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University of Northern Colorado Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC Dissertations Student Research 12-1-2010 Unitive/mystical experiences and life changes Susan F. Schneeberger Follow this and additional works at: http://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations Recommended Citation Schneeberger, Susan F., "Unitive/mystical experiences and life changes" (2010). Dissertations. Paper 249. This Text is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO Greeley, Colorado The Graduate School UNITIVE/MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES AND LIFE CHANGES A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Psychology Susan F. Schneeberger College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Department of Counseling Psychology December, 2010 This Dissertation by: Susan F. Schneeberger Entitled: Unitive/Mystical Experiences and Life Changes has been approved as meeting the requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Psychology in College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Counseling Psychology Accepted by the Doctoral Committee __________________________________________________ Basilia Softas-Nall, Ph.D., Chair __________________________________________________ Linda Black, Ed.D., Committee Member __________________________________________________ David Gonzalez, Ph.D., Committee Member __________________________________________________ Susan Hutchinson, Ph.D., Committee Member Date of Dissertation Defense _________________________________ Accepted by the Graduate School __________________________________________________ Robbyn R. Wacker, Ph. D. Assistant Vice President for Research Dean of the Graduate School & International Admissions ABSTRACT Schneeberger, Susan F. Unitive/Mystical Experiences and Life Changes. Published Doctor of Psychology dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2010. The purpose of this study was to explore life changes in beliefs, philosophy, and behavior in individuals who reported having a unitive/mystical experience (U/ME). A unitive mystical experience is a generally spontaneously occurring state of consciousness characterized by a sense of unity or “oneness” that transcends sensory or cognitive apprehension (Stace, 1960). There is often an ineffable certainty that an ultimate truth has been perceived and can be applied to one’s life. The experience may be accompanied or followed by feelings of joy and bliss. One hundred sixty adults from a broad range of demographic characteristics participated in a one-time web-based survey. The concept of a unitive mystical experience was based on the mysticism theory of Stace. Hood’s Scale-Research Form D (1975, 2005) was used to assess the intensity and degree of reported unitive mystical experiences since it is an operationalization of Stace’s theory. Life changes were assessed using Greyson’s Life Changes Inventory-Revised (Greyson & Ring, 2004). Participants also answered 10 demographic questions. Four research questions were addressed using correlational methodology. These questions explored the type of changes reported after a unitive mystical experience, the relationship of the intensity of the U/ME to the changes, perceptions of the overall quality of respondents’ lives after the U/ME, and the relationship of the changes to selected demographic variables. iii Results of the study indicated that there were significant increases in participants’ concern with social and planetary values, self-acceptance, spirituality, quest for meaning and sense of purpose, concern for others, and appreciation for life. Respondents reported a significant decrease in concern with worldly achievement. The area of religiousness showed no change. Results also indicated that a more intense unitive/mystical experience was associated with a greater degree of change overall and with a significant increase in appreciation for life specifically. Participants indicated that their overall quality of life had changed significantly after their unitive/mystical experience in a direction perceived as beneficial. There was no significant relationship between reported changes and demographic variables. Limitations of the study, suggestions for future research, and implications of the findings were discussed. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. The above quote is often attributed to the German poet, von Goethe. But a little research suggests that he did not write it after all, and its true source remains a mystery. Murray (1951) also quoted it in his book on the Scottish expedition to the Himalayas. Indeed, climbing a mountain is a fitting analogy for the process of completing a dissertation and requires a similar amount of support. The past seven years have been quite a climb, and I would like to acknowledge all the beings, on this planet and beyond, who helped push and pull me to the top. First on the list are my parents, Fred and Dody Schneeberger, who encouraged a love of books and learning, and suggested that the answers to many of my questions could be found in the library, so I should go look it up! My father is no longer in the physical plane, but he taught me that having the heart to climb a mountain, whether literal or figurative, depends more on desire and determination than anything else. My mother is much wiser than she realizes, and her ways of knowing extend beyond the parameters of our current understanding. Both of them supported me in countless ways, and tried to demonstrate to me that life’s biggest challenges could be considered “romantic adventures.” My brother, Brian, and my sister-in-law, Julie offered encouragement, and amazement at how long the process took, and what a big pain it could be. Brian shares v my pathological sense of humor, and never failed to remind me that nothing in life is so awful that it cannot be made into a horrible joke. (Timmaaah forever!). I would not be where I am today without the guidance and dedication of my dissertation committee. My Chair, Dr. Softas-Nall, encouraged, inspired, and shoved me at all the right moments, and never gave up on me. Dr. David Gonzalez was the first to hear and support my ideas for the dissertation, and assure me that it could be done. Dr. Susan Hutchinson demonstrated unfailing patience and expertise as she attempted to lead me through the labyrinth of statistical analysis. Dr. Linda Black was kind and supportive, and just running into her in the hall always made me feel better. I am grateful to all the people who took the time to complete my survey, and to pass it on to others. Thanks also to the members of my cohort, Laurie, Jennifer, and Ann, who knew better than anyone what this experience was like. I was also assisted by many others too numerous to name, but a few are Diane, Gloria, and Roberta, from the APCE office, Aimee Rogers, Dr. Beth Firestein, Dr. Fred Hanna, Dr. Ginger Meyette, the medical and rehab staff of the Cardiovascular Institute, North Colorado Medical Center, and so many others...please know who you are. Thanks to my past animal companions, and my present ones, Kira and Kongur. You never failed to remind me that the important things are food, sleep, and play. I appreciated your telling me that it was time to take a break by interrupting my concentration with your barking. Last but not least, thank you to the Colorado mountains for your inspiration, and for being the one thing that stayed pretty much the same during the past seven years. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 1 Rationale for the Study ................................................................................... 5 Purpose of the Study ...................................................................................... 9 Research Questions ........................................................................................ 9 Delimitations of the Study .............................................................................. 9 Definition of Terms ...................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ................................................... 12 Definitions of Unitive/Mystical Experience .................................................. 12 Examples of Unitive/Mystical Experiences .................................................. 14 Theoretical Conceptualizations and Characteristics of Unitive/Mystical Experiences ...................................................................................... 18 Shamanism, Paleolithic Cave Art, and the Earliest Unitive/Mystical Experiences ...................................................................................... 22 Prevalence and Predisposing Factors of Unitive/Mystical Experiences ......... 27 The Good Friday Experiment ...................................................................... 28 Grof’s Holotropic Breathwork ...................................................................... 29 Rhea White: Exceptional Human Experiences .............................................. 30 Understanding Unitive/Mystical Experiences ............................................... 36 Transpersonal Psychology ...........................................................................
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