Altered States of Consciousness and Mystical Experiences during Sensory Isolation in Flotation Tank: Is the Highly Sensitive Personality Variable of Importance?
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online October, 2009
Altered States of Consciousness and Mystical Experiences during Sensory Isolation in Flotation Tank: Is the Highly Sensitive Personality Variable of Importance?
The aim of this study was to investigate if the highly sensitive personality variable affects the occurrence of mystical experiences and degree of altered states of consciousness during sensory isolation in flotation-tank. Forty-eight persons (20 males, 28 females) were included. Background variables and the Highly Sensitive Personality Scale (HSP) were assessed. The independent variable was derived from this scale, where two groups were formed: low sensitivity and high sensitivity. The treatment lasted 45 minutes in the flotation tank. Dependent variables were assessed through scales measuring mystical experiences and degree of altered states of consciousness. The group with highly sensitive persons experienced significantly more mystical experiences and higher degree of altered states of consciousness during the treatment compared to the other group. Also, the highly sensitive persons exhibited more stress and anxiety at arrival, but no differences in depression and optimism were found between the groups.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BoodS. Å. (2007). Bending and mending the neurosignature. Frameworks of influence by flotation-REST (Restricted environmental stimulation technique) upon well-being in patients with stress related ailments. Doctoral dissertation, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
2.
BoodS. Å.SundequistU.KjellgrenA.NordströmG.NorlanderT. (2005). Effects of Flotation-REST (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique) on Stress Related Muscle Pain: What Makes the Difference in Therapy, Attention-Placebo, or the Relaxation Response?Pain Research and Management, 10, 201–209.
3.
KjellgrenA. (2003). The experience of flotation-REST (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique): Consciousness, creativity, subjective stress, and pain. Doctoral dissertation, Göteborgs Universitet, Göteborg, Sweden.
4.
ÅsenlöfK.OlssonS.BoodS. Å.NorlanderT. (2007). Case studies on fibromyalgia and burn-out depression using psychotherapy in combination with flotation-REST: Personality development and increased well-being. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 26, 259–271.
5.
KjellgrenA.LydénF.NorlanderT. (2008). Sensory isolation in flotation tank: altered states of consciousness and effects on well-being. The Qualitative Report, 13, 636–656. http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR13-4/kjellgren.pdf
6.
KjellgrenA.BuhrkallH.NorlanderT. (in press). Psychotherapeutic treatment in combination with relaxation in flotation tank: Effects on “burn-out-syndrome.”The Qualitative Report.
7.
AronE. N.AronA. (1997). Sensory-processing sensitivity and its relation to introversion and emotionality. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 73, 345–368.
8.
AronE. N. (1996). The highly sensitive person. New York: Broadway.
9.
JawerM. (2005). Environmental sensitivity: A neurobiological phenomenon?Seminars in Integrative Medicin, 3, 104–109.
10.
NealJ. A.EdelmannR. J.GlachanM. (2002). Behavioural inhibition and symptoms of anxiety and depression: Is there a specific relationship with social phobia?British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 41, 361–374.
11.
AronE. N.AronA.DaviesK. M. (2005). Adult shyness: the interaction of temperamental sensitivity and an adverse childhood environment. Personality and Social Psychology, 31, 181–197.
12.
HofmannS. G.BitranS. (2008). Sensory-Processing sensitivity in social anxiety disorder: Relationship to harm avoidance and diagnostic subtypes. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 21, 944–954.
13.
BenhamG. (2006). The highly sensitive person: Stress and physical symptom reports. Personality and Individual Differences, 40, 1433–1440.
14.
HerrmannC. (1997). International experiences with hospital anxiety and depression scale: A review of validation data and clinical results. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 42, 17–41.
15.
ScheierM. F.CarverC. S. (1985). Optimism, Coping and Health: Assessment and Implications of Generalized Outcome Expectancies. Health Psychology, 4, 219–247.
16.
DittrichA. (1998). The standardized psychometric assessment of altered states of consciousness (ASCs) in humans. Pharmacopsychiatry, 31, 80–84.
17.
KjellgrenA.SundequistU.NorlanderT.ArcherT. (2001). Effects of flotation-REST on muscle tension pain. Pain Research & Management, 6, 181–189.
18.
HoodR. W. (1975). The construction and preliminary validation of a measure of reported mystical experiences. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 14, 29–41.
19.
HoodR. W.GhorbaniN.GhramalekiA. D.BingM. N.DavisonH. K.MorrisR. J. (2001). Dimensions of the Mysticism scale: Confirming the three-factor structures in the United States and Iran. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 40, 691–705.
20.
CohenS.KamarckT.MermelsteinR. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 4, 385–396.
21.
JawerM. (2006). Environmental sensitivity: Inquiry into a possible link with apparitional experience. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 70, 25–47.
22.
TartC. T. (2000). States of consciousness. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse.
23.
EliadeM. (1972). Shamanism: Archaic techniques of ecstasy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
24.
LukoffD.TurnerR.LuF. (1992). Transpersonal psychology research review: Psychoreligious dimensions of healing. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 24, 41–60.
25.
HofmanS. G.BitranS. (2007). Sensory-processing sensitivity in social anxiety disorder: Relationship to harm avoidance and diagnostic subtypes. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 21, 944–954.
26.
LissM.TimmelL.BaxleyK.KillingsworthP. (2005). Sensory processing sensitivity and its relation to parental bonding, anxiety, and depression. Personality and Individual Differences, 39, 1429–1439.
