Awareness of the Real — Appendix III — Altered States of Consciousness and Access to the Deep Structure of Reality — Sylvain Lebel
Appendix III
Mystical experiences, sudden intuition, ego dissolution, symbolic vision, or the sense of an invisible presence can arise in a wide variety of contexts: deep meditation, repetition of mantras, hypnosis, religious ecstasy, sensory isolation, as well as physical or mental exhaustion, emotional shock, extreme anxiety, or through psychoactive substances and electromagnetic devices (e.g., TMS).
In this model, such altered states are not necessarily anomalies: they may reflect a temporary reconfiguration of the neural filter that changes the usual hierarchy of discernments and allows aspects of reality—normally filtered out—to emerge. What appears in such moments is not necessarily “created” by the state; it may be what was already there, now made perceptible through a different configuration of embodied consciousness.
Consciousness is not seen here as produced by the brain, but as expressing itself through it. The brain configures access: it organizes a cascade of discernments, from raw intensity to complex contextualization. When this ordinary architecture loosens—whether through extreme fatigue, emotional overload, rituals, psychotropics, or stimulation—the cascade can be short-circuited or reversed, and normally inhibited contents may surface.
This is how so-called mystical experiences can emerge: relative dissolution of the self, blurred subject–object boundaries, altered sense of time, and a feeling of expanded unity. In this perspective, contemplative practices, ritual devices, or technologies can act as threshold openers, enabling more direct forms of relation between THAT and the embodied structure, outside the usual mental circuit.
Caution and mental health. Not all altered experiences are enlightening. Some are purely brain-generated hallucinations with no relation to the deep structure of reality; others may be disturbing (anxiety, disorganization, loss of bearings). If such phenomena are unwanted, persistent, or cause distress, it is important to seek medical help. Exploring these states should remain voluntary, guided, and subject to the priority of mental well-being.
In short, a cosmology of discernment can view altered states both as windows onto reality and as internal distortions: their meaning depends on the context, the person’s stability, and the degree to which discernments are integrated. This dual reading neither idealizes nor pathologizes; it invites a lucid exploration, respectful of human vulnerability and the need for care when necessary.