Exceptional Experiences Reported by Scientists and Engineers
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Plain English Summary
Think scientists are too rational for weird experiences? Think again. Researchers surveyed nearly 900 Americans -- ordinary folks, scientists, and people already into mystical topics -- about 25 types of unusual experiences like precognition and telepathy. The surprise: scientists reported these at almost the same rate as everyone else (93% versus 94%). Belief in the paranormal was the strongest predictor, along with personality traits like openness. Importantly, none of the groups showed signs of mental illness. One big caveat: fewer than 1% of contacted scientists completed the survey, so responders may have been unusually open to the topic.
Abstract
Context: Throughout history people have reported exceptional experiences that appear to transcend the everyday boundaries of space and time, such as perceiving someone‟s thoughts from a distance. Because such experiences are associated with superstition, and some violate currently accepted materialist conventions, one might assume that scientists and engineers would be much less likely to report instances of these experiences than the general population. Objectives: To evaluate 1) the prevalence of exceptional human experiences (EHEs), 2) the level of paranormal belief, 3) the relationship between them, and 4) potential predictors of EHEs in three groups. Participants: Potential volunteers were randomly selected to receive invitations for an anonymous survey. Main Measures: Data were collected on 25 different types of EHEs, demographics, religious or spiritual affiliations, paranormal beliefs, mental health, and personality traits. Group differences were analyzed with chi-square tests and analysis of variance, and predictors were evaluated with a general linear model. Results: 94.0% of the general population (n = 283), 93.2% of scientists and engineers (n = 175), and 99.3% of enthusiasts (n = 441) endorsed at least one EHE (X2 (2) =21.1, p < 0.0005). Paranormal belief was highest in enthusiasts, followed by scientists and the general population (F(2,769) = 116.2, p < 0.0005). Belief was positively correlated with experience (r – 0.61, p < 0.0005). An exploratory general linear model showed that variables such as mental health, personality, impact and family history predict the endorsement and frequency of EHEs. This study indicates that EHEs occur frequently in both the general population and in scientists and engineers.
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- Bayesian and Classical Hypothesis Testing: Practical Differences for a Controversial Area of Research — Kennedy, J.E (2014)
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📋 Cite this paper
Wahbeh, Helané, Radin, Dean, Mossbridge, Julia, Vieten, Cassandra, Delorme, Arnaud (2018). Exceptional Experiences Reported by Scientists and Engineers. Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2018.05.002
@article{wahbeh_2018_exceptional,
title = {Exceptional Experiences Reported by Scientists and Engineers},
author = {Wahbeh, Helané and Radin, Dean and Mossbridge, Julia and Vieten, Cassandra and Delorme, Arnaud},
year = {2018},
journal = {Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing},
doi = {10.1016/j.explore.2018.05.002},
}