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Birthing consciousness and the flow experience during physiological childbirth.

Orli Dahan, Alexander Zibenberg, Alon Goldberg

Midwifery November 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2024.104151 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size 766
Population Israeli women with childbirth experience
Topics Mystical experience
Keywords Birthing consciousness Childbirth Flow state Physiological birth
Citations 14
Key findings Women who experienced physiological childbirth had a higher flow state during birth than those who used epidural anesthesia or instrumental interventions.

Abstract

It has been demonstrated that birth without medical intervention conveys significant physical and psychological benefits to the mother and her newborn baby. However, there is a need to include women's subjective experience of physiological birth to understand and promote it. The theoretical concept of "birthing consciousness" hypothesizes that women during natural childbirth sometimes experience a specific altered state of consciousness, which is a positive peak experience that resembles "flow" in many aspects. To investigate the underexplored connection between the physiological mode of childbirth and altered states of consciousness during childbirth. Israeli women with childbirth experience were recruited through social media (Facebook groups with a focus on childbirth and motherhood). Participants (n = 766) completed an online survey: the Flow State Scale (FSS) and a demographic questionnaire. Differences were found between modes of birth as to flow state, as women who experienced physiological childbirth (i.e., with no epidural anesthesia or instrumental interventions) had a higher flow state during birth. This link empirically confirms the phenomenon of birthing consciousness. All nine dimensions of the mental state of flow apply to childbirth: challenge-skill balance, action-awareness merging, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, concentration on the task, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, transformation of time, and autotelic experience. Understanding a women's subjective experience during physiological birth can enhance clinical understanding of physiological birth thus promoting positive physiological birth experiences - which has crucial health benefits. We propose that more studies need to be done to promote experiencing flow during physiological birth.

Comparable studies

Other observational and cohort studies on mystical experience, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Neural correlates of a mystical experience in Carmelite nuns Carmelite nuns 2006 Observational cohort
EEG activity in Carmelite nuns during a mystical experience Carmelite nuns 2008 Observational cohort n = 14
Neural correlates of mystical experience Vietnam veterans with penetrating traumatic brain injury and matched healthy controls 2015 Observational cohort n = 148
The Peak Experience Variable in DPT-Assisted Psychotherapy with Cancer Patients Cancer patients 1977 Observational study n = 128
Psilocybin-Induced Mystical-Type Experiences are Related to Persisting Positive Effects: A Quantitative and Qualitative Report Healthy volunteers 2022 Observational cohort n = 28

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Mystical experience Altered states of consciousness Philosophy of mind