Anomalous Cognition: An Umbrella Review of the Meta-Analytic Evidence
Patrizio Tressoldi, Lance Storm
Journal of Anomalous Experience and Cognition December 30, 2022 DOI: 10.31156/jaex.23206 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Altered states of consciousness |
| Keywords | Anomalous cognition Free response Forced choice ´physiological responses Psi Research methodology: meta-analysis Consciousness studies: consciousness Human mind |
| Citations | 12 |
| Key findings | Anomalous cognition appears possible, and its effects can be enhanced by combining altered states of consciousness with free-response procedures or neurophysiological dependent variables. |
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the results of all meta-analyses on anomalous cognition conducted between 1989 and 2021 in order to find moderators associated with greater effect sizes.
Method: We included all meta-analyses of studies related to anomalous cognition published up to 2021.
Results: Our dataset, accumulated over more than 80 years of investigation, refers to 11 meta-analyses related to six different states of consciousness. The evidence clearly shows that anomalous cognition seems possible and its effects can be enhanced by using a combination of some non-ordinary or altered states of consciousness (e.g., dreaming, ganzfeld, etc.), coupled with free-response procedures, or neurophysiological dependent variables. These conditions facilitate an alternative form of cognition seemingly unconstrained by the known biological characteristics of the sense organs and the brain.
Conclusion: The accumulated evidence expands our understanding of the mind-brain relation and the nature of the human mind.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on altered states of consciousness, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The role of non-ordinary states of consciousness occasioned by mind-body practices in mental health illness. | 2023 | Systematic review | |
| The Altered States of Consciousness in Transpersonal Approach Psychotherapy: Systematic Review and Guidelines for Research and Clinical Practice. Adults, mostly women | 2019 | Systematic review | n = 14 |
| The Induction of Dissociative States: A Meta-Analysis. Individuals from clinical and nonclinical samples | 2025 | Meta-analysis | n = 6,692 |
| Ketamine-induced altered states of consciousness: a systematic review of implications for therapeutic outcomes in psychiatric practices. Patients with mood disorders (major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder), substance... | 2024 | Systematic review | n = 29 |
| Measuring Altered States of Consciousness in Virtual Reality: A Systematic Analysis of Assessment Methods | 2026 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 5
- Feeling the future: A meta-analysis of 90 experiments on the anomalous anticipation of random future events F1000Research January 29, 2016
- How Do Theories of Cognition and Consciousness in Ancient Indian Thought Systems Relate to Current Western Theorizing and Research? Frontiers in Psychology March 14, 2016
- Inner Experience - Direct Access to Reality: A Complementarist Ontology and Dual Aspect Monism Support a Broader Epistemology. Frontiers in Psychology 2020
- Stage 1 Registered Report: Anomalous perception in a Ganzfeld condition - A meta-analysis of more than 40 years investigation. F1000Research 2020
- On the correspondence between dream content and target material under laboratory conditions: A meta-analysis of dream-ESP studies, 1966-2016. November 3, 2017