The Neurophenomenology of a Self-Induced Transcendental Visionary State: A Case Study.
Gabriel A. Della Bella, Agustina Velez Picatto, Dante Sebastián Galván Rial, Sebastián Cukier, Gustavo Foa Torres, Magaly Catanzariti, Diego M. Mateos, Pedro Lamberti, Etzel Cardeña, Pablo Barttfeld
Neuroimage February 4, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121784 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Single-case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A participant able to reliably enter a self-induced non-ordinary state of consciousness |
| Duration | 20 fMRI sessions |
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | N/a |
| Key findings | During the NOC state, inter-network connectivity broadly decreased, while frontoparietal and salience networks increased coupling with precuneus and multimodal temporal regions, paralleling subjective reports of altered perception and sustained inward attention. |
Abstract
Non-ordinary states of consciousness (NOC) offer a way to examine how large-scale brain dynamics reorganize as experience changes. We studied a participant able to reliably enter a self-induced NOC state characterized by vivid imagery, altered bodily perception, and a sense of unity. Across 20 fMRI sessions, we measured functional connectivity in four conditions (Baseline, Transition, NOC, and Residual) and compared the results with a matched control group. During the Transition phase, connectivity became more variable, indicating a temporary destabilization of network organization. In the NOC state, inter-network connectivity decreased broadly, with visual cortex showing reduced coupling to auditory, sensorimotor, orbitofrontal, thalamic, and cerebellar regions, and the somatomotor-dorsal network disengaging from auditory and language cortices, paralleling the reported visual phenomena and changes in bodily experience. In contrast, frontoparietal and salience networks showed increased coupling with precuneus/posterior cingulate, multimodal temporal cortex, and cerebellar hubs, in agreement with subjective reports of sustained inward-directed attention and stable absorption. Entropy and complexity analyses revealed systematic shifts that tracked the experiential sequence and returned to baseline in the Residual condition. This single-case study brings together something uncommon: controlled experimentation, voluntary induction of NOC states, and rich phenomenological data. Taken together, these elements offer a strong foundation for neurophenomenological research and illustrate why pairing structured paradigms with lived experience is useful for understanding non-ordinary states of consciousness.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| How does it feel to lack a sense of boundaries? A case study of a long-term mindfulness meditator. A single long-term mindfulness practitioner (S) with 40 years of practice in... | 2015 | Qualitative case study | n = 1 |
| An extended case study on the phenomenology of sequence-space synesthesia Single adult with sequence-space synesthesia | 2014 | Phenomenological case study | n = 1 |
| "I can't tell whether it's my hand": a pilot study of the neurophenomenology of body representation during the rubber hand illusion in trauma-related disorders. Individuals with the dissociative subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 2016 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Neurophenomenology of an Altered State of Consciousness: An fMRI Case Study. A single research participant with self-proclaimed ecstatic Kundalini meditative... | 2016 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Multimodal neurophenomenology of advanced concentration absorption meditation: An intensively sampled case study of Jhana. One advanced meditator with over 23,000 hours of meditation practice | 2024 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cites 30
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 11, 2016
- Increased Global Functional Connectivity Correlates with LSD-Induced Ego Dissolution. Current Biology April 13, 2016
- What Geometric Visual Hallucinations Tell Us about the Visual Cortex Neural Computation March 1, 2002
- Psilocybin-assisted mindfulness training modulates self-consciousness and brain default mode network connectivity with lasting effects. Neuroimage August 1, 2019
and 25 more in the library