![]() Meditation is the practice of developing these capacities with intention, attention, and compassionate awareness (Shapiro & Carlson, 2009). The facets of mindfulness are presence, being non-judgmental, non-reactive, the ability to describe one’s inner world and the capacity for self-observation. Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, and Toney (2006) completed a five-factor analysis of mindfulness traits to distil the five key components of a mindful state. The term mindfulness has arisen from integration of meditation into the western psychological practice. The goal is to break the spell of our habitual way of thinking - to become aware of unconscious patterns of avoidance, stuckness and grasping - to cultivate an easeful state of mind. Against popular belief, meditation is not about silencing or quieting the mind but includes methods of increasing awareness, the capacity to ‘be with’ all conscious processes including sounds, sensations, vision, thought and emotion (Matko & Sedlmeier, 2019). ![]() Meditation is an evidence-based, age-old practice of honing awareness thereby training the navigation of conscious phenomena. In a therapeutic set and setting, psychedelic experiences can provide an opportunity to reorient your habitual way of thinking and experiencing, enhancing self-agency. For example, in a recent trial of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, found that having a transformative experience, also described as a ‘peak experience’ or ‘mystical-type experience’, predicted positive clinical outcomes (Roseman, Nutt, & Carhart-Harris, 2018). Recent research suggests that the positive therapeutic effects of psychedelics are related to their ability to induce such altered states. When ‘set’ and ‘setting’ are controlled, psychedelics have also been found to reliably induce mystical experiences and changes to the sense of self, including an awareness of impermanence and the interconnection between all life. The DMN is area of functional connectivity associated with the ‘sense of self’ as well as daydreaming and rumination. Psychedelics exert these effect in part, by increasing the ‘dynamic flexibility of the brain’ by decreasing the rigidness of major brain networks, such as the Default Mode Network (DMN) and increasing communication across brain regions that don’t normally communicate ( Carhart-Harris & Friston, 2019). These experiences are characterized by a sense of interconnection, insight and positive feeling with a brain state which makes it easier to shift old beliefs and perceive new ideas. These include changes in perception, emotion and cognition. the psilocybin experience is different to the LSD experience) and the range of effects and responses that people experience is wide, there are certain subjective features of the psychedelic experience that occur for most people. While psychedelic altered states are highly specific to particular compounds (e.g. Psychedelics create a temporary altered state of consciousness induced by a psychedelic compound. In the meantime, for those who are waiting for their SAS-B psychedelic assisted psychotherapy session (and for those who are not eligible) there are benefits from practices that support the natural development of altered states of consciousness. People in Australia who have a diagnosis of PTSD and or chronic depression may be eligible for a psychiatric assessment and treatment with MDMA and psilocybin via the SAS-B scheme. Unfortunately, due to the restrictions on travel caused by COVID-19, this option is not currently available for most people. Access to Medicinal PsychedelicsĬurrently, psychedelics are restricted in most countries, which means that many people have been travelling overseas to visit legal psychedelic retreat providers and psychedelic therapy centres. These practices can be used to help prepare individuals who are waiting for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy through the SAS-B scheme, or for those who are not eligible but would like to experience the benefits of self-exploration in altered states of consciousness. Psychedelic assisted psychotherapy puts the recipient into an altered state of consciousness, which enables them to explore and tune into their inner experience in order to enhance the quality of their lives and capacity to show up in the world.īut given that these therapies are not available to everyone as yet, we thought it would be helpful to explore some other practices that support the natural (and legal) development of altered states of consciousness. International Summit on Psychedelic Therapiesīy Dr Alana Roy, Melissa Warner & Anna Lutkajtis.
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