Transliminality: Its nature and correlates

Author(s): Bartemucci, L., Delin, P. S., Fox, B., Nofi, O.

Journal/Book: J Amer Soc Psychical Res. 1997; 91: 5 West 73RD Street, New York, NY 10023. Amer Soc Psychical Res Inc. 305-331.

Abstract: In a previous study of the correlates of belief in paranormal phenomena it was found that there was a common factor underlying paranormal belief, magical ideation, manic-like experience, depressive experience, creative personality, and mystical experience. This factor was there named transliminality (from trans, ''across,'' and limen, ''threshold''). In the present series of investigations it was found that a single factor again emerged, if depressive experience was omitted. It was also found that persons scoring high on this refined version of transliminality were higher on schizotypal personality, more ''psychotic,'' more extraverted, more neurotic, more fantasy-prone, and they scored higher on absorption, hyperaesthesia, and depressive experience. Furthermore, there is evidence that schizotypal personality, fantasy-proneness, absorption, and hyperaesthesia are actually core constituents of transliminality. No relationship was found between transliminality and social desirability responding, intelligence, or, contrary to expectation, with repression-sensitization or creativity. Transliminality was redefined as ''susceptibility to, and awareness of, large volumes of imagery, ideation and affect-these phenomena being generated by subliminal, supraliminal and/or external input.'' The implications for parapsychology were noted.

Note: Article Thalbourne MA, Univ Adelaide, Dept Psychol, Adelaide, SA 5005, AUSTRALIA

Keyword(s): FANTASY PRONENESS; PSYCHOPATHOLOGY; PERSONALITY; SCHIZOTYPY; BELIEF; CONSCIOUSNESS; EXPERIENCES; ABSORPTION; HYPNOSIS; SCALES

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