Religiosity and Anomalous Experiences among College Students

Author: Becker C
Affiliation: Department of Integrated Human Sciences, Kyoto University (Kyoto, Japan)
Conference/Journal: J Intl Soc Life Info Science
Date published: 2002
Other: Volume ID: 20 , Issue ID: 2 , Pages: 526-531 , Word Count: 83


Western definitions of religion frequently fail to acknowledge ways in which non-Western people have profoundly religious sensibilities. This study examines the experiences of Japanese college students to suggest (1) aspects of Japanese religiosity, and (2) a more holistic perspective on religious experience. Students were asked to report their anomalous experiences; this data is compared to that of students from other cultures. This study concludes that Japanese people have a broad range of anomalous experiences that might well be considered religious experiences in a different culture.