The Variety of Transcendent States During Meditation By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Ancient masters described intense transcendent states that result from meditation. A true awakening, transformation of consciousness, oneness with the ALL. Many esoterics have glimpsed these levels of consciousness, and for a few it became a persistent state – enlightenment.” – […]
Drugs Produce Loss of Self Like Spiritual Awakening By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “People tripping on psilocybin can experience paranoia or a complete loss of subjective self-identity, known as ego dissolution” – Annamarya Scaccia Psychedelic substances have been used almost since the beginning of recorded history to alter consciousness and produce […]
Do Spiritual Experiences Reveal Ultimate Truth or Merely Brain Activity? By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. Spiritual experiences, be they called awakenings, mystical experiences, or enlightenments, involve a shift in how the individual perceives reality. This could be viewed as a spiritual revelation. But it could also be viewed as a change in […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “When subjected to a scientific experiment, these characteristics proved to be identical for spontaneous and psychedelic mystical experiences. 1. Unity is a sense of cosmic oneness achieved through positive ego transcendence. Although the usual sense of identity, or ego, fades away, consciousness and memory are not lost; . . […]
By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Dostoevsky described his seizures in a letter to a friend: “I feel entirely in harmony with myself and the whole world, and this feeling is so strong and so delightful that for a few seconds of such bliss one would gladly give up 10 years of one’s life, […]
Spiritual experiences, be they called awakenings, mystical experiences, or enlightenments, involve a shift in how the individual perceives reality. This could be viewed as a spiritual revelation. But it could also be viewed as a change in the neural systems integrating and interpreting experiences. So, are spiritual awakenings revelations of a reality beyond physical […]