神秘傾向、神秘經驗以及密契主義：心理學觀點

Abstract

自從二十世紀初威廉．詹姆士開創性的研究之後，心理學學者便已對密契主義研究有著濃厚的興趣，結果在宗教心理學的領域中，密契主義成為宗教經驗中最被充分及全面地討論。本論文針對三個部份進行討論。首先，本論文回顧國際間有關神秘傾向、神秘經驗以及密契主義三子題的研究文獻，將重點放在1) Stace的概念建構以及Hood所提出的密契主義量表（Hood Mysticism Scale）操作；2) Happold的概念建構以及Francis-Louden主張的密契主義量表（Francis-Louden Mystical Orientation Scale）操作。第二，本論文引用「台灣地區宗教經驗之比較研究」（A Comparative Study of Religious Experience in Taiwan）調查結果的新數據，建構「台灣宗教經驗索引」（Index of Mystical Experience in Taiwan）（IMET）。第三，本論文根據這個新索引檢驗神秘經驗與個體之間，因性別、年齡、教育、宗教認同和宗教信仰之差異而產生何種關係。

Since the pioneering work of William James at the dawn of the twentieth century, psychologists have been interested in the study of mysticism, with the consequence that mysticism is now the aspect of religious experience most adequately and most comprehensively discussed within the psychology of religion. The aims of this paper are threefold. First, attention is given to the detailed international research literature on the psychology of the three constructs identified as mystical orientation, mystical experience, and mysticism. Emphasis is placed 1) on the conceptualisation of Stace and the operationalisation afforded by the Hood Mysticism Scale, and 2) on the conceptualisation of Happold and the operationalisation afforded by the Francis-Louden Mystical Orientation Scale. Second, the new data concerning mysticism from the ＂A Comparative Study of Religious Experience in Taiwan＂ survey are employed to construct the Index of Mystical Experience in Taiwan (IMET). Third, this new instrument is employed to examine the connections between mystical experience and individual differences of sex, age, education, religious identity and religious belief.