Page 161 - Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained Vol. 3

142 Mysteries of the Mind

work, or personal relationships; C) the the Varieties of Religious Experience that what is
symbolic level, which is often character- called “normal waking consciousness” is but
ized by vivid visual imagery of mythical, one special type of consciousness, while all
religious, and historical symbols; D) the about it, separated by the slightest of barriers,
integrative level, in which the individual “there lie potential forms of consciousness
undergoes an intense religious illumina- entirely different.” While many individuals
tion, experiences a dissolution of self, and may go through life without suspecting the
is confronted by God or some divine existence of these states of consciousness,
being. Each of these four levels might be “…apply the requisite stimulus, and at a touch
induced by psychedelic drugs, hypnosis, they are there in all their completeness…No
meditation, prayer, or free association dur- account of the universe in its totality can be
ing psychoanalysis. Through the ages, final which leaves these forms of conscious-
many of humankind’s major material and ness disregarded.”
spiritual breakthroughs may have come
from these virtually unmapped, uncharted While skeptical psychological researchers
regions of the mind. continue to label claims of revelation and
transcendence through altered states of con-
sciousness as delusional and self-deceptive,
others call for a serious examination of various
states of consciousness and ask for more
SKEPTICAL psychological researchers research to learn the particular significance of

label claims of revelation and transcendence each state on the totality of the human entity.
Many parapsychologists firmly believe that
through altered states of consciousness as delusional continued research into altered states of con-
and self-deceptive. sciousness may well reveal that humankind’s
most important discoveries, its highest peaks
of ecstasy, and its greatest moments of inspira-
tion occur in reverie, in dreams, and in states
There are many reasons why the great
majority of scientific researchers remain doubt- of consciousness presently ignored by the pro-
ful about the validity of altered states of con- fessional world and the general public.
sciousness, such as the misuse of hypnosis by
amateur practitioners, the lack of understand- M Delving Deeper
ing by professionals and public alike of the cre- Freud, Sigmund. The Interpretation of Dreams. New
ative processes, and the disastrous results of the York: Basic Books, 1955.
recreational use of LSD and other psychedelic Jung, C. G., ed. Man and His Symbols. London: Aldus
drugs. Descriptions of mystical revelations Books, 1964; New York: Dell Publishing, 1968.
become almost florid as self-proclaimed seers Krippner, Stanley. Dreamtime and Dreamwork: Decod-
and mystics attempt to translate their psyche- ing the Language of the Night. Los Angeles: Jeremy
delic drug or trance state experiences into the P. Tarcher, 1990.
language of a technically oriented society. Krippner, Stanley, with Etzel Cardena and Steven J.
Quite frequently, creative geniuses of Western Lynn. Varieties of Anomalous Experience: Examin-
culture have compared their moods of inspira- ing the Scientific Evidence. Washington, D.C.:
tion to insanity. The composer Peter Ilyich American Psychological Association, 2000.
Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) once compared his
Monroe, Robert A. Far Journeys. Garden City, N.Y.:
behavior during creative periods to that of a
Doubleday, 1987.
madman. Such comparisons are regrettable,
Ostrander, Sheila, and Lynn Schroeder. Psychic Dis-
and it is unfortunate that modern culture has
coveries Behind the Iron Curtain. Englewood Cliffs,
few models other than madness to describe the
N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1970.
throes of creativity.
Pearce, Joseph Chilton. The Biology of Transformation:
William James (1842–1910), the great pio- A Blueprint of the Human Spirit. Rochester, Vt.:
neer of the study of consciousness, wrote in Inner Traditions International, 2002.

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