Spiritual experiences can be of the unitive-mystical type or of the visionary-relational type. We are interested in understanding the many aspects of both of these states in non-supernatural, naturalistic terms.

Mystical experience

Unitive mystical states and characterised by a loss of the sense of self, profound feelings of connection, intensely positive valence, the dissolution of categorical boundaries, and a sense of identification with the “source” of existence or the “ground of being”. We integrate how these experiences can be understood scientifically in a non-reductive framework that does not dismiss their reality or value.

Visionary experience

Visionary experiences or typically interactive and relational. These include archetypal Deity/Sprit/Alien encounter experiences and the psychodynamic dramatization of personal psychological material. How can such experiences, which often feel supernatural in character, be accounted for in a manner that is compatible with science? This is one of the issues that we focus on.

Publications:

Being no one, being One: The role of ego-dissolution and connectedness in the therapeutic effects of psychedelic experience (2022) Journal of Psychedelic Studies

Authors: Ada Kałużna, Marco Schlosser, Emily Gulliksen Craste, Jack Stroud, and James Cooke

https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/6/2/article-p111.xml

Background and aims

Despite promising findings indicating the therapeutic potential of psychedelic experience across a variety of domains, the mechanisms and factors affecting its efficacy remain unclear. The present paper explores this by focusing on two psychedelic states which have been suggested as therapeutically significant in past literature: ego-dissolution and connectedness. The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of ego-dissolution and connectedness on the therapeutic effects of the psychedelic experience.

Methods

The investigation was carried out as a mixed methods systematic review, with the data from four databases analysed thematically and results presented through narrative synthesis.

Results

The analysis and synthesis of findings from 15 unique studies (n = 2,182) indicated that both ego-dissolution and connectedness are associated with a higher chance of improvement following a psychedelic experience. However, there seem to be differences in the way the two experiences affect individuals psychologically. Ego-dissolution appears to trigger psychological change but does not typically exceed the psychedelic experience in its duration, while connectedness can be more sustained and is associated with several positive, potentially therapeutic feelings.

Conclusions

Moreover, the findings of this review have implications for further theory-building about the mechanisms which enable therapeutic effects in psychedelic experience. This in turn might lead to improved models for psychedelic therapy practice. Emphasis on ego-dissolution during the preparation phase and on connectedness during integration is one suggestion presented here, alongside overarching implications for the mental health debate and general practice.