Adaptive potential of altered states of consciousness

The abstract of the report at the First International Conference “Psychotechniques and Altered States of Consciousness in the History of Religions” (RCHA and RSPU), St. Petersburg, 14–15.12.2012.

Adaptive potential of altered states of consciousness

Valeria A. Kupriyanova,

postgraduate student at the Institute of the Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg), representative of the scientific group of neurophysiology of thinking and consciousness (Kupriyanova V. A., Smirnova T. Yu., Manshina A. P., Zakharchuk A. G., Spivak I. M., Spivak D. L.)

E-mail: Valeryiva@yandex.ru

Within the framework of the scientific school of studying altered states of consciousness (ASC) founded by Professor L. I. Spivak and Academician N. P. Bekhtereva, ASC is understood as one of the widespread, but non-optimal strategies of active adaptation of a normal person to unusual and/or extreme conditions, consisting of the temporary induction of a number of special mental phenomena. In our work, we studied the possible role of ASC in adaptation to age-related stress.

The main group included 163 people of both sexes aged 65 to 98 years (average age 79.97 years). The sample included respondents with the most intact intellect, without pronounced signs of senile dementia and other mental illnesses. Various manifestations of altered states of consciousness, according to the IMC questionnaire, were found in almost all respondents, but to varying degrees. Among them, we managed to identify 14 people who experienced episodes of one of the most striking manifestations of ASC - spatial depersonalization. At the same time, episodes of pronounced changes in the perception of time were described by only three respondents. At the same time, more than half (67%) of respondents said that in old age time "flies" much faster than in youth. Perhaps this is due not only to physiological reasons, but can also be presumably considered as a special mechanism that plays an important role in adapting to age-related stress, allowing you to live your last years easier.

In the control group (82 people of both sexes aged 18 to 32 years), we were able to identify 21 people with episodes of spatial depersonalization and 33 people with episodes of pronounced changes in time perception, which also confirms the nomological nature of ASC and the need for their further study. Thus, changes in the perception of space and time can be considered not only as one of the characteristic features of ASC, but also as a possible adaptation mechanism of the human psyche.

In addition, genotyping of respondents showed a correlation between the long allele (L) of the serotonin transporter gene and manifestations of ASC. This transmembrane protein performs the reverse capture of the mediator from the synaptic cleft to the presynaptic endings and determines the time of action of the mediator on the postsynaptic receptors. Thus, a possible genetic predisposition of respondents to experience ASC was shown, which speaks in favor of a certain biological significance of ASC for the Homo sapiens species.

This finding is consistent with population studies. Erica Bourguignon has shown that about 90% of cultures have institutionalized forms of ASC, meaning that these types of consciousness are found in most human societies and are normal. Cultures that value perceptual diversity (polyphasic consciousness) are more adaptive than those that do not. However, transrational consciousness is currently being devalued in many societies as it is replaced by the monophasic consciousness of "developed" nations.

[AI Translation]