Unexplainable Moments Are More Common—and Often Beneficial—Than We Thought
TL;DR Summary
A Brazilian survey of over 5,000 adults finds that nonordinary experiences (hearing voices, sensing a presence, awe) are surprisingly common and often linked to positive long-term effects; about 20% report immediate distress, 25% some suffering, but roughly 51% say the experience improved them in the long run. The study used the Inventory of Nonordinary Experiences to separate raw experiences from spiritual/clinical labels, highlighting that culture shapes interpretation. Most participants were awake, sober, and not under substances. Limitations include single-event reporting and Brazil-only sampling; the findings are published in PLOS One.
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