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Contacting the dead and national character
1Psychology Program, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Pomona 08240-0195, USA.
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|January 12, 2001
Summary
People in European countries with higher national neuroticism scores reported more contact with the dead. This suggests a link between psychological traits and paranormal experiences across cultures.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Cultural Studies
Background:
- Understanding the prevalence and correlates of paranormal beliefs and experiences is crucial in cross-cultural psychology.
- Previous research has explored individual psychological factors associated with paranormal experiences, but national-level associations are less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between national estimates of neuroticism and the reported frequency of contact with the dead in 11 European nations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized survey data from 11 European countries.
- Employed Lynn and Hampson's measure for national estimates of neuroticism.
- Analyzed the correlation between national neuroticism scores and the proportion of residents reporting contact with the dead.
Main Results:
- A significant positive association was found between national estimates of neuroticism and the proportion of residents reporting experiences of contact with the dead.
- Higher national levels of neuroticism corresponded to a greater likelihood of individuals reporting paranormal encounters.
Conclusions:
- National personality traits, specifically neuroticism, may be a significant correlate of paranormal experiences at a population level.
- These findings suggest that cultural or national psychological characteristics could influence the reporting of supernatural or unusual experiences.