Rhythmic Chanting and Mystical States across Traditions

Abstract

Chanting is a form of rhythmic, repetitive vocalization practiced in a wide range of cultures. It is used in spiritual practice to strengthen community, heal illness, and overcome psychological and emotional difficulties. In many traditions, chanting is used to induce mystical states, an altered state of consciousness characterised by a profound sense of peace. Despite the global prevalence of chanting, its psychological effects are poorly understood. This investigation examined the psychological and contextual factors associated with mystical states during chanting. Data were analyzed from 464 participants across 33 countries who regularly engaged in chanting. Results showed that 60% of participants experienced mystical states during chanting. Absorption, altruism, and religiosity were higher among people who reported mystical states while chanting compared to those who did not report mystical states. There was no difference in mystical experience scores between vocal, silent, group or individual chanting and no difference in the prevalence of mystical states across chanting traditions. However, an analysis of subscales suggested that mystical experiences were especially characterised by positive mood and feelings of ineffability. The research sheds new light on factors that impact upon chanting experiences. A framework for understanding mystical states during chanting is proposed.

Predictors and potentiators of psychedelic-occasioned mystical experiences

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Psychedelic replications in virtual reality and their potential as a therapeutic instrument: an open-label feasibility study

“…While the psychologist did not apply usual therapeutic techniques and assumed the role of an observer, just an opportunity to discuss and talk about their problems could already have had a beneficial effect. While MEQ30 has been validated for psychedelic compounds and it has seen some use in investigating non-pharmacological methods for inducing mystical experiences (e.g., 52,53,[151][152][153][154] ), we are not aware of any studies using non-pharmacological methods that have implemented a baseline measurement of MEQ30. Our results suggest some potential difficulties in using the MEQ30 with nonpharmacological methods, as multiple participants had confusing results with one participant reporting a complete mystical experience on day one and a further two participants who only very narrowly missed out on the threshold of a complete mystical experience.…”

Exploring the “Dark Matter” of Social Interaction: Systematic Review of a Decade of Research in Spontaneous Interpersonal Coordination

“…Interpersonal coordination is thought to act as a social glue and has been linked to the concept of shared flow, defined as "a state of synchronized collective optimal experience" (Zumeta et al, 2016, p. 717). As such, it ranges from group dynamics to dyadic interactions, occurring in social settings such as collective sports (Zumeta et al, 2016), religious rituals (Perry et al, 2021), or aesthetic experiences (Vuoskoski and Reynolds, 2019) and is associated with pro-sociality and social bonding (for a review and meta-analysis, see Rennung and Göritz, 2016;Vicaria and Dickens, 2016). It can be induced experimentally through joint action and increase altruism and trust (Wiltermuth and Heath, 2009;Lang et al, 2017), but also reduce intergroup conflict in real or virtual settings (Hasler et al, 2014;Tamborini et al, 2018).…”