Mapping the Mind's Eye: A Graded Guide to Phosphenes and Inner Visions Integrating Neuroscience, Contemplative Practice, and Psychonautic Reports for the Yoga of Inner Light
Jan Marius Keppel Hesselink
PsyArXiv July 31, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/9a3ke_v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that Klüver's four geometric "form constants" insufficiently capture the diversity of phosphene forms and proposes a new five-level graded classification, from simple flickers and geometries to radial mandalas, archetypal imagery, and full-field immersive light realms, synthesized from tACS reports, Yoga of Inner Light introspection, and psychonautic Closed-Eye Visuals literature. |
Abstract
Phosphenes, the perception of light without external visual input, represent a rich intersection of neuroscience, subjective experience, and contemplative practice. While Heinrich Klüver's 1928 classification of four geometric "form constants" (lattices, cobwebs, tunnels, spirals) laid foundational groundwork for understanding these phenomena, it offers a limited scope for the diversity of forms reported across various induction methods. This article proposes an updated and expanded classification system for phosphene forms, integrating extensive subjective reports from transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) studies, detailed introspective data from practitioners of the Yoga of Inner Light (meditation), and insights from the Closed-Eye Visuals (CEVs) model in psychonautic literature. We present a new, graded framework that maps phosphene development across five levels of increasing complexity and intensity, ranging from ephemeral flickers and simple geometries to radial mandalas, archetypal imagery, and full-field immersive light realms. This synthesis not only refines our descriptive tools but also establishes a continuum of inner visual phenomena that bridges empirical neurostimulation data with contemplative phenomenology. By providing a structured and nuanced understanding of these inner lights, this classification system offers new pathways for consciousness research, contemplative science, and the integration of visionary experiences into healing and personal growth. It highlights phosphenes as dynamic, meaningful doorways to subtle perception, inviting a deeper inquiry into the nature of inner vision itself.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |