Exceptional Experiences Reported by Scientists and Engineers
📄 Original study ↗📌 Appears in:
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.
Actual Paper 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.
Research Notes
Key finding: scientific training does not suppress anomalous experience; scientists endorse EHEs at the general-population rate and score higher than laypeople on 21/25 EHE items. Strong non-response bias in the scientist sample (~0.7% completion rate) limits inference. Part of IONS research program alongside wahbeh_2018_mixed and wahbeh_2019_noetic.
Surveyed 899 US adults across three groups — 283 general population, 175 scientists/engineers, and 441 noetic-science enthusiasts — on 25 exceptional human experience (EHE) types, paranormal belief, mental health, and personality. Scientists endorsed at least one EHE at nearly the same rate as the general population (93.2% vs 94.0%); enthusiasts were higher (99.3%). Paranormal belief correlated strongly with EHE endorsement (r=0.61, p < 0.0005). GLM analysis explained 55.7% of EHE score variance; significant predictors included paranormal belief, dissociation, openness, lower neuroticism, family history, and younger age of onset. Psychotic and dissociative symptoms did not reach pathological levels in any group.
Links
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Cites
- Bayesian and Classical Hypothesis Testing: Practical Differences for a Controversial Area of Research — Kennedy, J.E (2014)
- Intuitive Assessment of Mortality Based on Facial Characteristics: Behavioral, Electrocortical, and Machine Learning Analyses — Delorme, Arnaud (2018)
- Entertaining Without Endorsing: The Case for the Scientific Investigation of Anomalous Cognition — Schooler, Jonathan W (2018)
- Feeling the Future: A Meta-Analysis of 90 Experiments on the Anomalous Anticipation of Random Future Events — Bem, Daryl J (2015)
- Precognition as a Form of Prospection: A Review of the Evidence — Mossbridge, Julia A (2018)
- A Call for an Open, Informed Study of All Aspects of Consciousness — Cardeña, Etzel (2014)
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- Cognitive Styles and Psi: Psi Researchers Are More Similar to Skeptics Than to Lay Believers — Pehlivanova, M (2024)
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The Experimental Evidence for Parapsychological Phenomena: A Review
📋 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},
}