Citation

Ritual healing theory proposes that the evolution of beliefs in paranormal and spiritual phenomena was the result of selection for genes related to the trait of hypnotizability, as hypnotizable individuals were more likely to benefit from shamanic healing rituals. Hypnotizability is one component of a superordinate trait dimension, transliminality, which also includes positive schizotypy, paranormal beliefs, creativity, fantasy-proneness, absorption, and sleep-related anomalous experiences. Measures of each of these traits are highly correlated with each of the others, and factor analyses reveal a single underlying dimension. A revision of ritual healing theory is proposed in which hypnotizability is replaced by the broader construct of transliminality as the critical mediating factor.