summary: A new study has found that altered states of consciousness (ASC), such as those experienced during meditation, are more common than previously thought. His 45% of respondents reported having experienced ASC at least once, often leading to a positive outcome.
However, a small but significant number of people reported experiencing negative or even life-threatening suffering, highlighting the need for better support and understanding of these experiences.
Important facts:
- Forty-five percent of respondents reported experiencing non-pharmacologically induced ASC.
- ASC is associated with both positive and negative well-being outcomes.
- Many people who experience negative outcomes do not seek help.
sauce: mass general
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 at Massachusetts General Hospital, a founding member of the Massachusetts General Brigham Health System, has found that altered states of consciousness associated with meditation practices are far 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 people engage with mindfulness, meditation and other contemplative and mind-body practices, we wondered whether altered states and their effects might become more common among the general population.
“We conducted a series of international surveys to investigate, and we found that such experiences are indeed widespread,” said lead author Matthew D. Sachet, PhD, director of the Meditation Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor of psychiatry at the Harvard School.
“Changes in status are almost always followed by positive and even transformative effects on well-being,” Sachet added. However, 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-drug-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 derealization (feeling disconnected from the environment), togetherness (feeling of togetherness or “oneness”), ecstatic excitement, vivid perception, changes in perceived size, and body heat. or electricity, out-of-body experiences, or 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.
“Our research shows that altered states of consciousness are not extremely abnormal or rare, but rather a common variation of normal human experience,” 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 it is.
“The difficulty that a certain proportion of people have in integrating the experience of an altered state into their existing concepts of self and reality contributes to what is considered a public health problem.”
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 further added, “Ancient meditation manuals from wisdom traditions may help us categorize and understand altered states of consciousness. They can help us better manage altered states when they are difficult. “This may provide guidance on how to do this. Clearly, further 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 says.
“Combining these types of safeguards will help ensure that these very promising and powerful practices are taught and experienced safely.”
About this awareness survey news
author: Noah Brown
sauce: mass general
contact: Noah Brown – General of the Masses
image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original research: Open access.
“Altered states of consciousness are widespread but clinically undersupported: a population study” by Matthew D. Sacchet et al. Mindfulness
abstract
Altered states of consciousness are widespread but clinically undersupported: a population study
the purpose
The introduction of practices that have the potential to change consciousness may be leading to an increase in emergent phenomena (EPs). Emergent phenomena (EPs) are sudden, unusual mental or physical experiences that are often interpreted as spiritual, mystical, energetic, or magical in nature. It is unclear how often such altered states of consciousness occur and what their clinical impact is.
Anecdotes and prior literature suggest that EP is common and underreported, and may be followed by positive or negative changes in well-being. We sought to complement previous evidence on the prevalence and impact of EP in the general population with large-scale quantitative measurements.
Method
We measured the prevalence of EP, although not mind-altering substances, through the completion of online surveys by representative samples of three international communities (yeah= 3135). The sampled communities were UK Qualtrics online panellists, his US-based MTurk employees, and readers of a popular rationalist blog. The sample was broadly representative of the underlying population.
result
45% of participants reported pharmacologically induced symptoms, including derealization (17%), unified experiences (15%), ecstatic thrills (15%), vivid perceptions (11%), and emotional changes. reported experiencing at least one EP in their life. perceived size (10%), body heat or electricity (9%), out-of-body experiences (8%), and non-physical light perception (5%). Respondents reported a mix of positive and negative health outcomes after EP, with 13% claiming moderate or higher distress and 1.1% claiming life-threatening distress. . Of those who experienced suffering, 63% did not seek help.
conclusion
EP is widespread in research populations and can cause both positive and negative outcomes, although the latter does not seem to be adequately addressed by clinical practice.
