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March 7, 2026Open Access

The Spiritually Vacant Offender: Examining Spiritual Vacuum as a Risk Factor for Criminal Behavior Through the Psychopossession Framework

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Quantitative study examines spiritual vacuum's role in criminal behavior, suggesting implications for rehabilitation.

The study investigates the role of spiritual vacuum as a risk factor for criminal behavior using psychopossession theory.
Conducted a quantitative, correlational study with N = 600 adult criminal offenders
Utilized various assessment protocols, including SPE-70 and a newly developed Spiritual Vacuum Forensic Coding Protocol
Analyzed data for correlations and predictive validity related to spiritual vacuum and criminal behavior
Significant positive correlation found between spiritual vacuum total scores and SPE-70 total scores (r = .40, p < .001)
Spiritual vacuum predicted SPE placement independent of demographic and criminal history factors (ΔR² = .187, p < .001)
Identified significant differences in vacuum profiles by offense type, with sexual offenders showing the highest scores

Laszlo Pokorny (2026) studied this question.

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