Abstract

MARTINS, Leonardo Breno. Typically contemporary anomalous experiences and psychology: a literature review. Bol. - Acad. Paul. Psicol. [online]. 2016, vol.36, n.91, pp. 310-328. ISSN 1415-711X.

This article conducts a literature review in psychology and social sciences on typically contemporary anomalous experiences. Anomalous experiences can be defined as irregular or unusual subjective experiences that, despite being experienced by many people, are controversial in their culture of origin and do not have mandatory relationship with pathology or abnormality. Some examples most studied by psychology are "mediumship" and "spiritual" healing. The literature points out as the most important category of typically contemporary anomalous experience the alleged contacts with "aliens". This literature review covers issues such as psychological profiles and mental health of the protagonists, psychosocial dynamics in groups and other contexts marked by these experiences, their religious and spiritual dimensions, among others. The inclusion of studies in the social sciences is due, on the one hand, the relative rarity of psychological studies about the matter and, on the other, the articulations that can be built with psychology, especially social psychology. It was concluded that the study of typically contemporary anomalous experiences provides several contributions to construction of knowledge in psychology and related sciences, as well as indicates various explanatory gaps about the topic and broader psychological phenomena

Keywords : Anomalous experiences; psychology; religion; spirituality; UFO.

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