Altered States of Consciousness - What They Can Tell Us About What Comes After Biomechanical Death
Current explanations of consciousness describe it as a number of interconnected phenomena: from the perception of being alive, to the feeling of the experience of living, to the taste of bread, to the smell of flowers, and so on. Essentially, at their core, all of these very subjective experiences describe consciousness as the state of being aware of existence. As such there are likely varying degrees of that awareness, and that awareness may be changed based on the subjective position of the agent (the person/entity doing the experiencing, that is) and the agent’s mechanics. Changing the awareness of existence, then, may lead us to a more in-depth view of what an afterlife might look like, and what we might experience when we make our transition.
Given this, we can then likely make the jump that consciousness can be edited, or altered somehow. Just as you may alter your appearance by changing your hair color or changing your shirt (through the introduction of a hair product or another shirt) you can alter your consciousness by introducing elements that interact with your biochemistry to reduce/reinvigorate your subjective experience.
Elements that include psychedelic drugs.
Everyone is familiar with at least some of these : we call them hallucinogens, or mind-altering drugs. There are other elements, as well, such as external trauma or even psychological factors, but for now I want only to examine the use of hallucinogens and what they can teach us about afterlife.
A number of experiments have been conducted - historically and even more recently - on the use of psychedelics' and the states of awareness they induce, and the effect those awareness states can have on the individual. Of particular note, however, is the commonality of experiencers to transcend ego or the self - and the feeling of lightness or reduction in anxiety after the trip. There is often, as is noted, a deep and profound sense of love and connectedness; as if the experiencing agent is one with all things, or at least has an intimate understanding of the oneness of all. Visual experiences range from heightened awareness of color and shapes to visually pleasing images of light interplay with color and shape. Users may also experience heightened auditory sensations as well. And alongside the user experience testimonial is the scientific data: science now believes that psilocybin can unveil the “illusion” of the self.
There are commonalities to these experiences. Just as there are commonalities to the data presented in studied NDEs (near death experiences). Note the shared traits in NDEs that are also catalogued by the psilocybin experience: heightened awareness, intense and generally positive emotions, and more. Based on the similarities, is it possible, then, that these hallucinogens may serve as a technology of sorts - a tool by which we can transcend our physicalist commitments and realize a deeper level of consciousness - mirroring the experience of biological death? Yes, as it turns out - psychedelics like DMT can induce brain states that mirror the conscious experience of an NDE.
These studies are underfunded and small, but the data is there for anyone who cares to look. Coupled with this are breakthroughs in the academics of cognitive sciences that indicate that there may be a universal consciousness from which we all emerge and into which we all return - and this data has at least been modeled mathematically, so we’re not talking about spiritual and/or religious traditions here. So this means that there exist some tools currently available within our own landscape that can aid us in understanding the death experience, and that certain calculations and data sets may provide an understanding of perpetual, universal consciousness upon which our physical universe is based. Afterlife, then, may be the uniquely individual unfolding of a DMT-fueled experience within the field of our consciousness, except unlike a DMT-fueled paradigm, it may fold in upon itself again and again, especially if consciousness is exploring itself endlessly, so that it continues on and on forever, without end. For additional reading about the paradigm of continuous consciousness (or continuous mind, as some refer to it), I recommend Dr. Robert Lanza’s work Beyond Biocentrism.
What does the coexistence of these two mean for the future of death and dying? It may mean that - as we travel further down this road of understanding - we will recognize these tools for use, and engage them in appropriate ways that allow us to deepen our understanding of biological death and afterlife. We may even arrive at a place where we no longer subscribe to the notion of death as we do now - we may eventually view it as more of a transference, or a migration of sorts - into a larger canopy of interconnected agents.
Our current understanding of death presents a host of problems, the first of which being it is abrupt and incalculable. This describes only the biochemistry surrounding the event, however, and does not at all attempt to describe the conscious-agent experience beyond that finite moment when the biology stops. Additionally, the current definition of death - being based on a physicalist paradigm - naturally dictates that beyond the horizon of death there exists nothing understandable or provable - and since it cannot be quantified in terms of our current worldview, it is stigmatized and marginalized and not even worth talking about.
But this must change. If you want to know why, ask someone who is dying and the loved ones they are leaving behind. There is too much fear that surrounds this inevitable event in all our timelines, and as a result of that fear - which is wholly unnecessary - we seek to avoid the event at all costs, sometimes even at the cost of living. This reductionist mindset - which places security and safety above all else - does not facilitate in us an appreciation of the wonder into which we were born, must live, and from which we will eventually pass on.
We need to remember that life - biological life, even - is at its heart a journey, and there are curves ahead. One of those curves is biological death. But as we evolve, our very definition of death will hopefully become obsolete, so that eventually, we will discard it altogether in favor of something that is a more universal fit.
