Altered States of Consciousness

Kim Penberthy, PhD – Carlson Prof. of Psychiatry

Dr. Kim Penberthy and her colleagues are interested in studying meditators, especially the unusual experiences sometimes reported during (or around) meditation sessions. Research shows meditation to be hold a variety of benefits for stress-related conditions, but there has been little investigation into the reports of unusual experiences associated with a meditation or mindfulness practice.

These reports include anecdotes of precognition, telepathy, clairvoyance, synchronicity, memories of past lives, out-of-body experiences, and other unusual experiences. DOPS is particularly interested in reports where people experienced enhanced psychic or psi abilities as a result of meditation retreats, intensive practice, or meditation classes.

If you have had an unusual experience associated with your meditation and/or mindfulness practice, we would like to hear about it. Please feel free to share your experience with our research team: Contact Us.

Scholars and mystics have long been fascinated by psychedelic substances, in part, due to their ability to drastically alter sensory perception and cognition. How these particular substances work is still being researched and understood, but their effects appear to be potent. One psychedelic substance that has demonstrated possible mental health benefits is psilocybin.

We know that psychedelics like psilocybin have shown promise in treating various conditions. We’re asking…how the subjective, often deeply meaningful experiences people have during treatment might play a role in that healing process. -Dr. Kim Penberthy

 
DOPS researchers Drs. Kim Penberthy and Fatma Wise are leading research of psilocybin at UVA, the first of its kind at the university. They are hoping it might provide relief for those suffering with Prolonged Grief Disorder – a condition in which persistent and intense grief symptoms interfere with a person’s ability to function in daily life. Their research focuses specifically on exploring the impact of psilocybin-induced subjective mystical experiences on clinical outcomes.
 

Surveys show anywhere from 30-55% of people experience at least one ADC in their lifetime. This experience consists of people receiving messages from deceased loved ones through experiences such as:

Dr. Kim Penberthy interviewing an ADC experiencer

Sometimes these events are experienced in altered states, such as meditation or hypnagogic states before/after sleep, and sometimes they happen in an everyday state of consciousness. These experiences often involve everyday people who do not have a history of mediumistic abilities or special skills. When people experience these ADC events, they are often a great source of comfort and healing.

They can happen in the wake of a recent death, 1-2 years after a death, or even many years later. Occasionally, an ADC yields information not previously known to the living recipient. There is much to be studied in this area: the types of people who experience ADCs, the range of circumstances for occurrence, veridical elements, as well as short-term and long-term effects on a person’s grieving process. To share an ADC with us, please reach out to Dr. Fatma Wise.