Mystical Experiences Without Psychedelics and How Integration Improves Well-Being in Adults

Mystical Experiences Without Psychedelics: The Nature of Peak Spiritual Experiences and How Integration Leads to Human Flourishing

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a guided, non-drug spiritual intervention can facilitate mystical-type experiences and improve well-being in Christian adults.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does the guided spiritual intervention produce measurable mystical experiences?
• Does participation in the intervention and assigned integration program lead to improvements in well-being over time?

Researchers will compare a Christian-based integration program to a structured control integration program to determine whether Christian-based integration leads to greater improvements in well-being.

Participants will:

• Complete baseline questionnaires assessing spiritual experiences, religiosity, and well-being
• Complete one in-person session of the "guided invocation for mystical experience"
• Be randomly assigned to complete either a Christian-based or control integration program for 4 weeks
• Complete follow-up assessments at 1 month and 2 months

Mystical-type experiences involve acute alterations in consciousness characterized by features such as perceived unity, transcendence of time and space, positive affect, and a sense of encountering ultimate reality. These experiences have been associated with sustained changes in psychological well-being and meaning-making. Most contemporary empirical research has examined such experiences in the context of psychedelic substances; however, non-pharmacological methods for facilitating these experiences remain understudied despite historical precedent and preliminary evidence of feasibility.

This study evaluates a standardized, non-drug intervention, the Guided Invocation for Mystical Experience (GIME), designed to facilitate mystical-type experiences through induction of a non-ordinary state of consciousness. The intervention integrates controlled breathing techniques, guided imagery, and structured verbal suggestion. These components are intended to increase attentional absorption, reduce external sensory input, and promote alterations in perception and self-referential processing consistent with prior models of altered states of consciousness.

The intervention is informed by a conceptual framework in which the occurrence of mystical-type experiences is influenced by three primary factors: (1) induction of a non-ordinary state of consciousness, (2) contextual variables (e.g., environmental setting, expectancy), and (3) structured evocative instructions ("invitation"). The protocol standardizes these elements to enhance reproducibility and reduce variability across participants.

The GIME session is administered in person by a trained practitioner using a manualized procedure. The session includes (1) preparatory instructions and rapport establishment, (2) a structured breathing protocol designed to facilitate physiological and attentional changes, (3) guided imagery and verbal suggestions targeting core dimensions of mystical-type experiences (e.g., unity, sacredness, positive affect), and (4) a brief period of unstructured experiential processing followed by re-alerting procedures. The intervention is designed to be completed within a single session.

Following the intervention, participants are randomized to one of two post-session integration conditions. Integration is conceptualized as an active cognitive and behavioral process through which individuals interpret and incorporate the experience into their existing belief systems and daily functioning. The experimental condition consists of a structured, Christian-oriented integration program including psychoeducational materials, guided reflection exercises, brief recorded audio sessions, and weekly phone calls from the interventionist. The control condition consists of a structurally equivalent program matched for duration, attention, and task engagement but without religious or spiritual content. This comparison allows for evaluation of the specific effects of faith-based integration practices.

The study also examines potential moderating variables influencing both the occurrence and intensity of mystical-type experiences, including baseline religiosity, spirituality, and trait-level factors associated with absorption and responsiveness to altered states of consciousness. These variables are hypothesized to predict variability in experiential outcomes and downstream effects.

This trial is designed to (1) evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a manualized, non-pharmacological intervention for facilitating mystical-type experiences, (2) characterize the phenomenology of these experiences in a religious sample, and (3) assess the extent to which structured integration practices influence the durability of changes in well-being over time.

Inclusion Criteria:

• age 18 years or older;
• active Christian faith;
• willing to experience hypnosis;
• English-speaking; able to complete one in-person session and 1- and 2-month follow-up assessments.

Exclusion Criteria:

• prior psychedelic use;
• severe mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychosis, borderline personality disorder);
• unwillingness to experience hypnosis;
• inability to complete study procedures