Birthing as an experience of awe: Birthing consciousness and its long-term positive effects.

Abstract

Awe is a complex experience usually followed by various physiological, psychological, and social benefits, thus improving well-being. This theoretical article highlights a, yet unexploited naturally occurring potential for facilitating and promoting well-being: experiencing awe during physiological birth. The key is to enter into "birthing consciousness," a unique psychophysical altered state of women that often occurs during physiological birth, similar to other altered states of consciousness triggered by reduced prefrontal cortex function. This state supports a healthy birth and positive postpartum mental health. Birthing is a novel example of a natural and intense awe experience combining all three types of generators of awe: physical, social, and cognitive. Thus, in addition to the particular benefits for women and their offspring, this novel example of experiencing awe in birthing, may serve in future studies to address more complex dimensions of the phenomenon of awe in promoting well-being. Public Significance StatementThis study endorses the idea that birthing consciousness, a unique psychophysical altered state that birthing women often enter into during physiological birth, advances a self-transcendent sensation of awe. Experiencing awe during birthing empowers women, thus promoting well-being in the challenging postpartum period. Unfortunately, modern birth settings are often barriers to birthing with awe-and many women experience childbirth as traumatic.

Navigating intensive altered states of consciousness: How can the set and setting key parameters promote the science of human birth?

“…Concerning maternal mental health, it was found (8) that a highly medicated birth (instrumental births and emergency cesareans) is linked to mental disorder symptoms-such as somatization, depression, and anxiety [see also (11)]. This description of women's experiences during labor and birth and its potential for transformation resembles descriptions of mystical states of consciousness.…”

“…Labor contractions usually start easy, and intensify as labor continue ( 31 ). Women who experienced physiological natural childbirth describe a “transcendent” experience ( 32 ), with sensations of being in another zone, or another planet ( 11 , 33 ), which is a less communicative state ( 13 ). It appears as a healthful dissociative state ( 33 – 35 ), because as physiological labor continues, although the pain of contractions intensifies, women report being calmer, along with reduced pain perception ( 36 , 37 ).…”

“…The birthing experience vastly effect the birthing person, not only in the immediate PP ( 35 ), and the method of birth is a significant factor influencing the birthing experience ( 11 , 34 , 35 , 38 ). Commonly, the delivery methods used in childbirth are categorized as being one of two types: physiological birth (natural birth) and birth with medical intervention (such as Epidural anesthesia, Pitocin, instrumental delivery, episiotomy, or cesarean birth).…”

“…Physiological recovery after natural and less medicated birth is generally far faster and easier than after a highly medicated birth, for example in terms of pelvic floor health (5)(6)(7), and according to many studies, the subjective experience of the birthing woman during childbirth affects her postpartum (PP) mental health (8). Acute stress and fear during childbirth hinder the birth process, necessitating medical interventions that have negative physiological and mental health consequences, compared to the physiological birth process with minimum medical intervention (9)(10)(11). 1 Thus it is crucial to understand the factors that shape birth experiences.…”

“…A good psychedelic experience may have a persistent positive effect [see ( 24 )]. Similarly, the physiological birth experience sometimes generates a feeling of joy that can be life-altering (e.g., enhancing self-esteem, boosting energy) ( 10 , 11 ), but it sometimes can be felt as devastating and traumatic ( 8 ), even generating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) ( 10 ). This effect is unique to birthing and psychedelic experiences.…”