A recent study has revealed that the modified mental states that come with yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and other similar activities are quite common. These altered states are often positive and can even be life-changing, but for some individuals, they may also lead to distress.
The popularity of yoga, mindfulness, meditation, breathwork, and similar practices is on the rise due to their potential to enhance overall health and well-being. While the effects of these practices are generally positive and at times transformative, they can also be associated with difficult altered states of consciousness.
A recent study conducted by a t rnrnMassachusetts General Hospital’s team, part of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, has discovered that altered states of consciousness linked to meditation are more prevalent than previously thought. Their findings, published in the journal “Mindfulness,” show that while many individuals have reported positive and transformative experiences from meditation, a significant minority have had negative experiences. This suggests that as mindfulness and meditation practices become more widespread, it’s important to be aware of the potential for altered states of consciousness.The effects of altered states may be common in the general population. Researchers conducted international surveys to explore this and discovered that such experiences were widespread,” said senior author Matthew D. Sacchet, PhD, the director of the Meditation Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
“Altered states were typically followed by positive, and sometimes even transformative effects on wellbeing,” Sacchet adds.” However, there were also reports of negative effects on well-being in some cases, with a small group of individuals experiencing significant suffering.
For the research, a team of specialists in psychiatry, neuroscience, meditation, and survey design made a questionnaire on the occurrence of altered states of consciousness.
Out of 3,135 adults in the US and the UK who participated in the online survey, 45% stated that they had experienced non-drug induced altered states of consciousness at least once in their lives.
This amount is much higher than the anticipated 5% (US) to 15% (UK) of the population that is believed to have engaged in mindfulness practice.
These experiences included derealization (feeling disconnected from your surroundings) and depersonalization (feeling disconnected from oneself).
The study found that altered states of consciousness are a common variant of normal human experience, including feelings of connectedness, intense thrills, heightened perceptions, changes in body sensations, out-of-body experiences, and experiences of non-physical lights. The respondents reported a mix of positive and negative well-being after experiencing these altered states, with 13% reporting moderate or greater suffering and 1.1% reporting life-threatening suffering. Surprisingly, 63% of those who experienced suffering did not seek help.According to our research, people who have negative experiences with altered states of consciousness often don’t seek help, and clinicians are not well-equipped to acknowledge or assist with these experiences. This has led to a potential public health problem, as some individuals struggle to integrate their altered state experiences into their understanding of themselves and the world.
Sacchet emphasized the need for further research to pinpoint the specific traits linked to experiencing altered states of consciousness and the potential distress that comes with these states.The importance of applying this research to patient care was emphasized. The speaker stated that meditation and other practices should not be dismissed as inherently dangerous, but rather should be better understood and supported in order to fully realize their potential. He also mentioned that similar to psychotherapy and pharmacology, it’s important to learn how to best implement and support people when engaging with these powerful practices. Additionally, he suggested that ancient meditation manuals from wisdom traditions may be useful for classifying and understanding altered states of consciousness and providing guidance on how to do so.We need to find better ways to help people manage altered states when they become challenging. There is a clear need for more research to fully understand this possibility,” said Sacchet.
He also emphasized the importance of developing a clinical curriculum on altered states of consciousness to provide better support for clinicians caring for patients who are suffering from these experiences. Additionally, he mentioned the need for those who teach meditation practices to make participants aware of potential risks. These measures will help ensure that these promising and powerful practices are taught and experienced safely.
