In this talk we will see how the overall characterization of the psychedelic state represents a nonordinary experiential spectrum that spans from the personal to the transitional to the transpersonal realm. In the psychedelic personal realm, one’s sense of self remains largely intact and experiences may for instance involve deep personal and interpersonal autobiographical insights, age regressions to process difficult past experiences, or emotional breakthroughs. The psychedelic transitional realm often involves destruction/renewal visions (e.g., death/rebirth visions), which reflect crossing the threshold from the personal (everyday-self) to the transpersonal (everyday-self transcending) realm. In the psychedelic transpersonal realm one may for instance experience a deep sense of oneness, immersion in a brilliant/radiant (often white) light, timelessness/spacelessness/disembodiment, and/or an all-encompassing love. Furthermore, specific nonordinary bodily experiences can also occur—in the personal as well as in the transpersonal realm. In this talk, we will see examples of personal, transitional, and transpersonal psychedelic experiences, and how they are often deeply meaningful for the individuals having these experiences. We will also look at the potential benefits of such experiences in each of these realms (personal, transitional, transpersonal) for healthy individuals and for individuals suffering from various mental conditions such as depression, anxiety, addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders.
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