There are striking similarities and intriguing connections between the tradition of gamelan music in Java and Javanese mystical traditions. A game-lan is an ensemble of gongs, metalophones, drums, bowed lute, xylophone, zither, bamboo flute, and singers. Gamelans of many different types exist in Java, Bali, and Lombok, as well as in Malaysia. Some include only a few gongs; others have up to fif...

Sensory experiences in Asperger syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism (HFA) were explored by qualitative content analysis of autobiographical texts by persons with AS/HFA. Predetermined categories of hyper- and hyposensitivity were applied to texts. Hypersensitivity consists of strong reactions and heightened apprehension in reaction to external stimuli, sometimes together with overfocused o...

Abstract

For those with true near-death experiences (NDEs), Greyson's (1983, 1990) NDE Scale satisfactorily fits the Rasch rating scale model, thus yielding a unidimensional measure with interval-level scaling properties. With increasing intensity, NDEs reflect peace, joy and harmony, followed by insight and mystical or religious experiences, while the most intense NDEs involve an awareness of things oc...