Indicators of Proneness to Schizotypy among Believers in the Paranormal: Examining the Intensity of Imagery, Schizotypy, and Hallucinatory Experiences

• Main Author: Parra, Alejandro
• Publication Date: 2010
• Format: Article
• Language: por
• Source: Psicologia (Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. Online)
• Download full: http://editorarevistas.mackenzie.br/index.php/ptp/article/view/2881
• topic: hallucination experience; imagery; schizotipy; fantasy; paranormal; experiencia alucinatoria; imaginería; esquizotipia; fantasía; paranormal; experiência alucinatória; imagens; esquizotipia; fantasia; paranormal

Some studies suggest that a strong belief in the paranormal predisposes one to having a variety of paranormal experiences, or even to an equal or larger extent interpret anomalous perceptual experiences as such. Proneness to shizotypy is another factor that underlies the control and preservation of these beliefs. This study examined possible differences between ”hallucinators” and ”non‑hallucinators”, from a sample of believers in the paranormal, in terms of the intensity of auditory, visual and tactile imagery, as well as three factors of proneness to schizotypy. A sample of 158 believers in the paranormal was examined, including 110 women (69.6%) and 48 men (30.4%), age range 19 to 75 years (m = 46.83, Sd = 11.92). A second sample included 158 psychology students, 69% women and 30% men (age m = 46.83), from the Open interamerican University. Both groups completed Betts’ Vivid imagery Scale, Barrett’s hallucinations questionnaire, and the Schizotypical Personality questionnaire. The results revealed greater intensity of visual, auditory and táctiles imagery by hallucinators as compared to non‑hallucinators among believers in the paranormal, but no greater proneness to hallucinate. However, the visual, auditory and tactile hallucinators scored higher than non‑hallucinators on the cognitive‑perceptual factor, which also appeared as the best discriminator of visual, auditory and tactile hallucinatory modalities in the student sample. A possible conclusion is that believers in the paranormal are psychologically integrated individuals; nevertheless the term ”hallucination” should be abandoned.