REVIEW: "Spirituality and Adult Development"

Greeley's (1975) measure of mystical experience-conceived as having either 2 or 4 levels-was presented to 227 psychology undergraduates along with Bradburn's (1969) 3 Affect Scales, the Magical Ideation Scale, the Manic-Depressiveness Scale, and an independently constructed 22-item Rasch Mystical Experience Scale (MES). These students reported significantly more mystical experience than did Greeley's sample. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient between the MES and the 2-level measure was .18 (p = .014), and with the 4-level measure it was = .54 (p < .001). The 2-level measure failed to replicate Greeley's finding of a relationship with Balance Affect (i.e., happiness). Though small, the correlations between both the 4-level Greeley measure and the MES with Balance Affect and Positive Affect were positive and significant. At the same time, the 4-level Greeley measure correlated moderately with the Magical Ideation Scale (both paranormal and nonparapsychological subscales). The MES correlated moderately and somewhat higher with these same variables. The results, apparently contradictory, were reconciled in part by considering the concept of the happy schizotype and of positive outcomes of mental illness.