A neurophenomenological approach to non-ordinary states of consciousness: hypnosis, meditation, and psychedelics

Abstract

No contemporary unifying framework has been provided for the study of non-ordinary states of consciousness (NSCs) despite increased interest in hypnosis, meditation, and psychedelics. NSCs induce shifts in experiential contents (what appears to the experiencer) and/or structure (how it appears). This can allow the investigation of the plastic and dynamic nature of experience from a multiscale perspective that includes mind, brain, body, and context. We propose a neurophenomenological (NP) approach to the study of NSCs which highlights their role as catalysts of transformation in clinical practice by refining our understanding of the relationships between experiential (subjective) and neural dynamics. We outline the ethical implications of the NP approach for standard conceptions of health and pathology as well as the crucial role of experience-based know-how in NSC-related research and application.

In the evidence

This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.

• State of the evidence: Altered states of consciousness ?Unclear

  Proposes a neurophenomenological framework for non-ordinary states (hypnosis, meditation, psychedelics) as catalysts of transformation, linking experiential and neural dynamics.

  Synthesized October 19, 2026

Comparable studies

Other theoretical and historical papers on altered states of consciousness, most cited first.