Mild Altered States of Consciousness: Subtle Shifts of Mind and Their Therapeutic Potential

Acknowledgements
Contents
1 Introduction
	Psychology and Development of Consciousness Studies
	Transpersonal Psychology
	William James, Consciousness and the Transpersonal
	Anthropology and Consciousness
	Transpersonal Anthropology
	Continuing Debates for Transpersonal Scholars
	Defining Mild Everyday Altered States
	A Working Definition of Mild ASCs
	Phenomenology and Studying Consciousness
	Fieldwork Groups Studied
	Areas Acknowledged but Beyond the Scope of This Research
	Bibliography
2 Psychology, Consciousness and ASCs
	Introduction
	Traditional Psychology and Consciousness
		Physicalism
		Cognitive Approaches
	Phenomenal Approaches and the Hard Problem
	Altered States in Traditional Psychology
		Some Historical Background and Key Developments
	Psychedelic ASC Research
	Daydream
	Hypnagogia, Flow and High Hypnotizables
	William James as a Bridge between Traditional and Transpersonal Psychology
	Some Reflections
	Bibliography
3 Transpersonal Psychology—William James and Moving Beyond a Materialist Paradigm
	Transpersonal Psychology, Consciousness and ASCs
		Definitions
	William James and Spiritual Consciousness
	James and Validity of Spiritual ASC Experience
	Maslow, Grof and the Transpersonal
	Ken Wilber and Controversies
	Charles Tart and ASC Research
	Roger Walsh, Anthropology and Psychiatry
	Parapsychology
	Ecopsychology
	Psychedelic Research
	Some Key Issues in Transpersonal Theory
		The Participatory Movement
		The Universalism-Relativism Debate
		Metaphysical Experience and Future Directions
		Methodology: Science and the Metaphysical
	Bibliography
4 Consciousness and ASCs in the Non-West: Pioneering Studies
	Definitions and Early Study of ASCS
		Lucien Levy-Bruhl
		Emile Durkheim
	Twentieth-Century Developments
		Sigmund Freud
		Branislaw Malinowski and a New Methodology
		The Literary Turn as an Opening for Transpersonal Research
	The Universalism-v-Relativism Debate
	The Ontological Turn and Other Realities
	The Collective Paradigm and Studying Individual Experience
	The Individual and Input of Psychology
	Studies of ASCs in Social Anthropology
	Bibliography
5 Transpersonal Anthropology
	Introduction
	Early Days and Pioneers
	Transpersonal Anthropologists—Two Trends
		Laughlin and the Scientific Approach
		Edith Turner and an Alternative Non-scientific Approach
	Transpersonal Anthropology—Some Key Characteristics
		The Spiritual Reality of the Researched and Cultural Relativism
		Fiona Bowie and a Transpersonal Methodology
		The Participatory as Method
		Anomalous Experience and the Paranormal
		Shamanism, ASCs and Healing
		Nature and Cosmology in the Non-west
	Transpersonal Anthropology and Psychology—Challenges for Working Together
	Bibliography
6 Everyday Streams of Consciousness: Introduction to Fieldwork
	Introduction to Fieldwork
	Methodology: Ethnography
	Key Figures in Development of Ethnographic Method
	Relationship Between Researcher and Researched
	Bibliography
7 Hinduism in a UK Temple and Altered State Experience
	Some Background Readings
	The Hindu Temple Group
	ASC Experience—the Sacred
	Therapeutic Effects of ASCs
	Unique Lifeworld and Other ASC Experiences
	Bibliography
8 The Sacred Lifeworld of a Lubavitch Group
	Some Relevant Literature
	The Lubavitch Group
	Altered State Experience
	Therapeutic Effects of ASCs
	Some Secular Pursuits and ASCs
	Bibliography
9 Sport and Altered States: Secular or Spiritual?
	Background Readings
	The Sport Group
	Altered State Experience and Sport
	Therapeutic Effects of ASCs
	ASC Experience—Alternatives
	Bibliography
10 Tranquil States in a Natural Environment
	Background Readings—Ecopsychology
	The Nature Group
	Altered State Experience in Nature
	Therapeutic Effects of ASCs
	Other ASC Inducers
	Bibliography
11 A Musical Instrument Making Group and Their Altered States
	Altered States from Music and Creativity—Some Readings
	The Musical Instrument Making Group
	Altered State Experience
		Creativity and ASCs
		Music ASCs
		Spirituality and ASCs
		Music as a Lifeworld and Therapy
		Additional ASC Inducers
	Bibliography
12 Television, Altered States and Fantasy Worlds
	Television and Altered States—Some Background
	The Television Group
	Altered State Experience—Television
	TV as a Therapy
	Other ASC Inducers and Unique Lifeworlds
	Bibliography
13 Altered State Experience in Fieldwork: A Summary
	Bibliography
14 Fantasy Worlds within Altered States of Consciousness
	Introduction
	Reality out there?—Definitions and Debates
	A Perspective from William James
	Worlds beyond an Alert Waking State: Fringe, Hypnagogia, Daydream
	Anomalous Experience
	The Spiritual and Belief
	Multiple Realities in the Non-West
	Bibliography
15 Altered States and a Sacred Reality
	Introduction
	Definitions
	The Sacred in the Secular
	Spiritual Experience with No Religious Background
	Fantasy, Reality and Imagination
	Embracing Non-Western Experience
	Is There a Wider Sacred Reality?
	Non-local Consciousness
	A Place for Mild Everyday Altered States?
	Bibliography
16 The Therapeutic Power of Altered States of Consciousness
	Introduction
	Stress Research and Fieldwork Experiences
	Fantasy Imagination and Healing
	Transpersonal Psychology, Imagination and Self-Development
	Prayer and Healing
	Secular ASCs and Healing
	Therapeutics in the Non-West and Fieldwork Accounts
	Bibliography
17 Some reflections and a Blessing
	A Paucity of ASC Research
	More Research into Non-Western ASC Experience
	Questioning the Nature of Reality
	Sacred and Spiritual
	ASCs and Healing Potential
	The Natural Environment in Psychology and Anthropology
	Call for a New Research Paradigm
	Bibliography
Index