Oscillatory Components of Psychedelic Experience
Journal of Humanistic Psychology July 1, 2024 Paul Grof
Psychedelic substances have been used for millennia, yet systematic understanding of the brain processes underlying the nonordinary states of consciousness (NSC) they induce has only recently become possible. Brain imaging reveals dynamic changes, and observations of spontaneously occurring NSC in major mood disorders show that the propensity for NSC increases at peaks of oscillatory brain activity and fully unfolds when oscillations exceed normal range. Neurobiological correlates of experientially opposite states—melancholy and mania—appear qualitatively the same, supporting the idea that experiential content emerges from nonlocal consciousness. Psychedelic experiences are triggered by the drug but shaped by mental set and setting, and their transformative process can be used psychotherapeutically for healing and inner restructuring.