Approaches to Altered States of Consciousness in Contemporary Western Science and Technology

A discussion of Anglo-American and German publications since 2000 on Altered States of Consciousness (ASC) examines an expansion of brain research that has promoted reductionist models of the mind and visions of technologically augmented humanity, alongside a new movement toward integrative approaches reconciling science, humanities, and spirituality. The first part describes specialized studies and four comprehensive textbooks offering basic explanatory models for consciousness. The second part contrasts two opposed approaches: Transhumanism, which advances neuroscience in service of neuro-enterprise, and Fritjof Capra’s and Pier Luigi Luisi’s Systems View of Life, paradigmatic for an integral approach to ASC.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article presents a discussion of publications in Anglo-American and German research, mainly since 2000, on topics related to Altered States of Consciousness (ASC). It is motivated by an unprecedented expansion of brain-research which has fostered a boom of reductionist models of the human mind with visions of a technologically augmented humanity and numerous successful neuro-enterprises. At the same time a new movement has emerged toward integrative approaches to ASC, also toward a reconciliation of science, the humanities and spirituality. In the first part, a number of specialized studies is described, followed by an overview of four comprehensive new textbooks which offer comprehensive basic models of explanation for the question of consciousness. The second part contains a discussion of two diametrically opposed approaches to ASC, the project of Transhumanism as a movement in favor of neuroscience in the service of Neuro-enterprise, and Fritjof Capra’s and Pier Luigi Luisi’s Systems View of Life which is paradigmatic for an integral approach to ASC.