Absorption (Psychology)

Definitions[]

Absorption: A personality trait in which one becomes absorbed in their mental imagery; when objects of focused attention gain importance, intimacy, and a self-like quality. This focused attention can cause one to enter an altered state of consciousness. People with this trait have heightened hypnostability. Research has shown that people with high-absorption rates incorporate into their senses subtly imagined events.
Hypnostability: How easily someone can be hypnotized.
Altered State of Consciousness: Any mental state that deviates from normal waking consciousness. It is also called a altered state of awareness.
Cross-Modal Processing: Interactions between multiple sensory modalities. Ex. Smelling sound, tasting sight, or touching scents.

Absorption allows for surreal vivid experiences in which one can become immersed in an experience in which something they intensely focus on whether it be a work of art or a bowl of corn flakes becomes important, intimate, and mystical.

Openness to absorbing and self-altering experiences ("absorption"), a trait related to hypnotic susceptibility. Journal of Abnormal Psychology

Absorption: Nature, assessment, and correlates. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

The role of absorption in experiential involvement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology