Higher states of consciousness, also known as awakening experiences, are temporary expansions and intensifications of awareness that transform our perception of the world. A psychologist has been studying these experiences for over 15 years and found three main triggers.
One-third of awakening experiences are linked to psychological distress such as stress, depression, and loss. This can occur when we’re going through inner turmoil, but instead of causing further distress, it may lead to a transcendence of familiar modes of perception, causing a sense of oneness.
Around one-quarter of the experiences are induced by contact with nature, such as swimming in a lake or gazing at a valley. A woman reported feeling completely alone yet part of everything while swimming in a lake.
The third trigger is spiritual practice, primarily through meditation but also including prayer and psycho-physical practices like yoga or tai chi.
These triggers can lead to experiences where our awareness becomes intensely real, vivid, and beautiful. The psychologist suggests that higher states teach us our typical consciousness is limited and filtered, revealing a wider reality to us.
While it’s difficult to induce higher states of consciousness, we can create conditions for them to occur by cultivating relaxation and inner quietness through practices like meditation and contact with nature.
Source: https://www.psypost.org/how-higher-states-of-consciousness-can-forever-change-your-perception-of-reality