SCORING THICK AND SCORING THIN: The Boundaries of Psychic Claimants

Abstract

The research participants in this study were 34 volunteer psychic claimants who were administered the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), the Boundary Questionnaire (BQ), and a supplemental data sheet. Our research question was, "For psychic claimants, is there a significant correlation between DES and BQ scores?" The mean score for this group on the BQ indicated "very thin boundaries," a trait that the past literature has linked with psychic experiences. Their mean score on the DES was within normal limits, and a significant relationship was found between the two measures. Thinness of boundaries was positively correlated with a strong tendency to dissociate. Those claimants who identified themselves as "channelers" demonstrated significant correlations between both measures and tooth grinding, as well as between the BQ and their frequency of nightmares. In terms of Wickramasekera's "high risk" model, this group might be more prone to somatization than those with other self-descriptions.