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Background: The four-dimensional (‘4-D’) model has been proposed as a theoretical framework to understand and delineate trauma-related dissociative experiences, categorizing symptoms into trauma-related altered states of consciousness (TRASC) and normal waking consciousness (NWC), which occur along four dimensions: time, thought, body and emotion. Objective: The main aim of the present study was to evaluate the validity of this model in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with and without comorbid dissociative disorders. Method: The predictions of the 4-D model were tested in 142 patients with PTSD, with (N = 46) and without (N = 96) comorbid dissociative disorders. Results: As predicted by the 4-D model, experiences of TRASC were less frequent and more specifically related to other measures of dissociation, dissociative disorder comorbidity and a history of childhood sexual abuse compared to experiences of NWC. The predicted lower intercorrelation of TRASC was not supported. Conclusion: The 4-D model represents a promising framework for understanding dissociation across trauma-related disorders.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the results of all meta-analyses on anomalous cognition conducted between 1989 and 2021 in order to find moderators associated with greater effect sizes. Method: We included all meta-analyses of studies related to anomalous cognition published up to 2021. Results: Our dataset, accumulated over more than 80 years of investigation, refers to 11 meta-analyses related to six different states of consciousness. The evidence clearly shows that anomalous cognition seems possible and its effects can be enhanced by using a combination of some non-ordinary or altered states of consciousness (e.g., dreaming, ganzfeld, etc.), coupled with free-response procedures, or neurophysiological dependent variables. These conditions facilitate an alternative form of cognition seemingly unconstrained by the known biological characteristics of the sense organs and the brain. Conclusion: The accumulated evidence expands our understanding of the mind-brain relation and the nature of the human mind.

In this paper, we present a novel hypothesis as to what led humans in the Upper Paleolithic to penetrate and decorate deep, dark caves. Many of the depictions in these caves are located in halls or...

The article is devoted to the problem of studying and applying the phenomena of suggestion, auto-suggestion and altered states of consciousness in modern sports psychology. A brief excursion into the history of the use of altered states of consciousness in elite sports is given. The advantages, disadvantages, limitations and specificity of different methods using suggestion and auto-suggestion in the framework of psychological support for athletes of various sports are discussed. The article also raises questions about the methods of assessing the effectiveness of psychological and pedagogical interventions with athletes using hypnosis and self-hypnosis, as well as verification of suggestive influences at the psychophysiological level. Finally, the article discusses the ethical aspects of using altered states of consciousness in the framework of psychological support for athletes and the prospects for popularizing sports hypnosis.

[Image: see text] Classic psychedelics produce altered states of consciousness that individuals often interpret as meaningful experiences. Across a number of human studies, when the participant-rated intensity of the overall drug effects are statistically controlled for, certain subjective effects predict therapeutic and other desirable outcomes. Underlying neurobiological mechanisms are likely necessary but not sufficient to confer full and enduring beneficial effects. We propose that the subjective effects of psychedelics are necessary for their enduring beneficial effects and that these subjective effects account for the majority of their benefit.

This article considers the nexus that exists between drumming, dancing, and possession within the Pāndavalīlā, and draws on the work of Judith Becker (2004) to interpret the performance of possession as a theatre of transition. Most notably, while drumming effectively inspires possessed states, these are of different kinds and different orders. Performances like those of the Pāndavalīlā rely not only on altered states of consciousness in some form, but also on the performance of those altered states of being. Consequently, a broader focus on the transitional stages of possession as outlined through drumming admits a wider acknowledgement of the different forms and purposes of possession. Critically, drum patterns offer a metaphor for understanding the numerous levels of transition that operate within a Pāndavalīlā.

A Ganzfeld is a homogenized visual and auditory perceptual field which can induce altered states of consciousness (ASC; Metzger, 1929; Schmidt & Prein, 2019). Using a balanced intrasubject design, we compared participants' experience during two differently colored (red, green) 25-min Ganzfeld sessions with brown noise as acoustic stimulation. Participants were exposed to the colored visual field through commercially available goggles and to brown noise over headphones. We selected 67 participants with some prior meditation experience to increase the probability that they would engage meaningfully with this specifically restricted stimulus situation. We tested the functional components of the standard cognitive model of time perception (Zakay & Block, 1997) in a path analysis for direct (red vs. green light) and indirect effects (arousal, attention) on subjective duration and perceived passage of time. Subjective arousal and valence states were measured using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM). The amount of attention directed to time and the perceived passage of time were rated with standard visual analog scales (VAS). Participants also estimated the duration of each Ganzfeld exposure. The session with the red visual field lasted significantly longer than did the green session (μred = 23.1 min; μgreen = 19.8 min). After the green session, participants rated their arousal level to have significantly decreased; after the red session, individuals on average felt emotionally less positive. Multiple path analyses revealed that the effect of color on estimated duration is completely mediated through higher arousal levels during the red Ganzfeld session. In turn, the higher arousal level generates a longer subjective estimate of duration. For induction of relaxation in studies probing altered states of consciousness employing the Ganzfeld technique, we recommend using the green light.

A psychosomatic model of dissociation is proposed that addresses the ever adjusting mind-body relation—the constant titration of the quality and degree of the psyche’s embeddedness in the sensorial and temporal life of the body. The model highlights the function of hypnoid mechanisms (autohypnosis, distraction, somatic autostimulation) and of altered states of consciousness in facilitating and masking the work of mind-body dissociation. Transient altered states, which enable new and creative forms of mind-body experience in everyday life and in the therapy situation, are contrasted with pathological forms of retreat into alter worlds—rigidly organized, timeless, often inescapable trancelike states of mind-body dislocation. These pathological dissociative structures reshape the life of the mind and of the body, requiring new clinical approaches to these phenomena.

Ancient Greece was unique in its attitude to alteration of consciousness. Various altered states of consciousness were commonly known: initiates experienced them during mystery rites; sacred officials and enquirers attained them in the major oracular centres; possession by various deities was recognized; and some sages and philosophers practised manipulation of consciousness. From the perspective of individual and public freedom, the prominent position of mania in Greek society reflects its openness and acceptance of the inborn human proclivity to experience alterations of consciousness, which were interpreted in positive terms as god-sent. These mental states were treated with cautious respect, but never suppressed or pushed to the cultural and social periphery, in contrast to many other complex societies, ancient and modern.

In the 1960s a shift occured in how shamanism was represented in Soviet anti-religious journals, in which shamanism was transformed from an ethnographically documented cultural practice peculiar to Siberian indigenous populations, into an – albeit ‘primitive’ – form of a universal human capacity for altered states of consciousness and a precursor of various forms of mysticism. The article argues that this shift coincided with a shift in the Soviet atheist project, as well as a point of comparison that reveals similarities and differences between Soviet and Western modernist projects.

Psychoactive drugs can transiently perturb brain physiology while preserving brain structure. The role of physiological state in shaping neural function can therefore be investigated through neuroimaging of pharmacologically induced effects. Previously, using pharmacological neuroimaging, we found that neural and experiential effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) are attributable to agonism of the serotonin-2A receptor (Preller et al., 2018). Here, we integrate brain-wide transcriptomics with biophysically based circuit modeling to simulate acute neuromodulatory effects of LSD on human cortical large-scale spatiotemporal dynamics. Our model captures the inter-areal topography of LSD-induced changes in cortical blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) functional connectivity. These findings suggest that serotonin-2A-mediated modulation of pyramidal-neuronal gain is a circuit mechanism through which LSD alters cortical functional topography. Individual-subject model fitting captures patterns of individual neural differences in pharmacological response related to altered states of consciousness. This work establishes a framework for linking molecular-level manipulations to systems-level functional alterations, with implications for precision medicine.

The Museum of Consciousness contains exhibits by a multitude of artists, mavericks and consciousness explorers who are here to transmit their most treasured work: For the first exhibition we decided to use short, audio-based samples that are designed to cultivate and manufacture expansive states of consciousness. The range of samples encompassed by the current iteration of the museum includes mindfulness meditations, “placebo highs,” sound journeys, novel modes of introspection, and more. The structure of the museum is centered around recipes for consciousness augmentation. The museum also has an interactive component: visitors will rate the samples according to Raph Milliere’s 6D model of self-consciousness, which was inspired by the effects of psychedelics and meditation on subjective experience. Additionally, visitors will play a game in which they try to figure out the ratings that the curators had pre-assigned to the samples. Finally, visitors will have the opportunity to provide feedback to the artists, as part of the cyclically regenerative system at the heart of the museum.

The past decade has seen a renaissance of research interest into the psychotherapeutic potential of psychedelic compounds. In 2019, Oakland and Denver became the first two jurisdictions in the United States to decriminalize the possession of psychedelic-containing organisms. As research and public policy continue to evolve, it becomes increasingly plausible that psychedelics will become viable treatment options for psychiatric conditions. Psychiatrists should be integral to models of psychedelic prescription and patient management. The risk for adverse psychological and medical effects from psychedelic sessions necessitates psychiatric supervision. The literature on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy may provide wisdom regarding practical aspects of managing patients' treatment sessions.

Introduction: Altered states of consciousness have traditionally been associated with poor prognosis. At present, clinical differences between these entities are beginning to be established. Method: Our study included 37 patients diagnosed with vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and 43 in a minimally conscious state (MCS) according to the Coma Recovery Scale–Revised (CRS-R). All patients were followed up each month for at least 6 months using the CRS-R. We recorded the time points when vegetative state progressed from ‘persistent’ to ‘permanent’ based on the cut-off points established by the Multi-Society-Task-Force: 12 months in patients with traumatic injury and 3 months in those with non-traumatic injury. A logistic regression model was used to determine the factors potentially predicting which patients will emerge from MCS. Results: In the UWS group, 23 patients emerged from UWS but only 9 emerged from MCS. Of the 43 patients in the MCS group, 26 patients emerged from that state during follow-up. Eight of the 23 patients (34.7%) who emerged from UWS and 17 of the 35 (48.6%) who emerged from MCS recovered after the time points proposed by the Multi-Society-Task-Force. According to the multivariate regression analysis, aetiology (P

This paper continues the cycle of interdisciplinary studies that feature a new technology of audiovisual induction of altered states of consciousness. The technology is based on a combination of models, methods, and approaches of psychology, mathematics, and computer science. The research objective was to prove that the technology can induce relaxation states. The authors conducted two experiments with a specific configuration of synchronized fractal and musical sequences. The study involved 47 people, who were presented with audiovisual stimulation. Before and after the procedure, the panelists were presented with two sets of questionnaires to define their mental and emotional state. The results demonstrated significant negative changes on the demobilizing components: mental anxiety or resentment (N), mental depression and exhaustion (D) and depressed mood (S). The data analysis confirmed the hypothesis: the method can induce states of relaxation. The data obtained are can be used in further experiments, e.g. to reveal creative potential by means of audiovisual stimulation.

Transpersonal approach in psychotherapy is a controversial field, and there is a lack in scientific information. A search of Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO and SciELO databases using: ["Altered states of consciousness" AND "Psychotherapy"] and ["Transpersonal" AND "Psychotherapy"] in December 2017 was conducted. From 629 articles found, 14 empirical studies were analyzed. Studies were conducted with adults, most of them women. The benefits were improvement in the treatment of substance use disorder; increased sensation of relaxation, relief of physical pain. Future studies should have rigorous experimental designs; define concepts clearly; detail the method used; present clear guidelines for the ethical boundaries.

This paper addresses the tension between élite-sponsored rituals in the context of state expansion and the persistence of rituals involving hallucinogens among communities that met with state colonists. It focuses on the consumption of hallucinogens inducing altered states of consciousness during the Peruvian Middle Horizon (ad600–1000), a period characterized by the expansion of the Wari state, known for large state-sanctioned feasts during which élites distributed corn beer and reaffirmed their power. This paper presents new evidence for the ingestion of hallucinogens from the site of Ak'awillay in the Cusco region, focusing on paraphernalia and ritual spaces recovered in large horizontal excavations. Results indicate that the people of Ak'awillay were able to maintain practices that were fundamentally different from those of Wari élites and retained access to low-altitude areas lying outside Wari control for the procurement of hallucinogens and esoteric knowledge. The paper concludes that at least some people at Ak'awillay operated outside the Wari state, thereby maintaining local power over the religious realm despite Wari presence in the region.

O presente artigo analisa os padrões de manifestação dos ‘desafios da internet’, manifestação viral da qual participam principalmente pré-adolescentes e adolescentes, e que estimulam teleparticipação mundial em desafios geradores de estados alterados de consciência que carregam um risco de morte em potencial. Objetivou-se traçar os padrões de incidência da ferramenta Google Trends para mapear padrões de manifestação que são analisados do ponto de vista dos contágios psíquicos das massas próprios das sociedades tomadas pelas redes de comunicação. À análise dos padrões de incidência segue-se uma reflexão teórica sobre o fenômeno e os seus desdobramentos a partir das teorias da comunicação, da mídia e da psicologia junguiana, especialmente acerca dos fenômenos das massas. Para a discussão, utilizaram-se como referências básicas Dietmar Kamper, Jean Baudrillard, Norval Baitello Junior e Malena Segura Contrera.

Purpose of review To update pharmacological insights on ketamine integrating information from different disciplines for developing steps to "breakthrough" approaches in clinical challenges. Recent findings Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) models have incorporated recirculation, ketamine metabolites, drug-drug interaction, and covariates such as age. Ketamine-induced relief from treatment-resistant depression has been explained by "disinhibition" of gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic interneurons and synaptogenic mechanisms requiring neurotrophic signals. Neuroimaging/electroencephalographic investigations have shown an increase in gamma spectral power in healthy volunteers and patients with depression, but also opposite changes in functional network connectivity after subanesthetic ketamine. Volunteer data may not be transferable to clinical conditions. Altered states of consciousness induced by subanesthetic ketamine have been described by disruption of resisting-state functional networks and frontoparietal connectivity with preservation of multisensory and sensor-motor networks. This has been interpreted as a "disconnected consciousness". Summary More precise PK/PD models may improve the ketamine use regimen. The findings from research on depression are an important discovery because ketamine's impact on neuronal plasticity and synaptogenesis in human brain disease has directly been documented. Psychic adverse effects with subanesthetic ketamine are related to a "disconnected consciousness". Overall, progress has been made, but the "breakthrough" still has to come.

This article discusses the psychophysical processes of the actor from a laboratory practice developed with the Arkhétypos Group. The exposition presented is the result of the meeting of two researchers, one from the Performing Arts area and the other from Physiology, generating an interdisciplinary discussion about the Ritual Theater. This article analyzes two creative processes experienced by the authors and proposes an approximation with the theory of transient hypofrontality. The methodological approach is based on the anecdotal evidence and a rigorous bibliographic study. The partial results of the research help us understand what happens to the cerebral physiology of the actor who enters the ritual play. RÉSUMÉ Cet article discute les processus psychophysiques de l'acteur à partir d'une pratique de laboratoire développée avec le Groupe Arkhétypos. La réflexion présentée est le résultat de la rencontre de deux chercheurs, l'un du domaine des arts de la scène et l'autre de la physiologie, générant une discussion interdisciplinaire sur le Théâtre Rituel. L'article analyse deux processus créatifs vécus par les auteurs et propose une approximation avec la théorie de l'hypofrontalité transitoire. L'approche méthodologique est basée sur les preuves anecdotiques et une étude bibliographique rigoureuse. Les résultats partiels de la recherche nous aident à comprendre ce qui arrive à la physiologie cérébrale de l'acteur qui entre dans le jeu rituel. RESUMO Este artigo discute os processos psicofísicos do ator a partir de uma prática laboratorial desenvolvida junto ao Grupo Arkhétypos. A reflexão apresentada é fruto do encontro de dois pesquisadores, um da área de Artes Cênicas e outro da Fisiologia, gerando uma discussão de caráter interdisciplinar sobre o Teatro Ritual. O artigo analisa dois processos de criação vividos pelos autores e propõe uma aproximação com a teoria da hipofrontalidade transitória. O recorte metodológico se estrutura a partir da evidência anedótica e de um rigoroso estudo bibliográfico. Os resultados parciais da pesquisa ajudam a compreender o que acontece com a fisiologia cerebral do ator que adentra ao jogo ritual.

Consciousness concerns awareness and how we experience the world. How does awareness, a feature of the mental world, arise from the physical brain? Is a dog conscious, or a jellyfish, and what explains the difference? How is consciousness related to psychological processes such as perception and cognition? The Science of Consciousness covers the psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience of consciousness. Written for introductory courses in psychology and philosophy, this text examines consciousness with a special emphasis on current neuroscience research as well as comparisons of normal and damaged brains. The full range of normal and altered states of consciousness, including sleep and dreams, hypnotic and meditative states, anesthesia, and drug-induced states, as well as parapsychological phenomena and their importance for the science of consciousness is covered, as well as the 'higher' states and how we can attain them. Throughout the text attempts to relate consciousness to the brain.

Although it is a familiar experience for everyone, in the vast majority of cases we discover the importance of consciousness only when in front of someone who no longer appears to possess it: someone ‘absent’, with their eyes fixed in the void, while the heart beats vigorously and their muscle tone is intact; or a patient with a psycho-organic syndrome or brain trauma, who is awake, even alert, but no longer in contact with the surrounding environment. Despite the fact that millions of people around the world enter and leave the state of consciousness every day, neurophysiological and clinical knowledge about consciousness is still far from forming a coherent scientific corpus. In fact, nowadays, there is no general shared definition of an altered state of consciousness. In this paper we propose a structured model of the phenomenon of consciousness, viewed as a multivariate combination of independent factors, which includes the variations and transitions of consciousness from a normal state of wakefulness to a psychopathological condition (with discrete deviations in subjective experience), and to severe clinical-neurological pictures.

This article is based on a five-year qualitative ethnographic study of bondage and discipline/dominance and submission/sadism and masochism (BDSM) in Sweden. In-depth interviews were completed with 29 self-defined BDSM practitioners. In the article, I investigate spirituality in two different contexts, namely within BDSM practice and in the charismatic Christianity. With a focus on power dynamics, pain rituals, and altered states of consciousness, I discuss the questions: What meaning is given to the concept of spirituality in a BDSM context, and how does this spirituality resemble spirituality in Christianity? Which common denominators between BDSM practice and Christian belief can be found, and how should we interpret the parallels that the informants emphasize between practicing BDSM and having a Christian affiliation? The article aims to broaden our understanding for spirituality in different contexts, and thus contribute to both the research field of BDSM as well as to religion studies. And as such, I hope this study can bring some clarity to the different spiritual experiences individuals may encounter, whether it happens in a BDSM context or in a religious context.

ObjectiveTo understand women's experiences of undisturbed physiological birth by exploring the narratives of women who have freebirthed their babies in the United Kingdom (intentionally giving birth without midwives or doctors present).DesignUnstructured narrative face-to-face interviews were carried out and data were analysed using the Voice Centred Relational Method (VCRM).ParticipantsSixteen women who had freebirthed their babies.FindingsWomen discussed a range of phenomena including birth positions, the fetus ejection reflex, pain, altered states of consciousness, physiological third stages and postnatal experiences that were physically and emotionally positive.Key conclusionsThere is a paucity of literature on physiological birth and limited opportunity for practitioners to witness it. Further research is required on phenomena related to physiological birth so as to better understand how to promote it within the maternity setting and when intervention is justified.Implications for practiceStandard maternity settings and practice may not be conducive to or reflective of physiological birth. Better understanding of physiological birth is required so that pregnant women and people can be appropriately supported during labour and birth.

The scope of human consciousness includes states departing from what most of us experience as ordinary wakefulness. These altered states of consciousness constitute a prime opportunity to study how global changes in brain activity relate to different varieties of subjective experience. We consider the problem of explaining how global signatures of altered consciousness arise from the interplay between large-scale connectivity and local dynamical rules that can be traced to known properties of neural tissue. For this purpose, we advocate a research program aimed at bridging the gap between bottom-up generative models of whole-brain activity and the top-down signatures proposed by theories of consciousness. Throughout this paper, we define altered states of consciousness, discuss relevant signatures of consciousness observed in brain activity, and introduce whole-brain models to explore the biophysics of altered consciousness from the bottom-up. We discuss the potential of our proposal in view of the current state of the art, give specific examples of how this research agenda might play out, and emphasize how a systematic investigation of altered states of consciousness via bottom-up modeling may help us better understand the biophysical, informational, and dynamical underpinnings of consciousness. Fil: Cofré, Rodrigo. Universidad de Valparaíso; Chile Fil: Herzog, Rubén. Universidad de Valparaíso; Chile Fil: Mediano, Pedro A.M.. University of Cambridge; Estados Unidos Fil: Piccinini, Juan Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; Argentina Fil: Rosas, Fernando E.. Imperial College London; Reino Unido Fil: Sanz Perl Hernandez, Yonatan. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Tagliazucchi, Enzo Rodolfo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; Argentina

Transpersonal psychotherapy is based on transpersonal psychology and considers that the psyche is multidimensional and that there are several “levels of consciousness” and each has different characteristics and is governed by different laws. Transpersonal psychology is the study of human nature and proceeds on the assumption that human beings possess potentials that exceed the limits of their ego and integrate the spiritual experience within a broader understanding of the human psyche and consciousness. Altered states of consciousness have been used as psychotherapy in transpersonal psychology for decades. Although there are very well known techniques to induce altered state of consciousness as holotropic breathwork, Neurotechnology offers an alternative way not only to induce these states for transpersonal therapy but also to measure the level of a state of consciousness. The objective of this chapter is to provide a review of the main concepts of Neurotechnology and the main technologies that can be used to induce and measure altered state of consciousness for transpersonal psychotherapy and propose an architecture for a Cyber psychotherapy system that uses these technologies.

Psilocybin is the active component of magic mushrooms and is well known for its psychoactive properties. Different questionnaires have been developed to systematically quantify altered states of consciousness induced by psychoactive drugs. The aim of this study was to obtain the dose-response relationships of the subjective experiences induced by psilocybin in healthy study participants. For this purpose, we applied a linear meta-regression approach on questionnaire ratings after oral administration of psilocybin in a controlled setting. Data was obtained from The Altered States Database, which contains psychometric data extracted from peer-reviewed articles published in MEDLINE-listed journals that used standardized and validated questionnaires. Our meta-analysis included data of the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale, the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30), and the Hallucinogen Rating Scale (HRS). We used the Robust Variance Estimation Framework to obtain linear dose-response relationship estimates for each dimension of the given questionnaires. Ratings on most dimensions and subscales of the included questionnaires correlated positively with dose. Since subjective experiences are not only determined by dose, but also by individual differences and environmental factors, our results do not necessarily generalize to recreational use, as our analyses are based on data from controlled laboratory experiments. The paper at hand could serve as a general literature citation for the use of psilocybin in experimental and clinical research, especially for the comparison of expected and observed subjective drug experiences.

Ayahuasca is described as a hallucinogenic substance whose property is to alter the subjective experience of time and impair the perception of the passage of time during stimuli of more than two to three seconds. The dose-dependent effects of two concentrations of ayahuasca in the ritualistic context were investigated employing temporal reproduction tasks in participants experienced in shamanistic ayahuasca rituals. The study was conducted on nine healthy volunteers who ingested two doses of ayahuasca at two times during a ritual session. The doses of each session, consumed in amounts ranging from 20 to 60 mL, were either of low concentration or of experimental ayahuasca according to a double-blind procedure. Participants performed the task of immediately listening and reproducing, with a laptop, 20-s musical stimuli during the session. The results showed that significant temporal distortion was triggered by the musical stimulus presented without the ingestion of ayahuasca, with means of 16.33 to 16.52 s. There were minor temporal distortions after ingestion of ayahuasca: a mean of 17.91 s for control ayahuasca and of 18.38 s for experimental ayahuasca. These results with less temporal distortion among participants with ayahuasca intake disagree with other studies of hallucinogens involving temporal reproduction.

Time Expansion Experiences (TEEs) occur when a person’s normal experience of time slows down or expands significantly. Previous research has associated them mainly with accidents but also with altered states of consciousness such as mystical experiences, psychedelic experiences, and near-death experiences. This article describes a qualitative study of 74 reports of “Time Expansion Experiences” (also a pilot study of 22 reports), which investigated the phenomenology of such experiences, using thematic analysis to highlight the main themes. The most common triggers of TEEs in the study were accidents (40 of 74), followed by spiritual states (12), and, then, psychedelic experiences and sports and games (both 7). Many participants commented on the dramatic nature of their TEEs, with themes of positive affective states (most notably calmness), alertness, the opportunity to take preventative action (related to very rapid cognition), and quietness. Interpretations of TEEs are discussed, arguing against the theory that they are an illusion created by recollection. TEEs are seen as a characteristic of altered states of consciousness, which occur when the normal self-system dissolves in exceptional circumstances. Human beings’ normal experience of time is a psychological construct, produced by the psychological structures and processes of the normal self-system.

In this article, I present the concept of “birthing consciousness,” a psychophysical altered state of women that can occur during natural and undisturbed birth. I demonstrate that this altered state of consciousness (ASC) has phenomenological and cognitive features of hypofrontality; thus, birthing consciousness probably shares a similar brain mechanism to that postulated by the transient-hypofrontality theory (THT). I argue that until recently (with the advent of modern medical intervention), in evolutionary terms, women lacking the proclivity for this specific brain mechanism had a lower chance of reproducing successfully. Hence, I suggest a general and preliminary hypothesis concerning THT: Birthing consciousness is one example of an adaptive pain-induced ASC associated with transient hypofrontality.

Dynamically assessing the level of consciousness is still challenging during anesthesia. With the help of Electroencephalography (EEG), the human brain electric activity can be noninvasively measured at high temporal resolution. Several typical quasi-stable states are introduced to represent the oscillation of the global scalp electric field. These so-called microstates reflect spatiotemporal dynamics of coherent neural activities and capture the switch of brain states within the millisecond range. In this study, the microstates of high-density EEG were extracted and investigated during propofol-induced transition of consciousness. To analyze microstates on the frequency domain, a novel microstate-wise spectral analysis was proposed by the means of multivariate empirical mode decomposition and Hilbert–Huang transform. During the transition of consciousness, a map with a posterior central maximum denoted as microstate F appeared and became salient. The current results indicated that the coverage, occurrence, and power of microstate F significantly increased in moderate sedation. The results also demonstrated that the transition of brain state from rest to sedation was accompanied by significant increase in mean energy of all frequency bands in microstate F. Combined with studies on the possible cortical sources of microstates, the findings reveal that non-canonical microstate F is highly associated with propofol-induced altered states of consciousness. The results may also support the inference that this distinct topography can be derived from canonical microstate C (anterior-posterior orientation). Finally, this study further develops pertinent methodology and extends possible applications of the EEG microstate during propofol-induced anesthesia.

Increasing evidence suggests that altered states of consciousness (ASC) are associated with both positive and negative effects on components of creative performance, and convergent and divergent thinking in particular. We provide a metacontrol framework that allows characterizing factors that induce ASC in terms of their general impact on the information processing style of problem solvers. We discuss behavioral and neuronal findings from three areas that reflect strong connections between ASC and the underlying effects on metacontrol on the one hand and components of creativity on the other hand: drug-induced ASC, meditation-induced ASC, and hallucinations. While more, and especially more systematic research is needed, we identify a general trend, suggesting that factors that induce ASC are likely to alter the metacontrol state by biasing it toward either persistence, which is beneficial for convergent thinking and other persistence-heavy operations, or flexibility, which is beneficial for divergent thinking and other flexibility-heavy operations.

Charisma is an unstable basis upon which to build authority. Charismatic leaders need their followers to perceive them as being endowed with extraordinary, even supernatural, gifts. Detractors can in turn question whether the leader actually possesses these unique qualities. Using Judith von Halle and her conflicts with the Anthroposophical Society as a case study, we address the question of how charismatic authority can be constructed and deconstructed in polemical texts. At various points throughout her career, Von Halle has made extraordinary claims. She presents herself as being clairvoyant and as having received stigmata. Anthroposophists who believe these claims cite them as their reasons for regarding her doctrinal statements as being trustworthy. Skeptical Anthroposophists, on the other hand, question her experiences and motives. Using a theoretical framework inspired by Foucault and Bourdieu, we discuss how both camps discuss von Halle’s charismatic status in terms that are opaque to outsiders unfamiliar with Anthroposophical discourse.

Patterns of functional interactions across distributed brain regions are suggested to provide a scaffold for the conscious processing of information, with marked topological alterations observed in loss of consciousness. However, establishing a firm link between macro-scale brain network organisation and conscious cognition requires direct investigations into neuropsychologically-relevant architectural modifications across systematic reductions in consciousness. Here we assessed both global and regional disturbances to brain graphs in a group of healthy participants across baseline resting state fMRI as well as two distinct levels of propofol-induced sedation. We found a persistent modular architecture, yet significant reorganisation of brain hubs that formed parts of a wider rich-club collective. Furthermore, the reduction in the strength of rich-club connectivity was significantly associated with the participants' performance in a semantic judgment task, indicating the importance of this higher-order topological feature for conscious cognition. These results highlight a remarkable interplay between global and regional properties of brain functional interactions in supporting conscious cognition that is relevant to our understanding of clinical disorders of consciousness., Scientific Reports, 10 (1), ISSN:2045-2322

Sexual intercourse alters normal waking consciousness. Altered states of consciousness (ASC) refer to marked deviations from usual waking consciousness, and include alterations in the sense of self, attention, thought processes, time awareness and sensory perception. Sex can induce ASC, as indicated by states of attentional absorption in bodily sensations concomitant with loss of time awareness. The present study aimed at testing if, during sexual relations, higher sexual responsiveness relates to higher intensity of dimensions of ASC that can occur in other contexts, such as meditation or use of psychoactive substances. The personality trait of absorption appears to reflect individual differences in the proclivity to experience ASC; thus, a second aim was to examine if trait absorption relates to intensity of ASC during sex. The international sample consisted of 448 participants (303 women, 145 men). Sex-induced ASC were measured with four sub-scales of The Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (OAV): Experience of Unity, Spiritual Experience, Blissful State and Insightfulness. Trait absorption was measured by the Modified Tellegen Absorption Scale (MODTAS). Sexual responsiveness during the last intercourse was assessed by the sum of measures of arousal, desire, and satisfaction, as well as by questions on the occurrence of orgasm from different sexual activities. Trait absorption and sexual responsiveness predicted independently all dimensions of ASC among women and men. In women, vaginal orgasm (during vaginal intercourse without concomitant clitoral masturbation) was an additional independent predictor of ASC. Male orgasm related to ASC, but not independently from other aspects of sexual responsiveness. As relações sexuais alteram a consciência vígil usual. Estados alterados de consciência (EAC) referem-se a desvios marcados da consciência vígil usual. Investigação confirma que EAC podem ocorrer no sexo em termos de estados de absorção atencional nas sensações corporais concomitantes à perda de consciência do tempo. O presente estudo testou se, durante as relações sexuais, maior responsividade sexual está relacionada com maior intensidade em dimensões de EAC que podem ocorrer com desencadeantes não sexuais, como meditação ou substâncias psicoactivas. Adicionalmente, o traço de personalidade “absorção” parece reflectir diferenças individuas na propensão para EAC. Assim, um segundo objetivo foi examinar se a absorção traço se relaciona com a intensidade de EAC durante o sexo. A amostra internacional contou com 448 participantes (303 mulheres, 145 homens). Os EAC foram medidos com quatro sub-escalas da Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (OAV): Experiência de Unidade, Experiência Espiritual, Estado de Beatitude e Momentos de Insight. A absorção-traço foi medida pela Modified Tellegen Absorption Scale (MODTAS). A responsividade durante a última relação sexual foi medida através da soma de medidas de excitação, desejo, satisfação, assim como com questões sobre a ocorrência do orgasmo através de diversas actividades sexuais. Absorção-traço e responsividade sexual foram preditores independentes da intensidade de todas as dimensões dos EAC em mulheres e homens. Nas mulheres, o orgasmo vaginal feminino (durante o coito vaginal sem masturbação clitoriana concomitante) foi um preditor independente adicional dos EAC. O orgasmo masculino relacionou-se com os EAC, mas não independentemente dos outros aspectos da responsividade sexual. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Safe-place inductions are considered important altered states of consciousness (ASC) to be (re)installed during trauma-informed psychotherapy. Coregulation aimed at changing implicit relational knowing and increasing integration and coherence through relational work and hypnotic techniques is crucial, as clients’ abilities to self-soothe and regulate have become seriously impaired. Thus, resource-oriented metaphors as inner strength imagery is advocated. Also, methods such as creative-arts therapy and neurofeedback will induce ASCs, as most methods used with complex traumatized clients, due to their high hypnotizability. When positive or soothing imagery or relationally held suggestions for changed attentional focus are added to both psychodynamic psychotherapy and CBT, a hetero-hypnosis will be induced—a prerequisite for phase-specific trauma therapy aimed at changing inner schemas and scripts.

A set of measures of trauma, dissociation, altered states of consciousness, and spiritual experiences was administered to a convenience sample of 100 inpatients in a hospital Trauma Program. The inpatients had an average Dissociative Experiences Scale score of 42.3 and an average Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale score of 6.6, both of which are very high. Both trauma and dissociation correlated significantly with measures of pathological altered states of consciousness (ASC) but not with adaptive, normal spiritual experiences as measured by the Spiritual Orientation Inventory and the ASC Scale. The authors conclude that future study of the relationships between psychological trauma, dissociation, and ASC should subdivide altered states into at least two major categories: more inherently pathological states versus those that are more adaptive and spiritual in nature.

The article discusses the experience of being “carried by witches” narrated to me repeatedly during my field research in rural eastern Slovenia in 2000–2001. The experience, which was ascribed to the agency of witches who “enchanted” their victims and led them astray, typically occurred in the forest at night and implied disorientation, sometimes (but not necessarily) the vision of light(s) that people followed or were drawn to, and a shift of consciousness. The article argues that particular neurological conditions (out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences) may have provided a basis for the experience of at least some of the subjects in the memorates, and that various cultural concepts explaining the experience, and cultural patterns of structuring narratives about it, may have been adopted by people in order to cope with and make sense of what they experienced in a society that does not grant cultural value to altered states of consciousness.

Environmental events are processed on multiple timescales via hierarchical organization of temporal receptive windows (TRWs) in the brain. The dependence of neural timescales and TRWs on altered states of consciousness is unclear. States of reduced consciousness are marked by a shift toward slowing of neural dynamics (n= 23; male/female 14/9) during graded sedation with propofol. We further examined the relationship between the intrinsic timescales (local/voxel level) and its regional connectivity (across neighboring voxels; regional homogeneity, ReHo), global (whole-brain level) functional connectivity (GFC), and topographical similarity (Topo). Additional results were obtained from patients undergoing deep general anesthesia (n= 12; male/female: 5/7) and in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) (n= 21; male/female: 14/7). We found that MF, AC, and ReHo increased, whereas GFC and Topo decreased, during propofol sedation. The local alterations occur before changes of distant connectivity. Conversely, all of these parameters decreased in deep anesthesia and in patients with DOC. We conclude that propofol synchronizes local neuronal interactions and prolongs the timescales of intrinsic BOLD signals. These effects may impede communication among distant brain regions. Furthermore, the intrinsic timescales exhibit distinct dynamic signatures in sedation, deep anesthesia, and DOC. These results improve our understanding of the neural mechanisms of unconsciousness in pharmacologic and neuropathologic states.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTInformation processing in the brain occurs through a hierarchy of temporal receptive windows (TRWs) in multiple timescales. Anesthetic drugs induce a reversible suppression of consciousness and thus offer a unique opportunity to investigate the state dependence of neural timescales. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that sedation with propofol is accompanied by the prolongation of the timescales of intrinsic BOLD signals presumably reflecting enlarged TRWs. We show that this is accomplished by an increase of local and regional signal synchronization, effects that may disrupt information exchange among distant brain regions. Furthermore, we show that the timescales of intrinsic BOLD signals exhibit distinct dynamic signatures in sedation, deep anesthesia, and disorders of consciousness.

In modern game culture, religion and mythology often act as the main backbone basis of a plot, gameplay, and personalities of game characters. In a multiplatform game “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” released in 2017, the subject line, images of the characters, and internal game mechanics are based on Scandinavian and Celtic mythology. The authors distinguish the main components of mythological and religious traditions of the peoples, which were used to create the game. An important part of archaic religions of many peoples were altered states of consciousness (ASC). According to the plot, the main character experiences an altered state of consciousness that creates specific audiovisual perception of the game. The authors of the article try to consider specific features of creation of the computer game on religious and mythological basis bringing in the last achievements in the field of computer technologies. The authors claim that computer games are not only a demonstration of the growing power of digital technologies, but also “a mold of modern culture”, a reflection of the moods dominating in the society, ethical installations, and worldview criteria. Popular game “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice” not only reflects these aspects of modern Western culture, but also forms mentality of those people who are fond of the game.