Cosmic consciousness experience and psychedelic experiences: A first person comparison

Journal of Consciousness Studies 5 (1):97-107 (1998)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

The descriptions in the literature of mystical experience and psychedelic experience, such as that induced by LSD, are usually written by persons who have actually experienced only one or perhaps neither of the two states. Because many of the most important effects can be understood by direct experience but only partially described in ordinary language, such lack of direct experience is a major drawback. Since there is disagreement over the question of whether mystical experience and LSD experience can be ‘the same’, it would be helpful if an individual who has experienced aspects of both states would compare them. One of the authors describes his experience with both states. A particular form of mystical experience, cosmic consciousness , occurred spontaneously; no mind altering drugs were used. ALS later took LSD on 12-15 occasions. Both states of consciousness involved alterations in time sense, subject/object boundary, cognition, mood and perception. However, the changes with CC were qualitatively and quantitatively different from those of LSD. The authors conclude that CC and LSD can be quite different states of consciousness, although we cannot completely rule out the possibility that psychedelics might sometimes induce the same kinds of mystical experiences that occur for non-drug reasons

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,593

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Plants of the gods: Ethnic routes to altered consciousness.Elaine Perry - 2002 - In Elaine Perry, Heather Ashton & Andrew W. Young (eds.), Neurochemistry of Consciousness. John Benjamins. pp. 36--205.
From the Inside: Consciousness and the First‐Person Perspective.Mark Rowlands - 2008 - International Journal of Philosophical Studies 16 (3):281 – 297.
The neurochemistry of psychedelic experiences.Michael Lyvers - 2003 - Science and Consciousness Review 1.
What is the unity of consciousness?Timothy J. Bayne & David J. Chalmers - 2003 - In Axel Cleeremans (ed.), The Unity of Consciousness. Oxford University Press.
Phenomenological approaches to consciousness.Shaun Gallagher - 2007 - In Max Velmans & Susan Schneider (eds.), The Blackwell Companion to Consciousness. Blackwell. pp. 686--696.

Analytics

Added to PP
2014-02-14

Downloads
65 (#225,534)

6 months
9 (#144,939)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Citations of this work

Sacred plants and visionary consciousness.José Luis Díaz - 2010 - Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences 9 (2):159-170.
Collective Conscious Experience Across Time.Axel A. Randrup - 2002 - Anthropology of Consciousness 13 (1):27-41.
Phenomenal Time and its Biological Correlates.Ram L. P. Vimal & Christopher J. Davia - 2010 - Journal of Consciousness Exploration and Research 1 (5):560-572.

Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references