Percepciones Anómalas, la Escala de Transliminalidad (revisada), el Inventario de Experiencias Anómalo/Paranormales y el Cuestionario de Límites, a una muestra compuesta por 203 participantes interesados en experiencias paranormales (151 mujeres y 52 hombres). Resultados. Se confi rmaron las tres hipótesis, esto es, mayor nivel de experiencias anómalas, transliminalidad y límite más fi no en individuos que reportan la experiencia en comparación con quienes no las reportan.Conclusión. Estos resultados indican que, particularmente, el constructo de límite fi no refl eja unos procesos atencionales o hiperestesia particular para la detección del entorno en aquellos involucrados en presuntas experiencias aparicionales.

Unghosting Apparitional (Lesbian) History

Unghosting Apparitional (Lesbian) History

EPA-0752 – Spirituality in schizophrenia: do patients and healthcare professionals have similar understanding

The special mental states such as hallucination and confusion in schizophrenia have been creating obstacles in research in spirituality in this population. Although primary treatment should focus on symptom management, psychosocial and spiritual care should not be neglected. This study aimed to understand spirituality from the perspectives of both the patients and the healthcare professionals and its role in different stages of disease and rehabilitation. Schizophrenic patients (n=22) and healthcare professionals including psychiatric doctors, nurses, and social workers (n=19) were recruited from an out-patient clinic of a hospital and a mental health rehabilitation complex. Semi-structured interviews on the meaning and experiences of spirituality, and its role in rehabilitation were conducted, with follow-up interviews when further clarification was needed. Interviews were transcribed into verbatim and analyzed with the assistance of computer software based on Ground theory. Trustworthiness was assured through member checking and peer scrutiny. Both patients and professionals regarded spirituality as an inherent part of the patients’ well-being. Spirituality could be a practice, a way of thinking, sense of peace and fulfillment, and connectedness towards oneself, others, and a higher power. Spiritual experiences were helpful in the rehabilitation phase. However, some patients considered spirituality as apparitional experiences, thus hindered their recovery. This study demonstrated that the spirituality played a part in patients’ lives and rehabilitation. Findings suggest the importance of spiritual care in this population and provide insights and roadmap for developing spiritual assessments and holistic care in psychiatric context. This study is supported by RGCGRF / HKU745511H .

Apparitional Experiences of New Faces and Dissociation of Self-Identity during Mirror Gazing

Apparitional experiences during mirror gazing were studied. Under low levels of illumination, individuals gazed at their own reflected faces in a mirror for a duration of 10 min. Face illumination was relatively uniform, via a nonvisible light source. After about a minute of mirror gazing, individuals reported perceiving strange faces--archetypical and often unknown, human or animal, living or departed parents with traits changed, and fantastical monstrous beings--instead of their own faces in the mirror. During these apparitions, the observers reported feeling that a strange person was watching them from within or beyond the mirror, while the observer maintained consciousness of himself looking at the strange "other." Three psychophysical experiments were conducted on 42 naive normal individuals. At an illumination of the face around 0.8 lux, the mean frequency of apparitions was 1.8 min x (-1) and mean duration was 7 sec. per apparition. At higher illumination, the frequency of apparitional experiences decreased while the duration of mirror gazing needed for the phenomenon to occur increased. This effect may be termed "conscious dissociation of self-identity" to distinguish it from pathological unconscious dissociative identity disorder.

The Apparitional Community

The Apparitional Community