A recent study has revealed that altered states of consciousness are far more common among people who practice meditation and mindfulness than previously thought. While many report positive, even transformative, outcomes, a significant minority experience negative effects that range from moderate to severe. The findings were published in the journal Mindfulness.
Meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and similar practices have skyrocketed in popularity due to their potential health benefits. However, the experience and effects of these practices, particularly the altered states of consciousness they induce, remain to be determined. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital are looking at how common these altered conditions are and their impact on well-being, given the growing number of people engaging in these habits. I tried to investigate.
To achieve this, they worked with a team of experts in psychiatry, neuroscience, meditation, and survey design to create a detailed questionnaire. This study was designed to capture the diverse experiences associated with these practices and their impact on well-being.
The study involved 3,135 adults from the US and the UK. Participants were recruited through online platforms such as Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and Qualtrics, a commercial research board. An additional group was drawn from subscribers to a popular rationalist blog. This mixed-methods approach ensured a broad and diverse sample covering a range of demographic backgrounds.
This questionnaire was designed to elicit detailed information about participants’ altered states of consciousness. Researchers have identified derealization (the feeling of being disconnected from the environment), togetherness (a feeling of oneness or “oneness”), ecstasy, vivid perceptions, changes in perceived size, and sensations of heat or electricity in the body. We included questions about specific phenomena, such as , out-of-body experiences, and the perception of non-physical light.
The survey also included questions regarding the frequency, nature, and perceived impact of these experiences on well-being. Participants were encouraged to provide detailed descriptions of their experiences and subsequent impact on their mental and physical health.
To ensure the accuracy and validity of the questions, the questionnaire underwent several rounds of pretesting and refinement. This process included feedback from the research team, graduate students, and a sample of MTurk workers who were not included in the final study. This iterative approach allowed the researchers to fine-tune their investigation to effectively capture the nuances of altered states of consciousness.
One of the most striking findings was that 45% of participants reported experiencing at least one non-drug-induced altered state of consciousness in their lifetime. This prevalence is significantly higher than the estimated 5% to 15% of the population who practice mindfulness, suggesting that these experiences are more common than previously thought.
This study revealed a variety of altered states of consciousness among the participants. Some of the most commonly reported experiences include:
- Derealization: 17% of participants reported feeling isolated from their environment.
- Unity experience: 15% experienced a sense of togetherness or “oneness.”
- Ecstatic Thrill: 15% felt intense pleasure.
- Clear recognition: 11% noted increased or sharpened sensory perception.
- Change in perceived size: 10% experienced changes in body awareness.
- Body temperature or electricity: 9% reported a sensation of warmth or electrical current.
- Out-of-body experiences: 8% perceived themselves as outside the physical body.
- Non-physical light perception: 5% saw light that was not physically present.
Participants reported a mix of positive and negative outcomes after experiencing an altered state of consciousness. Although many described these experiences as enriching and transformative, a significant minority faced significant challenges. Specifically:
- Positive results: Many participants noticed improved mental and physical health, an increased sense of connection, and an increased sense of peace and clarity.
- Negative results: About 13% of participants reported moderate or greater distress after the experience. This distress included feelings of misery, sadness, and existential discomfort. Surprisingly, 1.1% of participants described their distress as life-threatening.
“Given that more and more people are turning to mindfulness, meditation, and other contemplative and mind-body practices, we suspected that altered states and their effects might be common among the general population,” said lead author Matthew D. Satchett, director of the Meditation Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “To investigate, we conducted a series of international surveys and found that such experiences are, indeed, widespread.”
“Alterative states are almost always followed by a positive, sometimes transformative, effect on well-being,” Satchett added, “although negative effects on well-being have also been reported in some cases, and a small number of individuals have reported significant distress.”
Despite the high prevalence of negative experiences, researchers found that 63% of people who experienced suffering did not seek help. Those who actually sought help had a variety of sources.
- General medical provider: 15% sought help from a generalist medical professional.
- Family and friends: 13% relied on their personal support network;
- Experts in meditation or spiritual practices: 12% consulted experts in the field.
- Specialist Healthcare Providers: 8% sought help from a mental health professional.
The study also highlighted a lack of awareness about the potential risks associated with altered states of consciousness. Only 47% of all respondents had heard about the risks before taking part in the survey. Of those who experienced suffering, 29% were not yet aware of these risks before participating in the study.
“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 changes in condition often do not seek help, and clinicians are unprepared to recognize or support these types of experiences. It turned out to be insufficient.”
“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.”
The researchers acknowledged that the study had some limitations. Reliance on self-report data introduces potential bias as participants may not be able to accurately recall or interpret their experiences. Furthermore, although the sample was diverse, it was limited to adults in the United States and United Kingdom, which may not fully reflect the global experience.
Mr. Thatchet emphasized the need for further research to identify the individual characteristics associated with experiencing altered states of consciousness and the suffering that may accompany them. She also emphasized the need to incorporate these research findings into patient care practices.
“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.”
Sachet added, “Ancient meditation manuals based on wisdom traditions may help classify and understand altered states of consciousness.” These may provide guidance on how to better manage altered conditions when they are difficult. 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 who teach meditation practices must also ensure that participants are aware of the potential risks. These types of safety measures combined ensure that these very promising and powerful practices are safe.” It helps ensure that it is taught and experienced.”
The study, “Altered states of consciousness are prevalent and clinically undersupported: a population study,” was written by Malcolm J. Wright, Julieta Galante, Jessica S. Corneille, Andrea Grabovac, and Daniel -Written by M. Ingram and Matthew D. Sachet.
