Mindfulness training can lead to altered states of consciousness, study finds

A new study by researchers at the University of Cambridge found that mindfulness training can help participants experience out-of-body experiences and integration into what’s known as altered states of consciousness. PLOS One.

The researchers say that while these experiences can be very positive, this is not always the case: Mindfulness teachers and students need to be aware that training can have side effects, and students need to feel entitled to share their experiences with their teachers or doctors if they have concerns.

Mindfulness-based programs have become extremely popular in recent years. A recent survey found that 15% of UK adults are studying some form of mindfulness. Mindfulness is often practiced as a way to reduce stress or address depression and anxiety. There is anecdotal evidence that practicing mindfulness can alter boundaries of the senses, self, and body, resulting in changes similar to those induced by psychoactive drugs.

The University of Cambridge conducted a randomized controlled trial between September 2015 and January 2016 to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness training as a way to cope with exam stress, and found that it may be useful in supporting students at risk of mental health problems.

Dr Julieta Galante, from the University of Cambridge’s department of psychiatry, who led the trial, said: “There is anecdotal evidence that people who practice mindfulness experience changes in their perception of themselves and the world around them, but it is difficult to know whether these experiences are a result of mindfulness practice, or whether people who are more likely to have these experiences are also more likely to practice mindfulness.”

“We were running a randomized trial of mindfulness practice with several hundred students at Cambridge University, and we realized this would give us an opportunity to explore this issue further.”

The team followed up with the participants a year later to see if they experienced the altered states of consciousness that had been anecdotally reported.

Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire exploring 11 “dimensions,” including spiritual experiences, blissful states, leaving the body and feelings of oneness.

When one experiences a sense of oneness, boundaries disappear and everything is perceived in a unified way, sometimes including the sense of time. Out-of-body experiences are often accompanied by a feeling of floating and the disappearance of bodily boundaries, making it easier to experience a strong sense of oneness.

In total, 670 participants took part in the randomized trial. Approximately one-third each of the mindfulness experimental and control groups completed questionnaires about their experiences of altered states of consciousness.

The researchers found that people who received mindfulness training were twice as likely to experience feelings of belonging and detachment from the body compared to the control group.

When researchers looked at the relationship between total time of formal mindfulness practice and the presence and intensity of experiencing altered states of consciousness, they found that more practitioners were more likely to experience feelings of unity, detachment from one’s body, and bliss.

Participants who reported meditating in the past six months were asked whether an altered state of consciousness had occurred while meditating. Based on a subsample of 73 participants, 43% reported experiencing a sense of oneness while meditating, 47% a state of bliss, 29% an out-of-body state, and 25% insight.

“We can’t say for sure, but our findings at least suggest that mindfulness training may induce these feelings of belonging and disembodiment,” said Dr Galante. “This is consistent with other research showing that people who practice mindfulness training are more likely to report experiencing a sense of loosening of their boundaries and an expanded spatial awareness beyond their physical body.”

Dr. Galante, a mindfulness practitioner, has experienced these altered states of consciousness himself.

“I personally have benefited a lot from meditation and mindfulness and have had a lot of these experiences,” she said. “They were intense and it was hard for me to talk about them with my meditation teacher at first. I didn’t know if they were normal, desirable or a sign of a mental health issue on my part.”

Many cases of experiencing altered states of consciousness are often interpreted as pleasant, but that isn’t always the case, Dr. Galante says it’s important for teachers and students to recognize that altered states of consciousness can occur and to talk openly about them.

She adds: “The most common and intense experiences tend to be those that have no inherently unpleasant characteristics. Some, such as bliss, can be very pleasant. But experiences such as a sense of out-of-bodyness or an altered sense of self can be perceived as unpleasant, or startling or even alarming, especially if they are unexpected.”

“It’s important to let people who are encouraged to try mindfulness know that they may encounter these experiences, so they aren’t embarrassed if they do. The experiences themselves may be harmless, but it may be helpful to speak to a mindfulness teacher and perhaps even consider consulting a doctor if the experience is negative.”