Losing Oneself: Persistent Nonduality, Depersonalization, Dissociation, Mental Health, and Memory

Abstract

Nonduality, defined as the persistent sense that one is not a separate self, is sought by certain meditation groups or spiritual traditions as the epitome of well-being. However, the impact of the experience of nonduality on important psychological constructs, such as depersonalization, dissociation, mental health, and memory, has been unclear. The present study was designed to fill this important gap in the literature. Nondual seekers from four meditation and spiritual communities (N = 311) completed survey items regarding their nonduality status as well as assessments of depersonalization, dissociation, mental health, memory, and nondual embodiment. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to account for age, sex, education level, and years of seeking. Claimants of nonduality scored significantly higher than non-claimants in tests of depersonalization, dissociation, and nondual embodiment but not in mental health or memory. Further, significantly more claimants scored higher than screening thresholds in depersonalization and dissociation but not in mental health. Similar results were obtained for seekers who claimed spiritual awakening. These findings have important implications towards fostering mental health in seekers of nonduality and spiritual awakening.