Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin

Oct 8, 2015Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)

Testing the updated questionnaire on mystical experiences during psilocybin sessions

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Abstract

Data from 184 participants receiving controlled doses of psilocybin validate the 30-item revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30).

Confirmatory factor analysis shows the MEQ30 has reliable and valid measurement properties.
Structural equation models indicate that MEQ30 scores predict lasting changes in attitudes, behavior, and well-being related to psilocybin experiences.
The MEQ30 is associated with measuring the quality of mystical experiences effectively.
A scoring method for identifying a 'complete mystical experience' is validated within the MEQ30.
A stand-alone version of the MEQ30 is available for future research applications.

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The 30-item revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30) was previously developed within an online survey of mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin-containing mushrooms. The rated experiences occurred on average eight years before completion of the questionnaire. The current paper validates the MEQ30 using data from experimental studies with controlled doses of psilocybin. Data were pooled and analyzed from five laboratory experiments in which participants (n=184) received a moderate to high oral dose of psilocybin (at least 20 mg/70 kg). Results of confirmatory factor analysis demonstrate the reliability and internal validity of the MEQ30. Structural equation models demonstrate the external and convergent validity of the MEQ30 by showing that latent variable scores on the MEQ30 positively predict persisting change in attitudes, behavior, and well-being attributed to experiences with psilocybin while controlling for the contribution of the participant-rated intensity of drug effects. These findings support the use of the MEQ30 as an efficient measure of individual mystical experiences. A method to score a "complete mystical experience" that was used in previous versions of the mystical experience questionnaire is validated in the MEQ30, and a stand-alone version of the MEQ30 is provided for use in future research.

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Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin

Abstract

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