Northampton Electronic Collection of Theses and Research

Attitudes to mysticism: relationship with personality in Western and Eastern mystical traditions

Edwards, A. and Lowis, M. J. (2008) Attitudes to mysticism: relationship with personality in Western and Eastern mystical traditions. Spirituality and Health International. 9(3), pp. 145-160. 1743-1867.

Item Type: Article
Abstract: Conceptually, attitudes to mysticism, is related to, but distinguishable from, mystical experience. Empirical data that attitudes to mysticism and mystical experience bear different relationships with personality traits such as psychoticism will provide good grounds for distinguishing these variables. Personality correlates of these two variables were assessed in this study; the latter was more directly linked with psychoticism. Comparisons were also made of how Christians, Jews, Buddhists and Pagans scored on measures of attitudes to mysticism and of mystical experience. Buddhists and Pagans scored significantly higher on the attitudes scale than did Christians or Jews, whereas scores on the mystical experience measure produced significantly different findings between Pagans and all other groups, and between Buddhists and Jews, but not between Buddhists and Christians. Between-groups differences therefore suggested further grounds for distinguishing between mystical experience and attitudes to mysticism.
Uncontrolled Keywords: mysticism, attitudes, personality traits, religious traditions
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion > BL624 Religious life. Religious experience > BL625 Mysticism
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion > BL51 Philosophy of religion. Psychology of religion. Religion in relation to other subjects
Creators: Edwards, Anthony and Lowis, Michael J
Publisher: Wiley
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes: University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Research Centre > Centre for the Study of Anomalous Psychological Processes
University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Faculty of Health & Society > Psychology
Faculties > Faculty of Health & Society > Psychology
Research Centres > Centre for Psychology and Social Sciences
Date: September 2008
Date Type: Publication
Page Range: pp. 145-160
Journal or Publication Title: Spirituality and Health International
Volume: 9
Number: 3
Language: English
ISSN: 1743-1867
Status: Published / Disseminated
URI: http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/2070

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