June 2026
Altered states of consciousness
What June 2026's 10 new studies found, synthesized from the papers below. All Altered states of consciousness research →
The synthesis
Synthesized from 10 studies in the library · AI-generated, grounded in the abstracts below
Found by searching the library for Altered states of consciousness, non-ordinary states, altered consciousness, ASC, then ranked by relevance.
Research in June 2026 on altered states of consciousness (ASCs) shows that various induction methods—including breathwork, virtual reality, and relaxation techniques—can produce measurable changes in subjective experience, with breathwork yielding large acute psychedelic-like effects and short-term psychological insight. Findings are consistent that ASCs involve shifts in self-referential processing and embodiment, but evidence is preliminary, with small samples and limited durability data. The main caveat is that most studies are exploratory or theoretical, and definitive conclusions about neural correlates or long-term transformation remain premature.
Evidence by study
Direction is which way each study's own result points, not our rating of the study.
What the directions mean
- Supports:
- the study found the intervention worked, or its hypothesis held.
- Opposes:
- it found the opposite, no benefit or a harm.
- No effect:
- no significant difference either way.
- Mixed:
- effects in both directions within the same study.
- Unclear:
- the abstract does not report a direction.
| Study | Design | Sample size | Direction | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness and Human Transformation: A Narrative Literature Review of Neural, Physiological, and Phenomenological Patterns Through a Quantum Science Lens 2026 | narrative literature review | Supports | Argues that non-ordinary states of consciousness involve coordinated shifts across brain, body, and lived experience that may contribute to psychological transformation by loosening self-reference, but transformation is not automatic and depends on intention, context, practice, and integration. | |
| Trait absorption as predictor of altered states of consciousness across three relaxation induction methods 2026 | within-subjects design | 48 | Supports | Guided meditation significantly reduced arousal and time-related thoughts compared to control and Ganzfeld conditions, and higher trait absorption predicted diminished body boundary salience in control and Ganzfeld conditions. |
| Immersive Virtual Reality Gameplay Alters Embodiment, Time Perception, and States of Consciousness 2026 | experimental study | 72 | Supports | Immersive virtual reality gameplay selectively altered embodiment-related aspects of conscious experience and reduced retrospective time-estimation accuracy, without broadly changing executive function. |
| Emotional Composition Of Sleep-Related Out-Of-Body Experiences In Relation To Sleep Paralysis And Lucid Dreaming 2026 | cross-sectional survey | 666 | Supports | Sleep-related out-of-body experiences have a distinct emotional profile more similar to lucid dreaming than to sleep paralysis, characterized by peace, tranquility, and euphoria. |
| Psychometric validation of the French version of the five-dimensional altered states of consciousness questionnaire (5D-ASC) and associated 11 OAV subscales. 2026 | psychometric validation study | 777 | Supports | The French 5D-ASC questionnaire showed preliminary psychometric validity, with the 11-subscale structure fitting better than higher-order models and measurement invariance across substance categories. |
| Measuring the reflective self and experiential self in self-transcendent experiences 2026 | theoretical or philosophical paper | Supports | Argues that self-transcendence involves a decrease of the reflective self and an increase in the experiential self, reconciling the paradox of feeling 'smaller yet larger'. | |
| Stories (Bylichki and Byvalschiny) about Fainting (Obmiraniya) as a Form of Fixation of the Near-Death Experiences Model 2026 | content analysis | 55 | Supports | Folklore stories about obmiraniya contain a significant number of classic near-death experience elements, suggesting they act as carriers of a culturally transmitted model of NDE. |
| An exploratory study of breathwork-induced altered states of consciousness in experienced practitioners: the airways to alteration (A2A) trial 2026 | preliminary experimental study | 24 | Supports | Breathwork was associated with larger acute psychedelic-like effects, emotional breakthrough, and greater psychological insight and behavioral change at one-week follow-up compared to body scan meditation. |
| Psychodynamic Perspectives on Psychedelic States and Treatment Contexts: A Conceptual and Clinical Introduction. 2026 | theoretical or philosophical paper | Supports | Argues that psychoanalytic models offer valuable tools for conceptualizing mechanisms of change in psychedelic therapy beyond symptom reduction. | |
| Neuroimaging studies of extra-sensory perception: A systematic and critical review. 2026 | systematic review | Unclear | Definitive conclusions about the neural correlates of extra-sensory perception remain premature due to recurrent methodological limitations and heterogeneous findings. |
Argues that non-ordinary states of consciousness involve coordinated shifts across brain, body, and lived experience that may contribute to psychological transformation by loosening self-reference, but transformation is not automatic and depends on intention, context, practice, and integration.
narrative literature review
Guided meditation significantly reduced arousal and time-related thoughts compared to control and Ganzfeld conditions, and higher trait absorption predicted diminished body boundary salience in control and Ganzfeld conditions.
within-subjects design Sample size: 48
Immersive virtual reality gameplay selectively altered embodiment-related aspects of conscious experience and reduced retrospective time-estimation accuracy, without broadly changing executive function.
experimental study Sample size: 72
Sleep-related out-of-body experiences have a distinct emotional profile more similar to lucid dreaming than to sleep paralysis, characterized by peace, tranquility, and euphoria.
cross-sectional survey Sample size: 666
The French 5D-ASC questionnaire showed preliminary psychometric validity, with the 11-subscale structure fitting better than higher-order models and measurement invariance across substance categories.
psychometric validation study Sample size: 777
Argues that self-transcendence involves a decrease of the reflective self and an increase in the experiential self, reconciling the paradox of feeling 'smaller yet larger'.
theoretical or philosophical paper
Folklore stories about obmiraniya contain a significant number of classic near-death experience elements, suggesting they act as carriers of a culturally transmitted model of NDE.
content analysis Sample size: 55
Breathwork was associated with larger acute psychedelic-like effects, emotional breakthrough, and greater psychological insight and behavioral change at one-week follow-up compared to body scan meditation.
preliminary experimental study Sample size: 24
Argues that psychoanalytic models offer valuable tools for conceptualizing mechanisms of change in psychedelic therapy beyond symptom reduction.
theoretical or philosophical paper
Definitive conclusions about the neural correlates of extra-sensory perception remain premature due to recurrent methodological limitations and heterogeneous findings.
systematic review
Points of agreement
- ASCs involve shifts in self-referential processing and embodiment across different induction methods.
- Induction methods like breathwork, meditation, and VR can produce measurable changes in subjective experience.
- Psychological transformation from ASCs is not automatic and depends on context and integration.
Conflicts
- Breathwork produced larger acute psychedelic-like effects than meditation, but meditation reduced arousal more than Ganzfeld, suggesting different induction methods may have distinct profiles.
- The systematic review of ESP found no reliable neural correlates, contrasting with other studies that report positive ASC-related effects.
Gaps
- Durability of effects beyond one-week follow-up is largely unstudied.
- Most studies have small sample sizes and lack blinding or control for expectancy.
- Long-term psychological transformation and clinical outcomes are not well characterized.
- Dose-response relationships and optimal induction parameters are not established.
- Cross-cultural and population diversity is limited.