Does Psychological Flexibility Correlate with Mystical Experiences: A Machine Learning Approach Including State of Surrender, Near-Death Experiences, and Psilocybin Consumption.

Mystical experiences—marked by a sense of interconnectedness and transcendence—are linked to lasting positive changes in thoughts, emotions, and behavior. In a sample of 150 adults recruited online, researchers used a machine-learning technique (elastic net regression) to examine how four facets of psychological flexibility (experiential acceptance, present-moment awareness, cognitive defusion, and self-as-context) relate to self-reported mystical experiences, while also accounting for state of surrender, frequency of psychedelic use, and near-death experiences. State of Surrender, experiential acceptance, cognitive defusion, and present-moment awareness were the strongest predictors. The findings suggest that surrender-related processes and psychological flexibility play a key role in predicting mystical experiences.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Mystical experiences are characterized by a profound sense of interconnectedness and transcendence of ordinary reality. These experiences can facilitate feelings of connectedness with oneself and others and have been documented as leading to significant positive changes in thoughts, emotions, and behavior. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the extent to which the four mindfulness facets of psychological flexibility (i.e., experiential acceptance, present-moment awareness, cognitive defusion, and self-as-context) were associated with self-reported mystical experiences while controlling for established covariates. Using a sample of 150 individuals recruited online, a regularized regression with an elastic net-a computationally efficient machine learning algorithm-was used to model the relationships among mystical experiences, State of Surrender, frequency of psychedelic use, near-death experiences, and facets of psychological flexibility. State of Surrender, experiential acceptance, cognitive defusion, and present-moment awareness emerged as the most robust predictors of mystical experiences. Collectively, these findings underscore the role of psychological processes, including surrender-related processes and facets of psychological flexibility, in predicting mystical experiences.