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Altered states

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Altered statesDrugs and psychedelicsMindfulness and meditationPrayer and contemplationRituals and celebrationsSacred placesSpirituality and religionSymbols and mythThe irrational and uncannyTranscendent experienceVisions and mysticismWonder and the sublime
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Double exposure photo of a person silhouetted against the sea with clouds overlapping their figure.

Depression

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Depression is more than low mood – it’s a change of consciousness

Understanding depression as an altered state of consciousness, like a dream or drug trip, could help people awaken from it

by Cecily Whiteley & Jonathan Birch

Close-up of a cracked oil painting depicting a man’s face in profile, showing the texture and age of the artwork.

Consciousness

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What happens to the brain during consciousness-ending meditation?

Psychologists are studying a form of meditation known as ‘nirodha-samāpatti’ that reportedly ceases all mental function

by Shayla Love

Photo of a person admiring art in a gallery framed by a large red sculpture, with a wooden floor and a dark wall background.

Altered states

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A touch of absurdity can help to wrap your mind around reality

And now for something completely different: how a dose of the surreal or absurd helps to make sense of our place in the world

by David Robson

A stained-glass window depicts two figures: one with a bowed head and white face, and another with a halo, dressed in blue and holding a book.

Altered states

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William James was right about our strange inner experiences

Rather than Freud’s cynicism or Jung’s enthusiasm, we need an inquisitive approach to unusual forms of consciousness

by David Yaden

Painting of a stormy sea with a shipwreck, dramatic waves and a dark sky, conveying intense motion and chaos.

Transcendent experience

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Your consciousness has been completely transformed. Now what?

Awakening experiences are spiritual states often believed to unlock life’s mysteries – but sacred knowledge comes at a cost

by Kevin Berryman

Abstract painting with blurred figures in teal and orange tones suggesting motion and mystery.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy

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If you want psychedelic healing, your ego may need to die

What do we know about the role of ‘ego death’ and other transformative experiences in psychedelic therapies?

by Natasha Mason, Athena Demertzi & Johannes G Ramaekers

Aerial view of a city with prominent castle in foreground, numerous buildings, and distant hills shrouded in mist under an overcast sky.

Sleep and dreams

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Five ways to take control of your dreams

Lucid dreaming lets you shape your dreamscape, whether your aims are practical or fantastical. These tips can get you started

by Christian Jarrett

Photo of a rainy car window with a blurred face silhouette inside and colourful lights outside.

Change and self-development

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Personal transformation can start with a whisper, not a bang

To understand personal transformation, we should listen to the incessant whispers in our stream of consciousness

by Jennifer Windt

Photo of a suburban street with overlapping images, showing houses, lawns and a faint figure in the foreground.

Altered states

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Déjà vu is just one of many uncanny kinds of déjà experiences

What can the many types of déjà experiences that most people have tell us about reality, memory and the gaps in between?

by Art Funkhouser

Wide, empty urban road flanked by modern apartment buildings under a partly cloudy sky.

Creativity

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Your 10-step plan for achieving a creative breakthrough

We often think of Aha! moments occurring by fluke, but there are evidence-based ways to make it more likely they will occur

by Nick Kabrél

Abstract photo of green plant with round buds, rocks and grass blended with light streaks for a textured, vibrant effect.

Altered states

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My synaesthesia is no mere quirk but a self-shaking strangeness

My initial is pale pink, the month of June is cerulean blue: synaesthesia gets my senses crosswired, and makes me who I am

by Catherine Taylor

Thermal image of a street scene with a person standing by a pole and bright signage in the background.

Altered states

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A spiritual emergency can be wild. This is how to ride the wave

Ecstasy can be messy. But there is a way to ride the wild wave of a spiritual emergency to greater wholeness and growth

by Jules Evans