Cross-Cultural Research on Anomalous Experiences: Theoretical Issues and Methodological Challenges

Research has begun to unveil the cognitive and personality correlates of anomalous experiences (AEs). Unfortunately, cultural differences have received markedly less attention. Questions exist regarding whether the Western description of AEs, as possibly nonordinary or exceptional. is valid across cultures. Scant research on AEs has been conducted in non-English-speaking countries, and few systematic cross-cultural comparisons have been carried out. Our goal is to critically review the scientific literature on AEs in light of cross-cultural research. We outline theoretical issues arising from cultural and cross-cultural investigations of AEs and discuss methodological challenges and shortcomings, followed by specific suggestions to address them. To do so, we review extant findings on psychosocial and cultural aspects of AEs and existing gaps in knowledge about the cultural underpinnings of AEs. We begin by highlighting the cultural and group differences in the report of AEs and the difficulties in isolating the experience from interpretations of the experience. We (a) evaluate the cultural source and the experiential source hypotheses related to AEs based on multiple evidentiary sources ranging from prevalence studies to experimental investigations of these experiences across cultures, (b) outline the implications of cross-cultural research with respect to mental health issues, and (c) conclude with a research summary and proposals for future investigations.