Altered states of consciousness caused by a mindfulness-based programme up to a year later: results from a randomised controlled trial

An 8-week mindfulness-based programme (MBP) led to more intense experiences of unity and disembodiment in daily life compared with mental health support as usual alone. University of Cambridge students without severe mental illness who took the MBP reported stronger feelings of oneness and separation from the body. Meditation practice itself predicted reports of unity, blissful state, insightfulness, disembodiment, and changed meanings. The findings suggest causal links between mindfulness practice and specific altered states of consciousness, and practitioners should anticipate and manage these experiences appropriately.

Study at a glance

Abstract

BackgroundMindfulness-based programmes (MBPs) have shown beneficial mental health effects. There is emerging evidence that MBPs may also be associated with marked deviations in the subjective experience of waking consciousness. We aimed to assess whether MBPs can have a causal role in different types of such states. MethodsWe conducted a pragmatic randomised controlled trial (ACTRN12615001160527). University of Cambridge students without severe mental illness were randomised to an 8-week MBP plus mental health support as usual (SAU), or to SAU alone. We adapted the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (OAV) to assess spontaneous experiences in daily life, and included it as a post-hoc secondary outcome at the end of the one-year follow-up questionnaire. ResultsWe randomised 670 participants; 205 (33%) completed the OAV. In comparison with SAU, MBP participants had more intense experiences of unity, (adjusted partial eta squared (n2) 0.04, p=0.001) and disembodiment (n2 0.04, p=0.006). Meditation predicted reports of unity, blissful state, insightfulness, disembodiment, and changed meanings. Findings were robust to corrections for multiple comparisons.ConclusionsResults provide a novel suggestion of causal links between mindfulness practice and specific altered states of consciousness. Practitioners need to anticipate and handle them appropriately. Future studies need to confirm findings.