Identifying Altered States of Consciousness

While there are numerous benefits to experiencing an altered state of consciousness, you may not know how to identify if you are actually experiencing an altered state. Or maybe you have had an experience that you can’t describe; it may have felt ineffable. It is very possible that you had an altered state of consciousness and didn’t know how to describe it. Those who wish to experience an altered state of consciousness or want to expand their understanding of the experience of altered states of consciousness would benefit from learning how to identify occurrences during altered states of consciousness.

Indicators of Altered States

Charles T. Tart, PhD, who wrote States of Consciousness, created a collection of responses provided and shared as the experiential criteria for detecting an altered state of consciousness. To further develop you understanding, expand each category below to read the description! If you would like to support Charles T. Tart, PhD, please consider purchasing his book using the link or clicking on the image shared below. I will be going into greater detail on his definition of Altered States of Consciousness experiential criteria in future blog posts!

• Exteroception

  Alteration in various sensory characteristics of the external perceived world.

• Interoception

  Alteration in your percieved body image

  Alterations in detectable physiological parameters

  Perception of special bodily feelings not normally present

• Input-Processing

  Sensory excitement, involvement, and sensuality

  Increased or decreased sensory intensity

  Illusion, hallucination, perception of patterns or things otherwise known to be unlikely to actually exist in the environment

• Emotions

  Alteration in emotional response to stimuli

  Extreme intensity of emotions

• Memory

  Changes in continuity of memory over time

  Identifying changes in details of internal or external environments against memories of how they should be to identify incongruities

• Time Sense

  Unusual feeling of here and nowness

  Feeling of great slowing or speeding of time

  Feeling of orientation to past and/or future

  Feeling of archetypal quality to time

• Sense of Identity

  Sense of unusual identity or role

  Alienation, detachment, or change of perspective on usual identity

• Evaluation and Cognitive Processing

  Alteration in rate of thought

  Alteration in quality of thought

  Alteration of rules of logic

• Motor Output

  Alteration in amount or quality of self-control

  Change in the body image while active or in motion

  Restlessness, tremor, or partial paralysis

• Interaction with Environment

  Performance of unusual or impossible behavior

  Change in anticipation of consequences of specific behaviors

  Change in voice quality

  Change in feeling of degree of orientation to or contact with immediate environment

  Change in involvement with vs. detachment from environment

  Change in communication with others

States of Consciousness

By Tart, Charles

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