Derangement of the senses or alternate epistemological pathways? Altered consciousness and enhanced functioning.

Abstract

This article summarizes and integrates research on the relation between altered consciousness (including states and traits, as well as procedures and practices to induce them) and enhanced functioning. The latter include improved psychophysiological control as well as enhanced performance in controlled parapsychological experiments. Multiple studies on meditation, hypnosis, sensory homogenization, psychoactive drug ingestion, and spontaneous alterations of consciousness have demonstrated enhanced physiological (e.g., gastrointestinal and other somatic systems, heart rate and bleeding control, ability to withstand cold temperature and painful stimuli) and psychological (e.g., perceptual sensitivity, attention control and cognitive deautomatization, creativity, enhanced positive affect and personality change) functioning. Parapsychological (psi) research also indicates that when individuals are exposed to techniques to alter the state of consciousness such as sensory homogenization, meditation, hypnosis, and psychedelic drugs, they exhibit stronger evidence of psi functioning than when they are in ordinary waking consciousness, particularly if they are prone to having spontaneous alterations of consciousness and/or have had a mental practice for a long time. Recommendations for further development of research in this area are provided. (Less)