Altered states of selfhood can be understood through three distinct components—self, me, and I—that appear in spontaneous experiences. Eight neurophenomenological case studies describe how these components can become dissociated or recombined during non-ordinary states, such as meditation, flow, or depersonalization. The reports illustrate that the sense of being a subject (I), the sense of having a personal identity (me), and the sense of agency or ownership (self) can each be altered independently. This framework helps clarify the structure of self-consciousness and its variations in everyday life and clinical conditions.
The text proposes a systematic approach to brain dynamics called the cognitive evolution theory of consciousness, which argues that consciousness arises from the evolutionary development of cognitive processes. It presents a theoretical framework linking neural dynamics to conscious experience, suggesting that consciousness is not a single phenomenon but a product of layered cognitive capacities that evolved over time. The theory integrates perspectives from neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and philosophy to explain how brain activity gives rise to subjective awareness.