MYSTICAL STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease June 1, 1972 William F. Kiely, Ernst Gellhorn 150 citations
The autonomic nervous system's trophotropic (rest-and-digest) and ergotropic (fight-or-flight) systems interact to shape emotional states and levels of consciousness. Proprioceptive feedback to the brainstem and hypothalamus maintains ergotropic activity, and muscle relaxation therapies can reduce central nervous system arousal by modifying this system. Asian and Oriental meditation exercises and Yoga ecstasy have neurophysiological bases; EEG patterns during meditation show trophotropic dominance alongside full awareness, while continued alpha-blocking indicates some ergotropic influence on the cortex, correlating with heightened perceptual sensitivity. Clinical observations suggest meditation benefits formerly drug-dependent adolescents and may help with anxiety, phobia, and psychosomatic disorders.