Toward the Enlightened Self: How Mindfulness and Psychedelics Relate to Self-Transcendence and Connectedness
Minka Witke, Paweł Holas
October 16, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/qkvsh_v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,164 |
| Population | International adults, primarily from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Poland |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Spirituality Religiosity Mediation Contemplation Expansive Social connectedness Spiritual practice Thematic analysis Psychotherapist Transpersonal psychology |
| Key findings | Mindfulness practice and psychedelic experiences are positively associated with self-transcendence and nondual awareness, with ego dissolution mediating these links. |
Abstract
Objective. Spirituality and religiosity have long been associated with experiences that transcend ordinary self-awareness, often described as mystical union or nondual awareness. This study examines the concept of the “enlightened self” as a transcendent ideal, focusing on the role of mindfulness practice and psychedelic experiences in fostering self-transcendence, nondual awareness, and ecological connectedness.Method. A total of 1,164 participants (668 men, 433 women, and 63 other) were recruited internationally, primarily from the United States (n = 502), Canada (n = 67), the United Kingdom (n= 59), and Poland (n = 50). They completed validated self-report measures of mindfulness traits, contemplative practice frequency and duration, lifetime psychedelic use and intensity, ego dissolution, self-transcendence, nondual awareness, and ecological awareness. Analyses included correlational, regression, and mediation models.Results. Mindfulness practice and psychedelic experiences were positively associated with self-transcendence and nondual awareness. Ego dissolution emerged as a significant mediator linking both practices with nondual awareness. Ecological awareness was also positively associated with self-transcendent orientation.Conclusions. Findings suggest that mindfulness and psychedelics may contribute to experiences of self-transcendence and ecological connectedness. These phenomena remain complex to define and study, underscoring the need for multimethod approaches to capture their depth and diversity.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |