https://youtu.be/uLkBv_W1AmA
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
From what I have gathered Dr David Lukoff has a keen interest in Transpersonal Psychology with Abraham Maslow being one of the pioneers of this branch of psychology. Dr Lukoff had an interesting experience in his youth and when he studied psychiatry he wrote some interesting papers that led to the introduction of a new category in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual for Mental Illnesses called the Religious and Spiritual Problem in 1994. One of his papers is entitled "The Diagnosis of Mystical Experience with Psychotic Features". An interesting challenge is to distinguish between a spiritual or mystical experience and a psychotic experience. In one article by Sandra Stahlman on Schizophrenia, reference is made regarding certain mystical experience questionnaires through which certain statistical data had been gathered for research and Dr Lukoff was involved in this.
Some of the things I have mentioned are also referred to in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PXbuiYpGWQ&feature=youtu.be .
You may feel free to comment and share your views with me in these regards.
Thanks.
"Questionnaires and scales can yield a wealth of information if administered in a precise manner. Hood and Morris (1981) created the Mystical Experience Questionnaire. It was a culmination of “the major component criteria common in empirical studies of mysticism” (p.77). The questionnaire items were derived from the “research of Brown, Spilka, and Cassidy (1978), Greeley (1974), and Hood (1975)” (p.77). Examining these sources, I found that they all were in turn, based upon the research of Stace. In 1960, Stace created categories to distinguish the “core” mystical experience. First Stace differentiates between “introvertive” and “extrovertive” mystical experience, the extrovertive being “on a lower level than the introvertive type…a partly realized tendency to unity which the introvertive kind completely realizes” (Stace,1960,p.132). Next, examining the reports of mystics, he generates two lists of common “core” characteristics, one for each type – introvertive or extrovertive. Characteristics include: unity, noesis, disregard of logic, bliss, sacredness, paradox, and ineffability. The Hood and Morris 1981 questionnaire is based largely upon Stace’s conceptualizations.
Michael Siglag administered the Hood and Morris questionnaire to seventy-five schizophrenic adult inpatients. He describes the research in “Schizophrenic and Mystical Experiences: Similarities and Differences” (Siglag, 1987). Participants were chosen from a cross-section of socioeconomic status, ethnic groups and religious orientations (p.2). Among their initial hypothesis was a prediction that one-third of the questioned schizophrenics would respond positively to having had a mystical experience; in addition, those who respond positively will score equal to or greater than “schizophrenic subjects who do not claim mystical experience, on the questionnaire’s factors measure experience of unity, affect, time/space distortion, and noesis."
https://runningfather.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/the-relationship-between-schizophrenia-mysticism-a-bibliographic-essay-by-sandra-stahlman/
"Commentary on David Lukoff's "The Diagnosis of Mystical Experience With Psychotic Features"
~Sandra Stahlman
In the article "The Diagnosis of Mystical Experience with Psychotic Features," (1985) David Lukoff criticizes the DSM-III-R, a diagnostic system used nationwide by psychiatrists. Specifically, he proposes a change in the classification of psychotic episodes; he has designed - within the system's guidelines - a new diagnostic category. MEPF for short, a Mystical Experience With Psychotic Features would be a distinct category within the DSM-III-R. Lukoff argues that the current version of the DSM does not distinguish psychotic episodes which have a positive outcome. Lukoff explains that these episodes are brief, come on quickly, and often result in "improvements in the individual's functioning" (p.157); Lukoff believes they should be categorized and treated differently from psychotic episodes which "indicate a mental disorder" (p.157).
Lukoff proceeds under the assumption that there are mystical experiences, psychotic episodes, mystical experiences with psychotic features and psychotic disorders with mystical features. He briefly defines all his terms, noting that what will be necessary is the ability to discriminate the two. Lukoff explains that the MEPF would describe "the presence of the psychotic state during an essentially religious experience" (p.166). Three criteria for the MEPF are: overlap with mystical experience, positive outcome likely, and low-risk - an "exclusionary criterion" to be implemented "only if the danger seems immediate and severe" (p.171). Five categories define the overlap with mystical experience: ecstatic mood, sense of newly-gained knowledge, perceptual alterations, delusions (if present) have themes related to mythology, and finally, no conceptual disorganization is apparent. In addition, two of the following must be present to fulfill the positive outcome likely criteria: good pre-episode functioning, acute onset of symptoms during 3 months or less, stressful precipitants to the episode, and a positive attitude towards the experience. If these criteria are met, MEPF would be the diagnostic category to use. It would be assumed that the experience will be relatively brief, and beneficial (assist growth). The treatment would differ from the other psychoses, where persistent conceptual disorganization and successful reintegration into society is unlikely.
Lukoff presents an example case study. In addition, he supplies references to scales and tests which may be used to make a diagnosis of MEPF. For example, he suggests a scale and interview created by N. Andreasen (1979) which can help determine if conceptual disorganization is present; because, Lukoff notes, that bizarre speech does not always indicate disorganization. Also included is an excellent bibliography on the topic at hand.
bibliography
Andreasen, N. (1979) The clinical assessment of thought, language, and conceptual disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 36, 1325-1330.
Lukoff, David (1985) The Diagnosis of Mystical Experience With Psychotic Features. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 17, 155-181.
for an update, read Dr. Lukoff's article:
From Spiritual Emergency to Spiritual Problem: The Transpersonal Roots of the New DSM-IV Category"
https://www.peakstates.pl/duchowe/biblioteka13.html#A6
Sunday, November 28, 2021
Religion, Psychology and Health
Health Research Project
We are presently conducting research on certain aspects of Religion and Health. It has been suggested that we gather as much materials as possible on Psychosis and Mysticism and that we also take into account psychiatric, sociological, philosophical as well as psychological elements in this research. We would like to write a paper following international professional guidelines and take all precautions in referencing etc.
More details are being posted here:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/7zHRoFMphGJ67qapBITvmy
Anyone interested may join to be kept updated.
Peace and blessings.
"... there are also secular prophets of scientific progress who do not, of course, receive revelation in the form of actual words but do, in fact, receive sudden insights from God and then spread their new knowledge around the world. Edison used to say that he would, at times, just be sitting around and then suddenly, the idea for a new invention would strike him like lightning. Since such prophets are prophets of science, the revelations that flash into their minds are purely of a scientific or technological nature. An idea is placed in their mind and they make new discoveries every day and bring hidden knowledge out into the open and astound the world with their amazing inventions."
Read more:
https://www.reviewofreligions.org/33663/four-spiritual-and-secular-ranks/