Exploring Integral Transpersonal Thinking Concepts Through Non-Ordinary States Of Consciousness: An Experiential Look At Transpersonal Thinking

A first-person account describes how the author's lifelong exploration of non-ordinary states of consciousness, including experiences with psychedelics, helped them understand concepts in Integral Transpersonal Thinking. The author notes that the current Second Psychedelic Revolution has increased scientific study of psychedelics, which research shows allow the brain to make more connections and reliably produce transpersonal experiences of unity and boundary transcendence. The author conducted a personal experiment entering a non-ordinary state to deepen understanding of the presented material, resulting in a deep feeling of knowing the knowledge as part of their core being.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Consciousness and cognition have always been of interest to me and I have spent a large part of my life exploring non-ordinary states of consciousness and their effect on my thought processes. Many concepts in Integral Transpersonal Thinking resonated with my experience with non-ordinary states and it was through this resonance that I was able to make sense of terms that were initially confusing. Some of my resonance reflected experiences with psychedelics. We are in what has been called the Second Psychedelic Revolution, marked by a cultural shift in acceptance and an increase in the scientific study of psychedelic compounds, their effects on the brain, and their power to heal. This new research also shows that psychedelics allow the brain to make more connections. These compounds reliably produce transpersonal experiences that, in many cases, allow the subject to experience a sense of unity and to transcend normal boundaries of thought. The similarities between concepts in Integral Transpersonal Thinking, as presented in Beyond the Mind, and the psychedelic experience prompted an experiment in which I entered a state of non-ordinary consciousness to help further my understanding of the presented material. The result was a deep feeling of knowing, as if the knowledge is part of my core being. I now feel more prepared than ever for my journey into the science of consciousness. KEYWORDS Integral, Transpersonal, Consciousness, Entheogen, Psychedelic, Experiential.