Between Sleep and Liberation in Indian Traditions: Lucid Dreaming, Out-of-Body Experiences, and the Architectures of Liminal Consciousness
Religions February 24, 2026 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.3390/rel17030279 via OpenAlex
Summary
The article explores liminal states of consciousness, such as lucid dreaming and out-of-body experiences, within Indian religious traditions, arguing these are not just psychological anomalies but intentional frameworks for exploring self and reality. It presents a comparative analysis across Vedāntic, Yogic, Buddhist, and Jain systems, revealing diverse interpretations from various philosophical models and modern neuroscience. The findings suggest that understanding liminal consciousness requires integrating personal experiences with broader metaphysical contexts, questioning reductionist views in consciousness studies.
Study at a glance
| Design | comparative analysis |
|---|---|
| Population | Indian religious and philosophical traditions |
| Key finding | Liminal states of consciousness are intentionally cultivated frameworks to investigate self and reality, requiring integration of phenomenological reports with their metaphysical contexts. |
Abstract
This article examines the theoretical and practical frameworks surrounding liminal states of consciousness—specifically lucid dreaming and out-of-body experiences (OBEs)—within Indian religious and philosophical traditions. Through a comparative analysis of Vedāntic, Yogic, Buddhist, and Jain systems, the article argues that these states are not merely anomalous psychological events but deliberately cultivated “architectures of liminality” designed to investigate the nature of self, consciousness, and reality. Methodologically, this article offers a comparative analysis of models and categories of liminal consciousness across Indian traditions, critically engaging relevant neurophenomenological frameworks and incorporating a small set of representative first-person exemplars. The results reveal a spectrum of interpretations: from the mind-only projection model of Buddhist dream yoga to the subtle-material interaction model of Jain karmic ontology, and from the embodied cognition framework of modern neuroscience to the disembodied consciousness theories of classical Indian systems. The study concludes that a comprehensive understanding of liminal consciousness must integrate first-person phenomenological reports with the soteriological, ritual, and metaphysical contexts that structure their interpretation, thereby challenging reductionist approaches in contemporary consciousness studies.