Clarifying and measuring the characteristics of experiences that involve a loss of self or a dissolution of its boundaries.
Nicholas K. Canby, Jared R. Lindahl, Willoughby B. Britton, James V. Córdova
Consciousness and Cognition March 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103655 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey with confirmatory factor analysis and qualitative thematic analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 386 |
| Population | Adults who reported an experience involving dissolution of self-boundaries or loss of selfhood |
| Topics | Ego dissolution Meditation Mystical experience Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Measure development Psychedelics Psychopathology Religious experience Self-transcendence Selflessness |
| Citations | 11 |
| Key findings | Sixteen distinct experience characteristics, including multiple types of changes in sense of self, were identified across contexts such as meditation, psychedelics, and psychopathology. |
Abstract
Mystical experience, non-dual awareness, selflessness, self-transcendent experience, and ego-dissolution have become increasingly prominent constructs in meditation and psychedelic research. However, these constructs and their measures tend to be highly overlapping, imprecise, and poorly integrated with similar pathological experiences. The present study seeks to clarify the common factors involved in the characteristics of these experiences using precise distinctions across an array of experience contexts (including meditation, psychedelics, and psychopathology). Participants (N = 386) completed an online survey about an experience that involved either a dissolution of self-boundaries or a loss of selfhood. Confirmatory factor analyses resulted in 16 experience characteristics, including multiple types of changes in sense of self, co-occurring phenomenology, and cognitive and affective responses. Qualitative thematic analysis provided rich descriptions of experience characteristics. Taken together, results lead to a more specific measurement model and descriptive account of experiences involving a loss of self or self-boundary.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on ego dissolution, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Benefits and Positive Acute Effects of Psilocybin Consumption: A Quantitative Textual Analysis of User Self-Reported Data Public online self-reports of psilocybin consumption | 2023 | Qualitative study | n = 846 |
| How Deliberate Metaphors Enable New Ways of Conceiving the Self After Psilocybin-Induced Ego Dissolution Experiences User-generated psilocybin reports | 2026 | Qualitative study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Meditation-Induced Self-Boundary Flexibility and Prosociality: A MEG and Behavioral Measures Study. Brain Sciences November 26, 2024
- Meditation in the third-person perspective modulates minimal self and heartbeat-evoked potentials. Neuroimage July 1, 2025
- Leveraging meditation research for the study of psychedelic-related adverse effects. International Review of Psychiatry December 1, 2024
- A prospective ecological momentary assessment study of an ayahuasca retreat: exploring the salutary impact of acute psychedelic experiences on subacute affect and mindfulness skills in daily life Psychopharmacology January 18, 2025
- Psychedelics, subjectivity, and self-awareness Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences August 13, 2026
and 3 more in the library
Cites 32
- Psychometric Evaluation of the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (OAV) PLoS One August 31, 2010
- The Varieties of Self-Transcendent Experience Review of General Psychology May 1, 2017
- Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin Journal of Psychopharmacology October 6, 2015
- Survey study of challenging experiences after ingesting psilocybin mushrooms: Acute and enduring positive and negative consequences Journal of Psychopharmacology August 31, 2016
- Ego-Dissolution and Psychedelics: Validation of the Ego-Dissolution Inventory (EDI) Frontiers in Human Neuroscience June 14, 2016
and 27 more in the library