Beyond Ordinary Consciousness

In western cultures, transcendental experiences are generally considered either momentary, ephemeral (James, 1961; Maslow, 1972), or as epiphenomena of limited importance (Persinger, 1984; Persinger, 1993). Eastern traditions, however, include meditation practices that elicit frequent transcendental experiences with the purpose of enhancing human development (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1967; Travis, Tecce, & Guttman, 2000; Walsh, 1982).

Various physiological markers have been reported during transcendental experiences in subjects practicing different meditation techniques. For instance, during practice of Tibetan Buddhism, experiences characterized by the “loss of the usual sense of space and time” transcendental experiences have various physiological markers were associated with increased frontal regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), and significant correlation between left dorsolateral frontal rCBF increases and left parietal rCBF decreases (Newberg, et al., 2001). During practice of Diamond Way Buddhism, experiences of the “dissolution of the self into a boundless emptiness” were associated with right fronto-temporal 40-Hz amplitude increases (Lehmann, et al., 2001). During Transcendental Meditation (TM) practice, experiences of “unboundedness” and the “loss of time, space and body sense” (Travis & Pearson, 2000) were associated with spontaneous breath quiescence (breath periods from 10-40 sec) (Badawi, Wallace, Orme-Johnson, & Rouzere, 1984; Farrow & Hebert, 1982), with autonomic orienting at the onset of breath changes (Travis & Wallace, 1997). These breath changes occurred on the background of high EEG coherence, which rises to high levels in the first minute of TM practice (Travis & Wallace, 1999).

Eastern traditions encourage transcendental experiences for the larger purpose of culturing a new style of mental and physiological functioning in which the transcendental state is integrated with waking and sleeping states. This state has been referred to as enlightenment, self-actualization, or cosmic consciousness. An individual who practices the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique describes this integrated experience in this way:

“The flurry of waking activity comes and goes; the inertia of sleep comes and goes. Yet, throughout these changing values of waking and sleeping, there is a silent, unbounded continuum of awareness that is me; I am never lost to myself.”

This description of the co-existence of two qualitatively different states—a silent continuum of inner awareness along with the “flurry” of daily activity— is consistent with EEG patterns of subjects reporting this integrated experience. Higher alpha EEG power and coherence, which characterize transcendental experiences during meditation practice (Travis, 2001; Wallace, 1970), co-exist with typical EEG signatures of waking and sleeping. For example, when these subjects are asleep, higher alpha EEG amplitude, which is indicative of wakefulness, is observed during Stage 3 and 4 delta sleep (Banquet & Sailhan, 1974; Mason, et al., 1997). These subjects also exhibit greater alpha power and greater 6-45 Hz frontal coherence when they are engaged in complex, eyes-open cognitive tasks (Travis et al, 2002). Thus, self-reports of integration of the transcendent with waking and sleeping states correlate with objective reports of the integration of different EEG patterns.

Contingent negative variation (CNV) patterns are also sensitive to integration of transcendental experiences with waking. CNV is an event-related potential occurring between a warning stimulus (S1) and a second imperative stimulus (S2) requiring a response (Walter, 1964) — it is a brain measure of preparedness. CNV amplitude indexes perceptual, cognitive, and attentional resources (Tecce & Cattanach, 1993). With more frequent transcendental experiences, CNV was higher in simple tasks, when subjects knew the correct response and so should be preparing to respond, but lower in choice trials, when they did not yet know the correct response and so should remain balanced.

Frontal coherence, power and CNV patterns may objectively characterize cortical transformations underlying the progressive integration of transcendent experiences with daily activity. As science earlier quantified the physiological markers of waking, sleeping, and dreaming, so now research has begun to quantify the experience of states beyond ordinary waking.

© 2003 F. Travis

Author Information

Frederick Travis, Ph.D.
ftravis@mum.edu
Maharishi University of Management
Fairfield, IA

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23. Transcendental Meditation® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a service mark of Maharishi Foundation, Ltd., and is used under license by Maharishi University of Management.