Altered states of consciousness induced by yoga and meditation are common in the general population, study says

Yoga, mindfulness, meditation, breathing exercises, and other practices are growing in popularity because of their potential to improve health and well-being. Although the effects of these practices are mostly positive and sometimes transformative, they are known to be associated with altered states of consciousness that are sometimes challenging.

A new study by a team that includes researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital reveals that altered states of consciousness associated with meditation practices are much more common than expected.

Although many people reported positive outcomes from these experiences, sometimes even considered transformative, for a significant minority, the experiences were negative.The results will be published in a magazine Mindfulness.

“As more and more people participate in mindfulness, meditation, and other meditative and mind-body practices, we wondered if altered states and their effects might be common to the general population. “We conducted a series of international surveys to find out, and found that this was indeed the case,” said lead author and director of the Meditation Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. said Matthew D. Sachet, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

“Changes in status are almost always followed by positive and even transformative effects on well-being,” Sachet added. “That said, negative effects on well-being have also been reported in some cases, with a small number of individuals reporting significant suffering.”

For this study, a panel of experts in psychiatry, neuroscience, meditation, and research design developed a questionnaire about experiences with altered states of consciousness.

Of the 3,135 adults in the United States and United Kingdom who completed an online survey, 45% reported experiencing at least one non-pharmacologically induced altered state of consciousness in their lifetime.

This is much higher than expected given the estimated 5% (US) to 15% (UK) of the population practicing mindfulness.

Experiences include escapism (feeling separate from the environment), unifying experiences (feeling of oneness or “oneness”), ecstatic thrills, vivid perceptions, changes in perceived size, body heat or electricity, and out-of-body experiences. Includes experience. , and non-physical light perception.

Respondents reported a mix of positive and negative well-being after the change in condition, with 13% claiming moderate or greater distress and 1.1% claiming life-threatening distress. Of those who experienced suffering, 63% did not seek help.

“In our study, we found that altered states of consciousness are a common variant of normal human experience, rather than being extremely abnormal and rare,” Sachet said. “However, people who experience negative outcomes related to these altered conditions often do not seek help, and clinicians are ill-prepared to recognize or support these types of experiences. It turns out that this contributes to what is considered public health.” A certain proportion of people have difficulty integrating their experience of an altered state into their existing concepts of self and reality. This problem is occurring because of this. ”

Sachet noted that additional research is needed to identify individual characteristics associated with the experience of altered states of consciousness and the potential distress associated with these states. He also emphasized the importance of applying this research to patient care.

“We should not dismiss meditation and other practices as inherently dangerous, but rather should help meditators better understand and realize the full potential of these practices.” ” he said. “As with psychotherapy, pharmacology, and other therapeutic tools, it is important to learn how to best implement and support people as they engage with these powerful practices.”

He added, “Ancient meditation manuals from wisdom traditions may help us classify and understand altered states of consciousness, and may offer guidance on how to better manage them when they are difficult. Clearly more research is needed to further explore and understand this possibility.”

“Clinical curricula on altered states of consciousness should be developed to better support clinicians caring for patients experiencing the suffering associated with this type of experience,” Sachet added.

“Those teaching meditation practices also need to ensure that participants are aware of the potential risks,” he said. “Combining these types of safeguards will help ensure that these very promising and powerful practices are taught and experienced safely.”