Index of Core Spiritual Experiences – INSPIRIT
Measures the occurrence of core spiritual experiences characterized by a conviction of God's existence and a feeling of closeness to God.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Index of Core Spiritual Experiences – INSPIRIT was developed by Jared D. Kass, Roy Friedman, Jane Leserman, Patricia Zuttermeister, & Herbert Benson (1991). It is designed to measure Core Spiritual Experiences. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 7 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Conviction of God’s Existence, Closeness to God.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Conviction of God's Existence | 3,5,7 | 3 |
| Closeness to God | 1,2,4,6 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all / Never / Definitely disagree / Never had this experience, 2 = Not very / Once or twice / Tend to disagree / Had experience, did not strengthen belief, 3 = Somewhat / Several times / Tend to agree / Had experience, strengthened belief, 4 = Strongly / Often / Definitely agree / Had experience, convinced me of God's existence.
Scoring
Item scores are averaged to produce a mean score.
Total scores range from 1 to 4. Interpretation guidelines:
- Weak to moderate indication of core spiritual experiences: 1 – 3
- Strong indication of the occurrence of at least one core spiritual experience: 3 – 4
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.90.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.