home Endocrinology Altered state of consciousness. Practical esotericism How to achieve an altered state of consciousness

Altered state of consciousness. Practical esotericism How to achieve an altered state of consciousness

One of the ways to study consciousness is to study its states and their changes.

In psychology, two states of consciousness have traditionally been studied: the state wakefulness, or active state, and dream, considered as a period of rest.

IN modern psychology To characterize consciousness, the concept of “altered states of consciousness” was introduced, which denotes a way of adapting consciousness to changes in external and internal conditions.

Altered states of consciousness are divided into spontaneously occurring, artificially induced and psychotechnically conditioned.

Spontaneously occurring changes in state of consciousness appear during normal this person conditions (for example, when falling asleep or during significant overexertion), as well as in unusual or extreme conditions life and work of a healthy person.

Artificially induced altered states of consciousness arise under the influence psychoactive drugs(alcohol, drugs) or psychoactive treatments (sensory isolation or sensory overload).

Psychotechnically caused altered states of consciousness accompany the processes of mental regulation or self-regulation in modern psychotherapy, as well as when using special psychotechnics.

Let us consider spontaneously occurring changes in the state of consciousness using the example of wakefulness and sleep.

We will demonstrate psychotechnically determined changes in the state of consciousness using the example of the use of psychotechnics of meditation.

Wakefulness is a normal state of consciousness that corresponds to the activation of the entire organism. The perception of the external world and events in it, a person’s actions largely depend on the state of consciousness - on whether a person is tense or not, excited or dormant. Information processing changes, sometimes very significantly, depending on the level of wakefulness and readiness to perceive signals (Fig. 3).

Rice. 3. Dependence of the effectiveness of behavior on the level of wakefulness

According to the Yerkes-Dodson law, a person's behavior will be more effective the closer his level of wakefulness is to some optimal level - it should not be too low or too high. At low levels a person’s readiness for action gradually decreases and soon he falls asleep, and at higher levels he becomes agitated and his behavior may even become completely disorganized.

On average, the human body functions approximately with the following alternation: 16 hours of wakefulness, 8 hours of sleep. This 24-hour (with slight variations) cycle is controlled by an internal control mechanism called the biological clock.

At first glance, it seems that sleep and wakefulness are opposite states. However, both of these conditions have much in common:

we think when we sleep, we dream, although the type of thinking in a dream is different from the type of thinking when awake;
we remember events in a dream and can retell them while awake; some dreams are remembered for a lifetime;
sleep is not absolute rest. We move in our sleep;
in a dream, we do not disconnect from external information and are ready to receive certain signals, for example, a mother instantly reacts to the crying of a baby;
sleep does not destroy our plans. So, some people plan their wake-up time and wake up at the scheduled time.

There is no strict boundary between sleep and wakefulness in terms of the presence of mental processes occurring in these states.

For a long time it was believed that sleep is simply complete rest for the body, allowing it to restore the strength expended during wakefulness. It was noticed that lack of sleep significantly affects behavior: after several days without sleep, hallucinations occurred, the ability to normally perceive stimuli from the outside world was lost, etc.

It is now known that sleep is not just recovery period for the body, but represents a state of paramount importance for the preservation normal condition consciousness. The brain continues to function actively during sleep.

Sleep is not at all a homogeneous state, but a complex mental process that includes stages slow wave And paradoxical sleep.

Slow wave (“non-REM”) sleep accounts for 80% of total sleep time. When a person is immersed in slow sleep Heart and breathing rhythms slow down, muscles relax and the body regains its strength to the maximum extent.

Paradoxical sleep occupies 20% of the time, accompanied by a decrease in muscle tone with an increase in brain activity and rapid eye movements. All dreams occur during the period of paradoxical sleep. Paradoxical sleep is just as necessary for the body as deep sleep, although its significance for understanding the functioning of the psyche is still not entirely clear.

Psychotechnically determined altered state of consciousness achieved by meditation, which is a way of achieving the desired state of consciousness through the use of a special technique.

The purpose of meditation is narrowing the field of consciousness enough to cut him off from the outside world. In a state of meditation, the human brain rhythmically reacts to the stimulus on which the person is focused. There are several ways to achieve this goal: focusing on thoughts or physical sensations, using rhythmic dances accompanied by endless repetition of the same word, performing yoga, which emphasizes mastery of bodily postures and breathing.

Some people even achieve such a level of control during meditation that they can at will slow down the heart's contractions or reduce oxygen consumption by about 20%.

The technique of meditation has been widely popularized in the West as supposedly effective method solutions psychological problems. It must be borne in mind that the meditation technique is an element of Eastern culture and is often used within various occult sects. Propaganda of meditation techniques is aimed at decomposing traditional forms of consciousness and preparing the ground for all kinds of destructive, totalitarian and satanic sects. This kind of propaganda under the banner of freedom of conscience is widely carried out in our country and poses a particular danger to young people, many of whom become victims of totalitarian sects.

Possibilities human brain not limited. Changing your state of consciousness can help you solve a variety of problems and get out of difficult situations!

In this article you will find the experience of our reader who uses a change in state of consciousness to solve his problems¹.

“Before, when the Internet was not so accessible, I knew nothing about techniques, magic and other possibilities of the human psyche that affect self-development and can solve a variety of everyday and global problems. I even suspected myself of mental disorders, until, years later, I found an explanation for my capabilities.

Now I understand how wishes come true. Vivid imagination desire, absence of doubts and expectations, and some other points that you will learn about below - these are the main signs that the desire will be fulfilled.”

How I got a camera at the age of eleven!

“I got a toy - a shiny metal box, the size and shape of a matchbox. In my imagination, it was a camera, the through hole on the wide side served as a viewfinder, and the lever with a spring served as the shutter.

My imagination was so strong that I spent whole days “photographing” everything and didn’t leave it for a minute! Then one day I suddenly saw my uncle come to visit us and bring me a gift - a camera!

A couple of days later my vision came true exactly.

An altered state of consciousness (this is exactly what happened to me) subsequently more than once gave me comprehensive answers to my questions!”

How changing my state of consciousness helped me in my family life!

"My family life things started to go wrong. One day, it seemed to me, there was a reason to follow my wife, but since this business was undignified and humiliating, a discussion flared up in my soul.

The “reason” pushed, but the mind held. This went on for several days, until one day I was transported from the state of “here and now” to another reality, in which I was sneaking along some alleys and suddenly around the corner I came face to face with my wife!

I realized that she had guessed why I was here.

I was overcome by a feeling of shame and disgrace, I was ready to fall through the ground! Returning back to the here and now, feeling as if I had plunged into indecent mud, I said to myself: “I will never follow!” And as soon as I said this, an unknown force again took me into another reality.

There were no more alleys there, I found my wife with someone else, and my consciousness became clouded, in a blind rage I did something for which they give a life sentence. Having come to my senses a little, I was horrified, not by what I saw, but by what I had become.

Returning to the “here and now” state, I again said to myself: “I will never follow!” This concludes my internal discussion on this topic forever.

An altered state of consciousness brilliantly solved my problem!

After that, our family life suddenly improved, my wife gave birth to three children, and we really began to live happily.”

How did changing my state of consciousness help me solve an important problem?

“My sons were already in high school, we had to think about further education, the times came when higher education became paid. Considering that I supported my family alone and not very successfully financially- the problem was unsolvable.

But there was hope in my soul, which gave rise to a strong belief in solving the problem.

The eldest son managed to finish college under the Soviet system, and after serving in the army, working in production, he continued his studies by correspondence. The middle son entered a university, and all his meager savings were spent on his education, and his relatives also helped.

The youngest son was by that time in ninth grade. The boy was organized, except secondary school he attended art school, a swimming pool, and did everything without our “pressure”! The question arose about what to do? The “treasury” is empty, and not giving an education to a capable boy is an unforgivable sin!”

Amazing answer!

“Once I was visiting my sister in the regional center, she worked as a head teacher in primary school. During the conversation, she remembered her friend, also the head of the academic department, but at the lyceum at the university.

Her friend spoke with admiration about the idyll during the lessons, about how the children were studying from the first to the last minute of the lesson, and no one bothered anyone. The teachers were just “relaxing”!

I remembered my school days, when poor teachers, before starting the lesson, calmed us down for ten minutes. And during the lesson, someone was sure to throw something at someone or distract the diligent students with shouts...

Returning home, I was haunted by visions of the lyceum idyll for several days, until suddenly the thought flashed through me: “Why not try?”

And again I found myself in a different reality, without a physical body, my spirit, my consciousness were present in the classes, I saw my son and his peers enthusiastically studying, I saw how my son, having graduated from the lyceum, passed the unified national test with high scores, I saw how he was “automatically” enrolled in the university.

I was overcome with a feeling of joy for my son; I felt relieved that the problem had been solved.

Returning to the “here and now” state, still not calming down, I immediately called my sister asking if it was possible to enroll my son in this lyceum? A couple of weeks later, the head teacher of the lyceum decided to see my son, conduct an interview, and determine his potential.

More than once in my life I have had to move from the state of “here and now” to another reality, where I found solutions and answers. For me this happened spontaneously and not consciously, but, as I learned later, this quality can be easily learned.”

Vladimir Temirzhanov

Get your short and most important diagnostics in life for free! In it you will learn about your purpose, the unique abilities inherent in you and the business of your luck that will make you rich. To do this, just follow the link >>>

Notes and feature articles for deeper understanding of the material

¹ Find out the simple and effective method problem solution

An altered state of consciousness is the key through which you can receive anything you want. You just have to ask a question while entering this special state.

In the last lesson of our “Money Magic” course, you learned to use the technique of interrupted sleep to reprogram the circumstances of your life, materialize your desires and solve all sorts of problems.

In this lesson we will learn how to obtain any information that interests us by immersing ourselves in the same altered state of consciousness - the theta state.

The principle of operation remains the same: after you wake up, you simply feel yourself being pulled back into sleep.

You will probably feel a certain wave that pulls you inside yourself or some “dips” (plunging) of consciousness into sleep. This is an altered state of consciousness in which you can receive any information hidden from you from the subconscious, which is directly connected to the information field of the Universe.

How to use an altered state of consciousness?

The interrupted sleep technique can give you access to any information hidden from you.

Just think how much this means and what opportunities it can provide! You can learn almost anything if you train this ability.

Using this technology, you can view your destiny, ask questions to the subconscious (it knows about everything).

This technique will provide an incredible service to researchers, writers, gamblers, brokers, treasure hunters, geologists, bookmakers, etc.

Ordinary people will be able to use it if they want to find out what is hidden from them, for example, to expose deception or betrayal, or to find out about the thoughts of a person.

How this method helped me find a large sum!

I love experiments. This happened in my youth when I needed a certain amount of money. It was late evening.

As always, I entered (I have been using this method for a long time) and asked my subconscious: “Where can I find the amount of money I need right now?” After that the pictures came.

I was shown that on a street I knew, in my city, there was a wallet full of money. I immediately called a taxi and headed to this exact place (the Universe does not like thoughts).

Having arrived there and carefully examined everything that I could see in the dark, I suddenly found a wallet full of large bills. I counted the money, and it turned out that there was exactly as much as I needed to solve my problem.

This is far from the only successful experience in my history.

How did an altered state of consciousness help me win the lottery?

Another case clearly demonstrates that using this method you can win cash prizes in the lottery. I decided to take this opportunity and test the method for strength.

The day before New Year's holidays I bought a Sportloto lottery ticket. There you had to guess the winning combination of numbers 5 out of 36.

To be honest, I didn’t try very hard and remembered only three numbers that were shown to me in an altered state of consciousness. To my surprise, these numbers turned out to be winning. It wasn't a jackpot¹, but I was pleasantly pleased with the amount.

This was another victory and proof of effectiveness this method! I can tell many stories about how incredibly effective this simple method. Here's another interesting story, when I checked feelings.

How an altered state of consciousness helped me expose betrayal

About five years ago, a mature woman came to see me (I used to provide services), she cried and said that she suspected her husband of cheating.

She didn't know what to do and decided to turn to me for advice.

“Help,” she begged.

I replied that a wise man who wants to feed the hungry gives not a fish, but a fishing rod. In 3 weeks I taught her simple and proven clairvoyance methods.

About two weeks after the training, she came to me again, but in even greater despair...

“Imagine,” she says, “I used your method and actually discovered that my husband, the school director, was really cheating on me with one of the young elementary school teachers.”

I went into a trance and saw them together in his office. I couldn’t stand it and ran there to check myself and expose the betrayal. It turned out to be true!

The altered state of consciousness gave me a lot!

Many of my techniques were discovered in it. That's why I say that interrupted sleep is an indispensable thing in research, scientific development, obtaining profitable business ideas. This method is especially good for players in financial markets (although there are some nuances here and they need to be dealt with separately).

Conclusions:

So, we are interested in precisely these states of “dips” or waves of being drawn into sleep - this is theta trance.
At this moment, a “mystical” portal to the subconscious opens inside you, which means that you can ask questions or queries, similar to searching for information on an Internet search engine.
Focus as much as possible on an issue that interests or concerns you.
When a lapse in sleep comes, go into it with this question. After this (if you can stay awake), usually quite quickly, you receive an answer from somewhere in the depths of your subconscious. It could be a real voice or a vision or an understanding or a feeling. You will understand the answer already on a conscious level.

The answers, as a rule, are non-standard and even somewhat strange. You wouldn't have thought of this on your own. The subconscious is quite extraordinary.

The human brain constantly emits energy impulses. The devices record this. Over the course of long-term studies, it was found that these impulses are oscillations and constantly change rhythm. IN different condition consciousness, the brain emits energy waves at different frequencies. To simplify work and research, notations were introduced and states were divided.

Result:
- beta waves - 13-25 oscillations per second (waking state);
- alpha waves - 7-13 oscillations per second (sleep state with a dream);
- theta waves - 4-7 oscillations per second (state deep sleep without dreams or trance);
– delta waves – up to 5 oscillations per second (coma or megatrans)

Measurements of psychics at work, yogis in meditation, people artificially put into a trance gave an interesting result. It turned out that:
- a person does not have to sleep to be at the alpha or theta level;
- children under 7 - 10 years old are always at the alpha level;
- a sharp slowdown in rhythms is caused by closing the eyes.

William Hewitt, a famous hypnotherapist, researched and developed methods for controlling the state of the brain. Moreover, he published the book “The Secret Possibilities of Your Psyche,” which teaches people who are not endowed with paranormal abilities how to become a psychic. The first thing the book teaches is to consciously slow down the biorhythms of the brain, while moving, as he himself puts it, to (OES).
I can tell you from my own experience that it’s interesting. The altered state of consciousness caused by this technique enhances all abilities (both natural and paranormal).

Why in practice do you need to be able to achieve OES?

increasing efficiency when working with extrasensory abilities;
work with self-programming;
formation;
rapid achievement of the state;
working on intention through visualization;
with sufficient skill - entering deep trance states and consciously exiting it, etc...

Basic Psychic Level is an altered state of consciousness in the most accessible and safe form.

How to learn to achieve OES?

To do this, you need to spend 2 hours doing a couple of exercises. After this, it is advisable to repeat the adjustment every week. This makes it possible to reduce rhythms in a few seconds.

With regular practice, you can achieve the OES state in 2 seconds as many times a day as you like (although frequent practice gets tiring). With experience, you begin to notice that you are diving deeper and deeper - a pleasant feeling.

First, you need to learn how to achieve. The fastest and effective exercise Of all the ones I have met, the same one gives Hewitt.

Achieving the Basic Psychic Level

Sit back and relax.
Close your eyes.
Visualize a spiral staircase with ten steps leading to the basement.
Visualize yourself standing on the top step.
Say: “Now I will start going down the stairs. With each step I will relax more and more and plunge into the depths of my subconscious.”
Go down one step and say: “Deeper level of consciousness.”
Continue down the steps repeating these words.
Having descended to the lowest step, say: “I have now reached the basic level of consciousness that allows me to begin psychic reading.
practice. I can reach this level at will with open or eyes closed. To do this, I need to mentally count from three to one.” *Congratulations - you have taken an excursion into an altered state of consciousness.
Open your eyes. Repeat the same exercise with with open eyes. I recommend practicing this exercise at least once a week.

You have now learned to achieve an altered state of consciousness at will. To do this, you just need to mentally count from three to one. This will take no more than two seconds. When I repeat this exercise, an imaginary staircase automatically appears in my mind's eye, intensifying the sensation. You can also conjure up the image of a ladder in your mind by counting from three to one. This will consolidate the success you have achieved.

ISS) is a term of modern psychology, meaning extraordinary states of consciousness that can be achieved with the help of special training or the use of a number of pharmacological drugs and psychedelic substances (LSD-25, psilocybin, etc.).

ASC, the psychedelic practice of achieving them, is historically given and has been known to people since the times of tribal self-organization. The special significance of psychedelics lies in their ability to open the psyche, make it unusually sensitive to the imprinting of sacred rites, and, in fact, introduce the individual to new situations and roles. Initially, ISS served as a means of selecting and consolidating stages and standards life cycles and specializations of community members, for example: in the rituals of initiation of warriors, spiritual leaders, in rituals of family, birth, etc. Strict passing criteria made it possible to reproduce and strengthen the community each time in the customs of a particular ethnic group. The criteria for the success of initiation for an individual consisted not only of the result of the change, but, to a large extent, were determined by the quality of the stages of passage. They provided for the manifestation of strong and weaknesses physiology, human psyche and his ability to confirm his sociality. The essence of these ethnopsychological self-regulations is known in modern history a number of small nations of America, South-East Asia, Siberia and Africa. According to ethnographic research, such practices in the form of mysteries were part of the life of the peoples of Europe until the 6th - 9th centuries and as initiatory rituals until the 12th - 14th centuries.

The position of the Church in the absolute right to the sacred and mystical, the final declaration of Nature as a base form of being, led to a complete ban on psychedelics and initiatory practices of ASC.

The revival of psychedelics in their specific qualities begins in Europe with the use of cannabis derivatives - hashish and absinthe - wormwood. The medical use of cannabis derivatives lasted until the 1930s. The era of synthetic psychedelics begins in the late 40s after the discovery of the properties to induce ASCs, as well as the widespread and successful use of the drug in differential diagnosis and in the treatment of mental crises, neuroses, drug addiction and alcoholism. Since the late 50s it has penetrated into the youth environment and is especially popular in the USA, and by the mid-60s a situation of mass “acid” consumption has developed. After the ban in 1966 and subsequent bans on other new synthetic drugs of this series, a stable criminal world drug market is emerging, in which “hard”, true drugs are smuggled in “on the tail” of psychedelics. In Russia, a law was passed in 2001 banning certain drugs.

Of course, a qualified psychotherapist is able to provide psychological assistance and without the use of psychedelic drugs, especially since in our country they are legally prohibited, but the legal ban on psychedelic drugs does not abolish them valuable properties and qualities, in most countries their use, sanctioned by government agencies, continues for research, psychotherapeutic and medical purposes.

Consciousness and its altered forms

In modern ideas, the discussion about the forms of consciousness began in the work of W. James “The Variety of Experience”: “Our normal, or, as we call it, rational consciousness represents only one form of consciousness, and other, completely different from it, forms exist next to him, separated from him by a thin partition... Our idea of the world cannot be complete if we do not take into account these forms of consciousness.” Over the past century, researchers have shown the existence of a wide variety of forms of consciousness. The most striking of them should be recognized as modifications caused by psychoactive substances, especially psychedelics. The basis of these caused ASCs is the process of deep dissociation of consciousness, the subsequent unification of unconscious and conscious mental content. In the dynamics of mental changes, renewal of their properties, content and semantic orientation is achieved, and consciousness deepens.

The established views on ASC are based on the idea of consciousness as an aspect, side of mental reality. The fundamental difference between consciousness and other aspects of the psyche is its self-referral, self-awareness, which stands out as the reflexivity of consciousness. In this awareness we think, desire, determine our intentions and goals. Meanings and meanings are presented as the central content of reflection. In reflexive appeal to them, new meanings and meanings, new connections are born, their mutual logical and creative transformations occur, reflection entails dreams, fantasy and is responsible for the criticality and adequacy of perception and comprehension.

Meanings and senses are closely related in symbolic, iconic, figurative and verbal expressions, functionally present in the sensory fabric of the psyche and the objective fabric of activity. Reflection constantly supports thematic and vital activity, transforms the potential in the psyche into the actual, and our capabilities into abilities and new ideas.

In this context, according to ASC researchers, human consciousness manifests itself as a mastered psychic and as a purely human “organ” that has no developed natural analogues. The unconscious, on the one hand, surrounds consciousness, on the other, it is deeply subject to it, therefore it is partially shaped by the cultural fabric, representing the sphere of repressed mental contents, long-term memory, instincts and potential psyche. Such a statement emphasizes the semantic horizons, as well as the genetic essence of the individual. In fact, from the prenatal stage he is immersed in all aspects of human reality. In other words, a person is initially imprinted, imprinted in the forms of this reality. Then, the information-energetic essence of imprinting becomes the basis for the highest differentiations and diversity of manifestations of its essence. At the same time, from the semantic and vital potentiality, culture and civilization reproduces the individual it needs, convenient and constructive - this is the most general mechanism for the formation of the modern, i.e. a specific person, which ensures the stability of the construction of social corridors of reality and the individual himself.

In human reality, as researchers emphasize, there is always significant potential for new worlds of self-realization, creativity and self-determination. In the crises of life and progress, people used their potential for readaptation and expansion. Solving problems of this level was possible only in thematically specified information systems. Access to adjacent (“parallel”) and potential realities was apparently first felt intuitively, and then methods and means were selected that led to the desired goal. Probably so, since ancient times, controlled ASCs have become important tool psychic culture, natural psychedelics were used as “mysterious keys” of the ASC.

Psychedelic experience

As a means of initiating ASC, from all natural and synthetic psychedelics, researchers have identified two main substances that are similar in their effects - LSD-25 and psilocybin. They are distinguished by the practical absence of toxicity, an acceptable period of action (on average 6 - 12 hours), as well as the achievement of vivid and deep experiences in the ASC, while the entire period of action of the ASC psychedelics remains stable. Exit from this state, as a rule, is completely physiological and is not burdened with long-term consequences. In the psychedelic process, conditions are created for a person to deeply transform his experience of his personal history and, further, the so-called transpersonal nature - that which lies beyond the boundaries of his individuality. Here the phenomenology of personal conflicts, childhood, infancy, his period of birth (the so-called perinatal experience) is revealed, as well as connections and forms in which a person is present beyond the boundaries of his person and life in other people, nature, space and the sacred mystical existence. In psychedelic states, a person is faced with experiencing real aspects of his life and with unexpected phenomenology that has no analogues in everyday life. All this is presented in real (recognizable), mythological and phantasmagoric images and experiences. Their comprehension occurs partly in the ASCs themselves, partly after the completed sessions. The essence of the transformative influence of psychedelics lies in the rethinking of life contents, psychotraumas, one’s own ancestral (perinatal) history, the boundaries of one’s “I” and in the acquisition of a new self-presentation, in the experience of “encountering” the extraordinary scale of one’s own psyche, as well as in the experience of mystical unity with nature and the universe . In individual self-reports, the majority of participants in psychedelic sessions indicate a deep revitalizing rethinking of their crises, illnesses and life itself; participants are confident in acquiring new perspectives, goals and values, as well as in expanding their capabilities, scope and depth of understanding of themselves and the world. The most important feature psychedelia is the manifestation of conditions for the transformation of mental contents, repressed and forgotten information, the acquisition of new positive meanings and grounds for constructive changes in one’s own life path and self-determination that lead to personal growth.

Unlike psychedelic drugs, psycholytic drugs cause dissolution, dissociation of consciousness, at the level of its barriers of self-control and internal mental censorship; they are short-term in their effect and allow penetration only to the biographical level of the subject. The psycholytic effect allows, in best case scenario, resolve current conflicts in the psyche, release a number of “clamps” that are directly relevant in a particular crisis or psychological trauma, that is, they lie on the surface. The disinhibiting effect of psycholytics (for example, pentothal) also lies in the fact that non-narcotic dosages of drugs in this series are capable of activating a person’s motor and speech activity. In particular, in speech the individual loses criticality towards his statements and he develops talkativeness without speech censorship and speech organization, which partially relieves stress tension. Alcohol, known to everyone, has similar psycholytic properties. Thus, psycholytics relieve accumulated tensions, but do not lead to their comprehension and, especially, to a liberating transformation.

Analysis of psychedelically altered states of consciousness

The mandatory content of all thematically or psychotherapeutically conditioned ASCs are the following phases:

the first phase is immersion, in which the individual experiences stupefaction, loss of control, clarity of all external and internal landmarks. He finds himself shackled in a feeling of self-dissolution, which is perceived as an uncontrollable process;

the transition to the second phase of the state can be gradual or rapid; a person, as it were, emerges and finds himself in a new situation and reality that is unexpected for him. At the same time, his orientation is restored, but the main part of attention is captured and connected with intrapsychic contents. The individual loses the clarity of sensory boundaries, as well as the certainty of his “I” and becomes part of a dynamic array of experiences. He is drawn into the flow of images, repressed and forgotten events, mythological scenes and fantasies; in meaning, they are usually associated with each other. In this movement, a person begins to highlight, discover himself, his primary self-determination occurs in the conditions of psychedelia;
in the third conditional phase of the process, the individual shows special sensitivity to meanings and sensitivity to understanding what is happening. He begins to connect the realities of his life with the revealed mental contents, which stimulates the process of rethinking his own existence and the boundaries of the personal “I”; it ceases to appear in the form of a personal pronoun. Self-perception becomes as dynamic as possible and a person begins to perceive the wealth of meanings that lie behind the simple Ego-form. In this phase, the psyche undergoes one or another reconstruction in accordance with semantic dynamics;
in the fourth phase, a person encounters the phenomenon of psychedelic clarity. His “I” acquires new self-determination and self-representation, the individual evaluates his experience, state and prospects in a new way, the semantic reconstruction of the psyche gains clarity. In this phase, he understands the content of his problems, difficulties and successes, and here the prerequisites for self-change, renewal of tasks and values arise.

The exit from the ASC is carried out smoothly, the person, as it were, emerges in the usual landmarks to his everyday life. Most of the experience is left behind, its relevance fades and is forgotten to one degree or another. At the same time, the main contents of the experience, associated with one’s own rethinking, become the contents of consciousness. Subsequently, the person chooses to what extent to follow and implement this new understanding.

With vulgar, thoughtless use of psychedelics, the pattern of ASC is dominated by the development of the first and second phases, and only weak, random signs of the third and fourth phases are detected. Such psychedelia cannot be recognized as full-fledged due to the lack of constructive psychosemantic synthesis. This profanation places psychedelia outside human self-determination.

Psychosemantic dynamics in ASC

The dynamics and reorganization of semantic elements in ASC, despite the richest mental phenomenology, manifests itself as completely natural processes.

The specific quality of psychedelics should be recognized as the ability to cause deep dissolution (dissolution) of consciousness with a temporary loss of the mechanisms of mental censorship, self-control and its reflexive self-referral. As a result, a unique situation is created: deep mental contents and forgotten information become accessible to perception. At the same time, nonspecific activation by psychedelics of all mental processes is observed, which increases the depth of access to mental contents.

The individual result of psychosemantic dynamics, upon exiting the ASC, is one or another new semantic content of consciousness, the desire to rethink one’s life and affairs. These changes often carry a pronounced therapeutic charge; a person is able to recover from many psychosomatic ailments and mental suffering.

Psychosemantic content of ISS

From the point of view of semantic analysis, the most important qualities and unique properties of psychedelia are:

formation of access to unconscious mental contents and memory;
the ability to extremely activate reflexive mechanisms and increase sensitivity to psychosemantic elements;
significantly stimulate the dynamics of psychosemantic processes, as well as the reorganization of psychosemantic elements with the vector of complicating their systematicity;
provide a revitalizing therapeutic effect in the updated context of semantic assessments of life content;
have a transformative effect on personal self-determination and stimulate the need for self-development.

The identified qualities are found in all professionally induced ASCs and, in fact, represent the formal psychosemantic dynamics and structure of psychedelically induced ASCs. The manifestation of this formal structure in altered states can be recognized as a criterion of their usefulness and effectiveness, as well as the validity of ASCs, along with methodological requirements and analyzes of the results of their origin.

Contemporary psychedelic practice of ASC

In modern practice of using psychedelics, the following areas are distinguished:

vulgar use of psychedelics, mainly among young people, as a form of entertainment and pleasure. In this variant, the qualities of psychedelics are exploited to enhance the hedonistic sensory component and fantasy of perception;
the use of psychedelics for the purpose of self-development and stimulation of the development of new
social-role functions, is observed mainly in a culturally developed environment and can be used for applied purposes. This option deliberately uses the possibility of thematic control of the psychedelic process within the framework of special algorithms;
medical use of psychedelics: over the past forty years it has proven its effectiveness in the treatment of severe personality crises, a number of mental illness and for most psychosomatic ailments. Medical specialists who use drugs of this series believe that their healing effect associated with the transformation of negative pathogenic systems of experience (negative information matrices) and with the revitalizing transformation of the psyche. The most important aspect this therapy has a psychosemantic component;
the use of psychedelics for scientific research can be considered promising, especially in light of their ability to provide deep access to unconscious mental contents, for the study of the semantic organization of the psyche and its role in the functioning of the systems of the human body. However, such studies are most adequate, with scientific point vision, can be implemented in conjunction with computer psychotechnologies.

Legal authorization of the use of psychedelics for medical and research purposes, within the framework of the current legislation of the Russian Federation, is possible only in the form of state licensing of the use of psychedelic drugs by relevant specific medical and scientific organizations and groups.

History of altered states of consciousness and psychedelic substances Altered states of consciousness (ASC) is a term in modern psychology that means extraordinary states of consciousness that can be achieved with the help of special training or the use of a number of pharmacological drugs and psychedelic substances (LSD-25, psilocybin, etc.). ASC, the psychedelic practice of achieving them, is historically given and has been known to people since the times of tribal self-organization. Special...