A Cartography of the Ecstatic and Meditative States

Abstract

In this age so concerned with travel in outer as well as inner-space, it is strange that, while we have detailed charts of the moon, we have no cartography of the varieties of human experience. In order to draft a map of inner space, I am ready to be your travel guide and take you on two voyages: one along the perceptionhallucination continuum of increasing ergotropic (1) arousal, which includes creative, psychotic, and ecstatic experiences; and another along the perceptionmeditation continuum of increasing trophotropic (1) arousal, which encompasses the hypoaroused states of Zazen and Yoga samadhi.Along the perception-hallucination continuum of increasing arousal of the sympathetic nervous system (ergotropic arousal), man--the self-referential system--perceptually-behaviorally (cortically) interprets the change (drug-induced or "natural") in his subcortical activity as creative, psychotic, and ecstatic experiences (2). These states are marked by a gradual turning inward toward a mental dimension at the expense of the physical. The normal state of daily routine, our point of departure, is followed by an aroused, creative state, which can be characterized by an increase in both data content (a description of space) and rate of data processing ["flood of inner sensation' (3), or most intense time (4)]. However, in the next aroused state on the continuum, acute schizophrenic [or rather "hyperphrenic" (5)] state, further increase in data content may not be matched by a corresponding increase in the rate of data processing. While the creative state is conducive to the evolution of novel relations and new meaning, the psychotic "jammed computer" state interferes with the individual's creative interpretation of the activity of his central nervous system (CNS). At the peak of ecstatic rapture, the outside (physical) world "retreats to the fringe of

Natural world physical, brain operational, and mind phenomenal space–time

“…The phenomenal "now" is also related to a known subjective phenomenon of timelessness, which can occur during near-death experiences, during intense suffering and emotions, violence and danger, altered states of consciousness, concentration and meditation, and shock [422][423][424][425]. During the experience of timelessness the subjective present either gets longer and longer or, on the contrary, individual subjective time units become so small that they get subjectively fused into one [426].…”

Reduced functional connectivity between cortical sources in five meditation traditions detected with lagged coherence using EEG tomography

“…Considering these differences, taxonomies of meditation techniques have been proposed (e.g. Fischer, 1971;Lutz et al, 2008;Mikulas, 1990;Travis and Shear, 2010; distinctions were emphasized by Kabat-Zinn, 1982). Data available to us for the present study were from experienced practitioners of five different meditation traditions: Tibetan Buddhism, QiGong, Sahaja Yoga, Ananda Marga Yoga, and Zen.…”

“…On the other hand, apparently there are common goals resulting in common subjective experiences of the meditation practices across schools and traditions (Brewer et al, 2011;Cahn and Polich, 2006;Fischer, 1971;Goleman, 1996;Hinterberger et al, 2011;Kabat-Zinn, 1990;Walsh, 1982): The handling of the contents of consciousness (avoiding intruding unintended thoughts as described in terms such as e.g. letting go, benevolent disregard, detachment), and the quality of the conscious self-awareness (attaining a pleasant, peaceful state of mind as described in terms such as all-oneness, bliss, oceanic feeling, transcending, expanded consciousness).…”

Autentyczność a dojrzałość religijna młodzieży o uzdolnieniach artystycznych

“…W tym typie przeżywania można mówić o korelacji autonomicznej twórczości i intensywnych przeżyć religijnych (ekstatycznych i enstatycznych). Z neurologicznego punktu widzenia współwystępowanie takich ambiwalentnych stanów może świadczyć o występowa-niu ekstazy zarówno artystycznej, jak i religijnej 36 . Takie różne zjawiska, jak ekstaza artystyczna i mistyka religijna -twierdzi badacz 37 -mogą być włączone we wspól-ny schemat teoretyczny mający postać kontinuum: p o b u d z e n i e e r g o t o p i c zn e (charakterystyczne dla stanów twórczych, psychotycznych i ekstatycznych) oraz t r o f o t r o p i c z n e (stymulacja hipopobudzeniowa lub zredukowana, zmniejszenie aktywności korowej i relaksacja mięśniowa w różnych formach medytacji).…”

“…Na bazie tych rozproszonych i niezróżnicowanych podkorowych stanów emocjonalnych, które mogą być różnie interpretowane na poziomie korowym, dochodzi do przekształcenia ich w dobrze określone stany religijne lub artystyczne 38 . Jednak -jak pokazują wyniki wielu badań 39 -egzaltowane stany "głębokiego ja" oraz "ja interpretującego" mogą dojść do porozumienia tylko na umiarkowanych poziomach pobudzenia, np. za pomocą symboli sennych i halucynacji, które stanowią źródło religii (dojrzałość religijna) i sztuki (twórczość).…”