Improving measurement of altered states of consciousness

Abstract

Practices involving altered states of consciousness (ASCs) are receiving increasing scientific and public attention, particularly in domains such as psychedelic assisted therapy and mindfulness-based interventions (Lee et al., 2021; Nichols et al., 2017). There is also an increasing interest in a broader range of practices involving altered states, including breathwork, ice-bath immersions, chanting, hypnosis, flicker light stimulation, lucid dreaming, flow, sensory deprivation, and near-death experiences. Despite this growing interest, there is limited systematic data on how individuals engage with these practices in a naturalistic setting, and the prevalence and phenomenology of ASC experiences remain poorly characterised. In addition, variability in the methods used to examine ASCs poses challenges for the interpretation and comparability of findings across studies. While validated measures such as the 5D-ASC (Dittrich, 1998) are widely used, potential methodological influences, including the order in which these measures are administered, remain largely unexamined. The present study aims to address these gaps by (1) examining the prevalence and patterns of engagement with a range of ASC practices and (2) testing whether the order in which individuals retrospectively rate ASC experiences systematically influence reported intensity. Potential order effects will be examined across three target ASCs: meditation, feelings of awe, and experiences with psychoactive drugs. This study will also examine the influence of lifetime ASC experience on reported intensity.