Dear Friend of the TM Community, I am writing to ask for your assistance. My colleagues and I at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine are conducting a fascinating anonymous, internet-based survey study to characterize experiences that some people have of Higher States of Consciousness — something that someone from a different spiritual tradition might all a personal encounter with The Divine. The study will permit a better understanding about the phenomenology, interpretation, and enduring effects of such encounters. Our hope is that, ultimately, we will receive thousands of responses to the survey so that we can better understand such experiences and how they may differ across faith traditions and occasioning events (e.g. prayer, meditation, spontaneously-occurring, nature experiences, drug-occasioned etc.).
Although the survey takes 30+ minutes to complete (depending on the time taken on optional open-ended questions), we have received many spontaneous positive comments from survey respondents who have said that answering the survey questions prompted them to deepen their appreciation for these uplifting and meaningful experiences. REASONS TO TAKE THE SURVEY: 1. The survey is an opportunity to revisit an uplifting and personally meaningful experience. 2. Because the survey questions prompt deep reflection on a seminal transcendent experience, completing the survey may provide a fascinating topic of discussion among people interested in meditation, spirituality or religion. 3. By telling their story, individuals will be making an important contribution to science. We would sincerely appreciate it if you would consider taking the survey and letting others know about it. The survey link is here: Survey -- Higher States of Consciousness <http://www.encounteringthedivine.org/> Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., Principal Investigator Contact information: rgr...@jhmi.edu Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine IRB approved application NA_00054696
