Revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ-30)

Introduction
Mystical experiences, characterized by profound feelings of unity, transcendence, and altered states of consciousness, have long been subjects of interest in both religious studies and psychology. These experiences can significantly impact individuals' worldviews and life perspectives, often associated with lasting changes in attitudes, behaviors, and personal well-being. Given the complexity and subjective nature of these experiences, quantifying them presents a considerable challenge.

The Revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ-30) was developed to address this need by providing a systematic and empirical method of assessment. The MEQ-30, an adaptation of earlier versions of the questionnaire, focuses on the core components of mystical experiences as identified in psychological literature. It assesses these experiences across four primary dimensions: mystical, positive mood, transcendence of time and space, and ineffability.

The questionnaire is comprised of 30 items which respondents rate based on their most intense mystical experience, regardless of the context in which it occurred—be it spontaneous, induced by meditation, or facilitated by psychedelic substances. Each item aims to capture the essence and intensity of these dimensions, asking participants to reflect on their experiences of unity with the ultimate reality, feelings of ecstasy and peace, perceptions of timelessness, and the indescribable nature of their experience.

Widely utilized in clinical research, particularly in studies exploring the therapeutic applications of psychedelic drugs, the MEQ-30 has proven valuable. It helps quantify changes in consciousness that can lead to significant psychological shifts and improvements in mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The validation of the MEQ-30 through empirical studies underscores its reliability and the relevance of mystical experiences in psychological research and practice.

The Revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire serves as a critical tool in the scientific study of mystical experiences. It allows researchers and clinicians to quantitatively assess these profound phenomena and better understand their potential therapeutic benefits. As interest in the psychological implications of mystical experiences grows, instruments like the MEQ-30 are indispensable for advancing our knowledge and application of these extraordinary states of consciousness.

Instructions
Looking back on the entirety of your psilocybin session, please rate the degree to which at any time during that session you experienced the following phenomena. Answer each question according to your feelings, thoughts, and experiences at the time of the psilocybin session. In making each of your ratings, use the following scale:

  • 0 — none (not at all)
  • 1 — so slight cannot decide
  • 2 — slight
  • 3 — moderate
  • 4 — strong (equivalent in degree to any other strong experience)
  • 5 — extreme (more than any other time in my life and stronger than 4)
  none; not at all so slight cannot decide slight moderate strong extreme
1. Freedom from the limitations of your personal self and feeling a unity or bond with what was felt to be greater than your personal self.
2. Experience of pure being and pure awareness (beyond the world of sense impressions).
3. Experience of oneness in relation to an “inner world” within.
4. Experience of the fusion of your personal self into a larger whole.
5. Experience of unity with ultimate reality.
6. Feeling that you experienced eternity or infinity.
7. Experience of oneness or unity with objects and/or persons perceived in your surroundings.
8. Experience of the insight that “all is One.”
9. Awareness of the life or living presence in all things.
10. Gain of insightful knowledge experienced at an intuitive level.
11. Certainty of encounter with ultimate reality (in the sense of being able to “know” and “see” what is really real at some point during your experience.
12. You are convinced now, as you look back on your experience, that in it you encountered ultimate reality (i.e., that you “knew” and “saw” what was really real).
13. Sense of being at a spiritual height.
14. Sense of reverence.
15. Feeling that you experienced something profoundly sacred and holy.
16. Experience of amazement.
17. Feelings of tenderness and gentleness.
18. Feelings of peace and tranquility.
19. Experience of ecstasy.
20. Sense of awe or awesomeness.
21. Feelings of joy.
22. Loss of your usual sense of time.
23. Loss of your usual sense of space.
24. Loss of usual awareness of where you were.
25. Sense of being “outside of” time, beyond past and future.
26. Being in a realm with no space boundaries.
27. Experience of timelessness.
28. Sense that the experience cannot be described adequately in words.
29. Feeling that you could not do justice to your experience by describing it in words.
30. Feeling that it would be difficult to communicate your own experience to others who have not had similar experiences.
Sources
  1. Maclean KA. Factor Analysis of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire: A Study of Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin. J Sci Study Relig (4):721-737 ().