People Reporting Experiences of Mediumship Have Higher Dissociation Symptom Scores Than Non-Mediums, But Below Thresholds for Pathological Dissociation
📄 Original study ↗Plain English Summary
Are people who say they communicate with the dead mentally unwell? This study of over 3,000 people tackled that question. About 42% reported mediumship experiences, most starting in childhood, with over half having family members who shared similar experiences. Researchers measured dissociation -- feeling mentally detached from yourself, like daydreaming on steroids. Mediums scored higher than non-mediums, but both groups landed well below the clinical threshold for a disorder. So mediums are more prone to these detached states, but not pathologically so. That's a big deal for anyone told their experiences are just mental illness. The catch: participants came from a consciousness research organization rather than a random sample.
Research Notes
Largest mediumship-dissociation survey (N=3,023). Key finding: mediums score higher than non-mediums but below clinical cut-off — counters psychiatric pathologization of mediumship. Convenience sample (IONS members) limits generalizability. Part of Wahbeh's mediumship research program. Open peer review (2 approved, 1 not — Parker criticized sample bias and narrow dissociation conceptualization). Relevant to Controversy #6 (Mediumship) Con position on psychopathology.
Secondary analysis of survey data from 3,023 participants (mean age 51, 70% female, 85% Caucasian). Mediumship experiences endorsed by 42%; 81% began in childhood; 53% had family history. Mean DES-T dissociation scores: all participants 14.4, mediums 18.2±19.3, non-mediums 11.8±15.2 (t=-10.3, p<0.0005). Both groups below clinical cut-off (30) for pathological dissociation, though 22% of mediums vs. 11% of non-mediums exceeded threshold (χ²=63.0, p<0.0005). Mediumship claimants scored higher on all 8 DES-T items. Education and income significant covariates. Results support non-pathological model: mediums show elevated but sub-clinical dissociation.
Links
Related Papers
Companion
- A Mixed Methods Phenomenological and Exploratory Study of Channeling — Wahbeh, Helané (2018)
- Measuring Extraordinary Experiences and Beliefs: A Validation and Reliability Study — Wahbeh, Helané (2019)
- Intuitive Assessment of Mortality Based on Facial Characteristics: Behavioral, Electrocortical, and Machine Learning Analyses — Delorme, Arnaud (2018)
Same Research Program
- Exceptional Experiences Reported by Scientists and Engineers — Wahbeh, Helané (2018)
- Measuring Extraordinary Experiences and Beliefs: A Validation and Reliability Study — Wahbeh, Helané (2019)
- Future Directions in Meditation Research: Recommendations for Expanding the Field of Contemplative Science — Vieten, C (2018)
Also by these authors
Experimental Investigation of Precognition in Yoga Practitioners
Observer Influence on Quantum Interference: Testing the von Neumann-Wigner Consciousness-Collapse Theory
Who's Calling? Evaluating the Accuracy of Guessing Who Is on the Phone
More in Mediumship
Anomalous Information Reception by Research Mediums Under Blinded Conditions II: Replication and Extension
Electrocortical activity associated with subjective communication with the deceased
Neuroimaging during Trance State: A Contribution to the Study of Dissociation
Some Directions for Mediumship Research
Anomalous Information Reception by Research Mediums Demonstrated Using a Novel Triple-Blind Protocol
📋 Cite this paper
Wahbeh, Helané, Radin, Dean (2018). People Reporting Experiences of Mediumship Have Higher Dissociation Symptom Scores Than Non-Mediums, But Below Thresholds for Pathological Dissociation. F1000Research. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.12019.3
@article{wahbeh_2018_people,
title = {People Reporting Experiences of Mediumship Have Higher Dissociation Symptom Scores Than Non-Mediums, But Below Thresholds for Pathological Dissociation},
author = {Wahbeh, Helané and Radin, Dean},
year = {2018},
journal = {F1000Research},
doi = {10.12688/f1000research.12019.3},
}