The Altered States Database: Psychometric data from a systematic literature review
Costines, Cyril, Derdiyok, Ekin, Dinkelacker, Jannis, Prugger, Johanna, T. Schmidt, Timo
Scientific Data January 1, 2022 DOI: 10.17169/refubium-36827 via CORE
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe Altered States Database (ASDB) is an open-science project that provides psychometric questionnaire data on subjective experiences of altered states of consciousness (ASC) induced by pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods. Developed through a systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines, the database includes data from 165 journal articles identified via PubMed and Web of Science. It contains responses from validated questionnaires such as the APZ, 5D-ASC, 11-ASC, PCI, HRS, and MEQ30. The data is freely available on the Open Science Framework and the ASDB website, enabling calculation of comparable psychometric values and dose-response relationships for substances that induce ASC.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 165 |
| Population | Journal articles examining altered states of consciousness |
| Topics | Altered states of consciousness Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Consciousness research Profound states Open science |
| Key finding | The ASDB provides open-access psychometric questionnaire data from 165 studies on subjective experiences of altered states of consciousness, enabling calculation of comparable values and dose-response relationships. |
Abstract
In this paper, we present the development of the Altered States Database (ASDB), an open-science project based on a systematic literature review. The ASDB contains psychometric questionnaire data on subjective experiences of altered states of consciousness (ASC) induced by pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods. The systematic review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Scientific journal articles were identified through PubMed and Web of Science. We included studies that examined ASC using the following validated questionnaires: Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (APZ, 5D-ASC, 11-ASC), Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI), Hallucinogen Rating Scale (HRS), or Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30). The systematic review resulted in the inclusion of a total of 165 journal articles, whereof questionnaire data was extracted and is now available on the Open Science Framework (OSF) website (https://osf.io/8mbru) and on the ASDB website (http://alteredstatesdb.org), where questionnaire data can be easily retrieved and visualized. This data allows the calculation of comparable psychometric values of ASC experiences and of dose-response relationships of substances inducing ASC