An altered state of consciousness (ASC) which is also known as a Non-ordinary state of consciousness is a name coined by psychiatrist Dr. Stanislav Grof who is a pioneer, researcher, and author in the field of consciousness.
However it really it is a natural state you have been in however may not have realized it. People have been utilizing techniques to consciously access, for a longer duration, these non-ordinary states in various cultures and traditions with the intention to enhance awareness or heal.
In order to further understand these states you can additionally listen to the podcast episode titled “non-ordinary states of consciousness for healing”.
Non-ordinary states are primarily acquired using these modalities noted below…
- Meditation
- Hypnosis
- Psychedelics
- Breathwork
How dreams & altered states of consciousness are common…
In this image, you will see various brain waves experienced as an adult. How I like to think of non-ordinary states is that we are not in the typical brain wave we normally experience – which would be primarily in the Beta wavelength seen in the image. The modalities such as those listed above narrow the egocentric dominance and enhance connectivity within the mind to allow access to areas within the mind we do not typically access in our normal waking hours. When we are in REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep we are experiencing Theta Brain waves which is also the wavelength we experience during meditation or deep hypnosis. The Theta waves while in hypnosis is like having a lucid dream – being fully aware yet dreaming or imagining. In Theta Wavelength frequency functioning we can easily recall, make connections or come up with our greatest idea. This has been shown in history as some of the greatest discoveries came while people dreamt – life-changing discoveries such as Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Feel free to read about other great awareness or ideas that came from lucid dreams in this article from readers digest HERE
All of this however simply explains those altered or non-ordinary states which you can easily acquire can help you create new connections of understanding of maybe difficult decisions.
