The power of Dionysus—Effects of red wine on consciousness in a naturalistic setting

Abstract

There is lack of research on effects of red wine on consciousness when drank in wine bars designed to enhance the pleasurableness of the wine drinking experience. Effects of a moderate dose of red wine (≈ 40.98 g of ethanol) on consciousness were examined in a naturalistic study taking place in a wine bar located in one of the most touristic areas of Lisbon, Portugal. One hundred two participants drank in one of three conditions: alone, in dyad, or in groups up to six people. Red wine increased pleasure and arousal, decreased the awareness of time, slowed the subjective passage of time, increased the attentional focus on the present moment, decreased body awareness, slowed thought speed, turned imagination more vivid, and made the environment become more fascinating. Red wine increased insightfulness and originality of thoughts, increased sensations of oneness with the environment, spiritual feelings, all-encompassing love, and profound peace. All changes in consciousness occurred regardless of volunteers drinking alone, in dyad or in group. Men and women did not report different changes in consciousness. Older age correlated with greater increases in pleasure. Younger age correlated with greater increases in fascination with the environment of the wine bar. Drinking wine in a contemporaneous Western environment designed to enhance the pleasurableness of the wine drinking experience may trigger changes in consciousness commonly associated with mystical-type states.

Induction of altered states of consciousness during Floatation-REST is associated with the dissolution of body boundaries and the distortion of subjective time

“…In one quantitative study, experienced meditators subjectively perceived their body boundaries less strongly, they paid less attention to time, and felt time pass more quickly compared to the reading condition (control condition), in which the subjects read a text while adopting the same body posture as in the meditation session 9 . The joint modulation of the experience of time and self is also found with other ASC induction methods like the Ganzfeld technique of perceptual deprivation caused by exposure to an unstructured, uniform visual and auditory perceptual field (e.g., a red light and white noise) 10 , 11 , and when drinking red wine 12 . Similarly, the effects of imagery and suggestion in hypnotized individuals leads to changes in time perception, i.e.…”

Induction of altered states of consciousness during Floatation-REST is associated with the dissolution of body boundaries and the distortion of subjective time

“…In one quantitative study, experienced meditators subjectively perceived their body boundaries less strongly, they paid less attention to time, and felt time pass more quickly compared to the selected control condition 9 . The joint modulation of the experience of time and self is also found with other ASC induction methods like the Ganzfeld technique, where people are exposed to a homogenized visual and auditory perceptual eld 10,11 , and when drinking red wine 12 .…”

Prevalence of visual snow and relation to attentional absorption

“…More frequent visual snow percepts were associated with a greater capacity to be engrossed in sensory and imaginary experiences that are perceived as fascinating. The correlation with the dimension “altered states of consciousness” was always the strongest in the three studies, raising the possibility that people with visual snow might be more susceptible to hypnosis [ 27 , 29 , 37 , 42 , 44 , 46 ], more open to enrapturing esthetic experiences [ 29 ], feel the effects of psychoactive substances more intensely [ 29 ], have more blissful sexual experiences [ 54 ], and be more prone to mystical-type experiences [ 29 , 47 ], which have recently become a topic of growing scientific interest [ 29 , 47 , 55 – 60 ]. These are important issues for future research, especially because some altered states of consciousness can be very enriching [ 54 , 58 , 60 ].…”