Hypnotic Susceptibility and Religious Experience

Gibbons, Don E.; Jarnette, James de

doi:10.2307/1384927

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…(2,760-year estimate). Additional factors make modeling complex: 1 experiences (Nadon and Kihlstrom 1987;Pekala, Kumar, and Cummings 1992;Richards 1990;Wagner and Ratzeburg 1987;Wickramasekera 1988;Wilson and Barber 1983), frequency of religious experiences (Argyle and Beit-Hallahmi 1975: 97-99;Hood 1973; Gibbons and De Jarnette 1972;Schumaker 1995), and variance in temporal lobe alpha output (Persinger 1990;Persinger and Makarec 1993).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Frequencies of reports are not significantly correlated with scientific training or religiosity (McClenon 1993(McClenon , 1994. Hypnotizability is also correlated with the incidence of religious experience (Argyle and Beit-Hallahmi 1975: 97-99;Gibbons and De Jarnette 1972;Hood 1973;Schumaker 1995). Hypnosis has the characteristic of "nonvolition," the perception that suggested m (Woody, Bowers, and Oakman 1992: 8-14).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Shamanic Healing, Human Evolution, and the Origin of Religion

McClenon¹,

Guthrie²

1997

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Shamanic Healing, Human Evolution, and the Origin of Religion

McClenon¹,

Guthrie²

1997

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

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“…A reasonable assumption is that those who report incense religious experiences are likely to be persons who have experienced an hypotic trance, induced perhaps by stimuli of which they were unaware (Gibbons & DeJarnette, 1972). Also, of course, it has been argued that properties of the "hypnotic trance" itself are reducible to more socially identifiable processes such as suggestion or positive attitudes, motivations, and expectancies toward new or somewhat unusual experiences (Barber, 1965).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Reported religious experience may be characteristic of persons who are susceptible and in fact such susceptibility may explain the experience. Note that Gibbons and DeJarnette (1972) found fundamental Protestants who reported significant conversion experiences were also hypnotically suggestible. The possibility of similar belief systems between good hypnotic Ss and those reporting religious experiences also cannot be ignored.…”

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confidence: 99%

Hypnotic Susceptibility and Reported Religious Experience

Hood

1973

Psychol Rep

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The relationship between reported religious experience and hypnotic susceptibility was investigated in an initial sample of 96 Ss. The correlation between a measure of reported religious experience and the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility was .36 based upon 8 1 Ss who completed both measures.Investigators concerned with religious experience have noted the apparent similarity between intense religious experiences and hypnotic states (Lewis, 1971). A reasonable assumption is that those who report incense religious experiences are likely to be persons who have experienced an hypotic trance, induced perhaps by stimuli of which they were unaware (Gibbons & DeJarnette, 1972). Also, of course, it has been argued that properties of the "hypnotic trance" itself are reducible to more socially identifiable processes such as suggestion or positive attitudes, motivations, and expectancies toward new or somewhat unusual experiences (Barber, 1965). It is reasonable to assume that measures of reported religious experience should correlate positively with measures of hypnotic susceptibility because at least some religious experiences are caused by hypnosis, because both hypnosis and religious experiences are due to some other factor, or because good hypnotic Ss and those having religious experiences have similar belief systems. Accordingly, the present study was designed to test the hypothesis that a measure of reported religious experience (Hood, 1970) would correlate positively with a measure of hypnotic susceptibility.Ss were selected from volunteer undergraduate students all of whom were at least nominally fundamentally Protestant affiliates, the majority identifying themselves as Southern Baptists. A total of 96 Ss met in group sessions of approximately 24 and were administered both scales discussed below. The order of presentation of scales was randomly counterbalanced across the fo-at groups, with the hypnotic scale presented first in two of the groups and last in the others. Dara for 15 Ss were excluded because of their desire not to participate in the hypnotic induction. These Ss were approximately evenly distributed across the four groups.Religious experience was measured by Hood's Religious Experience Episodes Measure which provides 15 brief descriptions of religious experiences in booklet form. Ss indicate on a five-point scale the extent to which they have had an experience slmilar to the one described. The higher the mean score across all 15 items the greater the index of personal religious experience. More detailed discussion of this measure and its reliabiliry and validity is available elsewhere (Hood, 1970(Hood, , 1972Hunt & King, 1971).Hypnotic susceptibility was measured by the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility (Shor & Orne, 1962). This standardized scale is administered by verbatim instructions in a group setting. There are 12 items in increasing susceptibility indicating light hypnotic trance. Scoring is by self-report, higher scores indicating a greater degree of hypnotic suscepti...

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“…Some articles, especially research notes on limited empirical issues, are deliberately atheoretical. Others use only implicit or eclectic theoretical frameworks, sometimes intentionally (e.g., Gibbons and DeJarnette 1972;Johnson and Tamney 1984;and Kaneko 1990). Such articles might still be valuable enough to publish on grounds other than theoretical.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attaining “a Sophisticated Maturity:” A Brief History of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

Mauss

Hammons

2000

Scientific Study of Religion

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An historical overview of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion considers both the aspirations of the founders and the extent to which those aspirations have been realized, modified, or exceeded. Appropriate secondary sources are reviewed for an understanding of the intellectual and organizational contexts giving rise to the Journal and for a qualitative consideration of its earliest decades. Then we introduce quantitative data derived from tabulations of all articles and research notes that have appeared in the Journal beginning with its inception in 1961 through 1998. Major trends across time are identified in theories, methods, topics, author characteristics, editor characteristics, and other important traits. The article concludes with evidence of the Journal's premier and significant impact on the social‐scientific study of religion.

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Hypnotic Susceptibility and Religious Experience

Cited by 14 publications

References 5 publications

Shamanic Healing, Human Evolution, and the Origin of Religion

Shamanic Healing, Human Evolution, and the Origin of Religion

Hypnotic Susceptibility and Reported Religious Experience

Attaining “a Sophisticated Maturity:” A Brief History of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

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