Gehirnscans zeigen, wie eine Frau ohne Drogen freiwillig in eine psychedelische Trance gerät. Ihre Gehirnkonnektivität hat sich in diesem Zustand grundlegend neu organisiert: Ihre visuellen und somatosensorischen Verbindungen nahmen ab, während die Konnektivität in den frontoparietalen Kontrollregionen des Gehirns zunahm.

Brain scans reveal how a woman voluntarily enters a psychedelic-like trance without drugs

A neuroimaging study investigated the brain activity of an individual capable of voluntarily entering a transcendental visionary state—a rare, non-ordinary state of consciousness. The researchers found that the participant’s brain connectivity fundamentally reorganized during this state: her visual and somatosensory connections decreased, while connectivity in the frontoparietal control regions of the brain increased. The paper was published in NeuroImage.

Non-ordinary states of consciousness refer to mental states that differ significantly from normal waking awareness in terms of perception, cognition, emotion, and sense of self. These states can arise through various means, including meditation, sensory deprivation, extreme stress, sleep, or the use of psychoactive substances (like psychedelics). They typically involve alterations in time perception, intensified imagery, and a reduced sense of the boundaries between the self and the environment. Some non-ordinary states are considered pathological, while others are culturally valued or deliberately cultivated for spiritual purposes.

One specific type of non-ordinary state of consciousness is the transcendental visionary state. This state is characterized by vivid, often symbolic or archetypal imagery and a strong sense of insight or revelation. Individuals in such states frequently report experiencing a reality that feels more meaningful or “truer” than ordinary perception. These experiences may include visions of entities, landscapes, or abstract patterns, often accompanied by intense emotions such as awe or unity. In many religious and mystical traditions, transcendental visionary states are interpreted as encounters with a higher reality or divine presence.

The participant never received formal training in techniques for inducing non-ordinary states of consciousness. Her practice developed intuitively and independently from early adolescence. At age 24, she experienced a spontaneous visual phenomenon that she later learned to reproduce voluntarily. Over time, she gradually refined this ability through reasoning and introspection. (She also reports stable, lifelong associations between letters, numbers, and colors, consistent with mild grapheme-color synesthesia).

For those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811926001023