Navigating Expanded States of Consciousness The Role of Environment and Guidance in Healing Paradigms

By Tamara Wolfson, MS, LAc

Doctoral Student Pacifica Graduate Institute

Profound experiences of expanded states of consciousness are not limited to saints, mystics, and shamans; they are inherently accessible to everyone as part of the human condition. While we often recognize these occurrences through the lens of religious conversion, I argue that non-ordinary states of consciousness are more common in everyday life than we might think. In The Varieties of Religious Experience, William James eloquently demonstrates how extraordinary moments can emerge spontaneously during ordinary life. These states serve as vital psychological mechanisms that help us release trauma and maintain connections with one another and the natural world in a balanced and cohesive manner. Oliver Sacks enthusiastically supports this idea in his collection of case studies, Hallucinations, where he highlights the richness and diversity of such experiences. Throughout history, nearly every culture has developed various techniques to harness pivotal states of consciousness for healing and knowledge, all aimed at fostering what Carl Jung termed individuation.

William R. Miller and Janet C'de Baca refer to these phenomena in their book Quantum Change and describe them as vivid, surprising, benevolent, and enduring insights that lead to personal transformations. They are marked by significantly memorable encounters with our deepest selves, often expressed as astonishing or uncanny, and interpreted as significantly amplified sensory perceptions. They are surprising, revealing inner shifts that may not have been anticipated, and they are healing and kind, offering a gentle way to address past wounds. These experiences are enduring and stand out in one's life leading to lasting impacts that reshape one’s identity and perspective in an immediate way.

Engaging in techniques and practices that facilitate expanded states of consciousness can help us recognize we are more than our limited identities or ego-driven selves churning along in our modern, materialistic world. They can help us reclaim genuine connection and meaningfulness. Experiencing non-ordinary states through breath, meditation, fasting, music, movement, literature, art, nature, and psychedelics can foster an embodied sense of unity and belonging—not only with ourselves and other humans but also with the broader natural world. These transformative experiences offer unique opportunities for spontaneous change and serve as psycho-technologies that reconnect us with our life goals and creative potential, inviting us to embrace our fullest authentic selves.

To fully harness the potential for a transformative shift in consciousness, an essential process for embodied healing, the environment and guides must offer a space and orientation that extends beyond eidos, that is, the knowledge derived solely from reason and intellect. An optimal setting functions as a living membrane, shaping internal states through rich sensory experiences and subconscious cues. Key features of this environment include a palpable sense of beauty, a connection to nature and natural objects, privacy, warmth, and safety.

Guides play a crucial role in the healing process. When they embody qualities such as consistent presence and awareness, freedom from emotional grasping or the urge to control the situation, they can generate a significant positive opening in the therapeutic environment. By holding space in this way, participants are empowered to reclaim personal agency in their own healing process. Essential guide skills include active listening, strength, receptivity, endurance, authenticity, generosity of spirit, and the skillful capacity to navigate the varied landscapes encountered in non-ordinary states. Howard Gardner refers to this quality as emotional intelligence, which includes "interpersonal intelligence” the ability to understand and interact effectively with others and "intrapersonal intelligence," which focuses on self-awareness and understanding one’s own emotions. Together, these intelligences form the foundation of what we commonly recognize as emotional intelligence.

In the presence of these qualities, individuals experience an organic unfolding and a reorientation toward relaxation and release. There is no singular controlling factor or universal formula that dictates this process. Rather, it emerges from a harmonious interplay of variables and the ripening of each individual's intention for positive change. This gives rise to the manifestation of clarity, allowing for an internal phenomenological awareness to emerge within the body, enabling a cohesive sense of self to materialize.

In the psychedelic research community, this curation of elements is referred to as set and setting. Set encompasses the participant's mindset and intentions before the journey experience, including their beliefs, hopes, fears, past traumas, personality traits, and expectations about the psychedelic experience. In clinical settings, participants' attitudes toward the research environment, the medication, and the guides, as well as their anticipated outcomes for relief, are also critical aspects of their set.

Setting pertains to the physical environment where the drug's effects are felt, including the presence of guides, and additional elements like music, artwork, and safety measures. The relationship between participants and the guides are key factors in shaping the setting. Given the significant impact of these variables on the experiences of participants, most psychedelic research underscores the necessity of optimizing the set and setting to enhance safety, minimize the risk of negative experiences, and facilitate therapeutic outcomes. Established guidelines exist for ensuring safety and reducing risks in studies involving psychedelic substances (M. Johnson, Richards, & Griffiths, 2008).

However, this framework is not novel. It echoes traditional practices observed in ancient and indigenous healing rituals. These traditions emphasize that healing is not merely a technique or procedure, but a collaborative interplay among all participants and elements involved. To enhance the potential of a healing experience, these elements are generally organized around a mythic-story structure. A crucial part of deconstructing habitual mental or physical patterns involves creating a new narrative; thus, the first threshold to cross is that of an initiation, the willingness to surrender into a new psychic schema.

The transformative action of ritual can be defined as the process through which rituals enact profound shifts in individuals' perceptions, emotions, beliefs, and behaviors, leading to personal growth, spiritual development, and communal cohesion. Rituals often involve symbolic actions, repetitions, and prescribed sequences that create a sacred space and time for participants to engage with deeper aspects of themselves, their communities, or the divine. Through participation in ritual, individuals may experience catharsis, healing, renewal, or a sense of connection with transcendent realities, resulting in transformative effects on their lives and relationships.

Initiation is the first phase of a ritual, and it is an essential threshold encounter that introduces us to unfamiliar aspects of ourselves which can reshape our identity and provide newfound personal insight. These experiences lead to epistemic transformation, altering our perspective and redefining our sense of self. While initiations can arise spontaneously from lived experiences, they often involve formalized rituals, ceremonies, or rites of passage. Such formalities signify the initiation as the beginning of a new life phase, a change in status, and an essential developmental chapter. Initiation is found in various contexts including educational programs, religious ceremonies, biological changes, and diverse cultural traditions. It symbolizes a meaningful transition from one state to another, often encompassing qualities of both sacrifice and courage.

There are two excellent examples of initiation rituals reaching back to ancient Greece. The Eleusinian Mysteries, which were held in honor of Demeter and Persephone, ran for nearly two thousand years, beginning around 1500 BCE and continuing until the late fourth century CE. Attendance varied significantly over the centuries, but estimates suggest that tens of thousands of participants attended each year, with figures ranging from around 20,000 to as many as 50,000 individuals at their peak. These ceremonies attracted not only locals but also pilgrims from across the Greek world and beyond. The mystery was an excellent example of a successful psychedelic ritual designed to help communities to release their fear of death. There is much to learn from understanding how this mystery was organized and transmitted.

Secondly, the ancient Temple of Asclepius located in Epidaurus served as a prominent center for healing and medicine. Pilgrims seeking support would undergo a series of preparations before entering the temple, often beginning with purification rituals, including bathing, and fasting to cleanse both body and mind. They would then engage in prayer and offerings, seeking the god’s favor. The temple complex featured sacred spaces where individuals could engage in sleep incubation, hoping for divine dreams or visions that would provide insights into their ailments.

The concept of incubation evokes feelings such as nourishment, growth, preparation, invitation, along with impressions of active, warm, gestational development. It recalls images of growing chicks. In fact, the sophisticated pre-sleep practices utilized by so many diverse cultures and traditions and the art of dream incubation is a reminder that we once trusted our dreams and the information they revealed. Ritualized, organized individual and collective gatherings of dreamers are a remarkable manifestation tool. The attention given to preparation for deep psychological work naturally begins with purification practices such as fasting, sacrifice, herbal support, and prayer to prepare for and receive an expression of image that catalyzes a transformative event. Dreamers prepared offerings as tokens of gratitude and supplication in exchange for their healing and slept in specific locations such as temples, graveyards, and other sacred locations to inspire their dreams. The dreams received during the incubation process were often regarded as sources of healing, both physical and psychological. This hatching of psychic material, symbolic image and health guidance offered in these dreams could include advice on treatments, remedies, or changes in lifestyle that the dreamer should undertake to attain well-being.

For those seeking to receive such an image, utilizing elemental forces of a particular place, such as at the Asclepius Temple or a cave to pray and invoke fertility or a mountaintop to receive a vision for direction and divine guidance demonstrates how environments and natural forces inform and enrich the manifestation of deeply connected psychological content. In Greece, a specially designed space, the enkoimeterion was built within a healing sanctuary where individuals would sleep and incubate their dreams as part of that tradition. The Cave of the Immortals’ Gate was an incubation site in China that was described in a text by Zhou Lianggong (1612-1672CE) as being in the mountains, surrounded by waterfalls and nature and having produced excellent dream results. The Muslim dream ritual called the istikhara also recommended “spiritually charged locations like mosques, graves, the tombs of saints and of course caves” (Bulkeley, 2008).

My favorite incubation instruction was taught by the Buddhist Guru Naropa. In this Tibetan tradition, the focus was not simply being awarded a wish-fulfilling message or meaningful image but training to maintain attention and lucidity during the dream. These yogic practices were directed at training awareness and control of consciousness during the actual dream state using visualizations, pranayama(breath) control, physical postures, and specific mantras and prayers. The ultimate goal being to “cultivate powers of dreaming metacognition” (Bulkeley, 2008).

A focused conscious dream incubation designed to manifest a meaningful, creative flash reflects our enduring quest for deeper understanding, guidance, and connection to ourselves. Whether viewed as a tool to communicate with gods, ancestors, or one's own subconscious, dream incubation underscores the universal human desire to unlock hidden truths that reveal themselves through dreams. This integrated approach combined physical, spiritual, and psychological dimensions of healing, reflecting the ancient Greeks’ understanding of health as a harmonious balance between the body and soul, and is an excellent example for the curation of a psychedelic healing model.

While external factors of setting are important in designing effective and positive healing encounters, the internal mental states of both the facilitator and participant are equally crucial. Key themes such as surrender, letting go, and trust should guide participants toward a more receptive state. During sessions, it is common to observe movements associated with trauma release, often referred to as kriyas in the yogic traditions. These may include trembling, shaking, spasms, twisting motions, jerks, carpal-pedal spasms, and jaw tightness, alongside intense vibrations of circulating energy and sensations of heat and cold. Participants may experience a wide array of emotions, from fear and sadness to ecstasy, bliss, and peace. Some may take on animal forms, perform asanas (yoga forms) or mudras (hand gestures), speak in tongues, or recall past-life memories and birth experiences. These sessions can also facilitate full cosmic consciousness events, akin to what Abraham Maslow termed peak experiences—moments rich with an ineffable sense of unity, timelessness, and numinosity. For this reason, guides sharing space with someone undergoing a personal healing experience must possess a certain level of experience and capacity for holding spiritual space. They must be able to embrace the full spectrum of the human condition and its various manifestations.

As we cultivate a deeper understanding of both the external and internal factors that influence healing, we create spaces where individuals can safely explore the full spectrum of their emotional and spiritual experiences. The optimal conditions for such experiences—rich sensory environments, skilled facilitators, and supportive relationships—are essential for guiding individuals toward healing and self-discovery. Embracing the dynamics of surrender, trust, and authenticity within these environments can facilitate significant personal growth and collective evolution.

In my work as a guide, my preparatory and integration protocols include osteopathic manipulation and acupuncture as somatic tools for opening the body and becoming familiar with where and how participants are holding stress and trauma in the body. This physical exchange has been a highly effective way to create a deep sense of knowing and trust in each other as participants recognize through information communicated with my hands the degree of capacity and knowledge within me in relationship to them.

?Some expanded states of consciousness sessions manifest intensely on the physical level. In one case, a 50-year-old woman experienced herself moving into a dark place of blockage, describing it as labyrinthian plumbing full of sludge where she felt trapped. My previous work with her and familiarity with her somatic holding patterns proved valuable. I approached her quietly, identified myself, and asked permission to offer support and physical contact, which she accepted.

Drawing on my training in Grof Holotropic Breathwork, what I consider the finest somatic training for working with non-ordinary states, I provided a pillow for her to push against, allowing her to release the tension she was experiencing. Throughout my work in this field, the importance of personal agency in healing has become strikingly apparent. My support came not from a framework of fixing or doing something for her, but rather from creating a field of opportunity for her own healing process.

Sensing her need for vocalization, I encouraged her to express herself vocally while working to move the blockage from her abdomen. This proved challenging, we are typically unaccustomed to expressing raw, primordial energy through voice. I gently prompted her to stay with her experience and give it voice. The interaction was dynamic, requiring me to be both active and non-controlling throughout the session. Eventually, her physical sensations transformed into a release of trauma connected to her ex-husband. This case illustrates how somatic work is as crucial as psychological processing through verbal expression. Guides must be specifically trained in somatic interaction techniques, without this skillset, there is a significant gap in their ability to support clients effectively.

Experience demonstrates that potent and effective outcomes for healing include both therapeutic parameters and components of the environment. By effectively manipulating these variables, facilitators can guide seekers in a positive direction, even in the face of challenging moments. Joan Halifax's hospice concept of "strong back, soft front" is particularly relevant when sitting as a guide for psychedelic work. The "strong back" symbolizes the inner resilience and steadiness required to navigate the emotional intensity of the situation, and the "soft front" reflects the openness and compassion needed to connect deeply with the emotions present in the room, embracing both grief and love. This balance allows guides to remain grounded while fully engaging with the vulnerability of the moment, fostering a space where authenticity and empathy can flourish. This model offers excellent practice for guides as they witness difficult emotions for which they would like to “fix,” “make better” or somehow soften the discomfort in the room when what is needed is to be still, open, and present, trusting the capacity of the participant's internal healing intelligence to guide their process.

Central to a successful experience is the participant’s feelings of safety and comfort within the space, as well as trust in the facilitator's ability to remain present and attentive amidst the myriad potential physical and psychological experiences. Equally important is maintaining an attitude characterized by freshness, possibility, and freedom from expectations. The seeker’s capacity to surrender, approach the experience with open-mindedness, and embrace curiosity is crucial. Psychological resistance to discomfort may lead to an expansion of that discomfort and fear. It is essential to recognize that the range of experiences during non-ordinary states of consciousness is significant. The following categories serve as a generalized map of experiences but do not encompass the entire spectrum. As noted in the classics of acupuncture, “the acupuncture points move,” suggesting that the meridian map for acupuncture points is merely a starting point from which the art of acupuncture can emerge. This is the same for expanded states of consciousness.

Categories of Psychedelic Experiences

According to Grof (1994), Masters and Houston (2000), Pahnke and Richards (1966), Pahnke et al. (1970), and Richards (2008), there are six general categories of psychedelic experiences that can contribute to the maturation of human potential:

1. Sensory-Aesthetic Experiences: These experiences involve perceptual changes that evoke awe and beauty. They may include heightened color vividness, kaleidoscopic imagery, and an altered sense of touch, where music might evoke colors or shapes (synesthesia). For instance, a friend’s freckles might seem to twinkle like stars.
2. Psychodynamic-Autobiographical Experiences: Focused on personal life events and emotional responses, these experiences often arise at lower doses and can be therapeutic. They may encompass trauma, grief, shame, and feelings of forgiveness, offering new perspectives on past experiences and facilitating emotional release.
3. Cognitive-Intellectual Effects: These experiences lead to changes in thought patterns, allowing for enhanced creativity and novel insights (Hunt, 1984). They promote solution-oriented reasoning by enabling individuals to collect experiences without analytical constraints, leading to new cognitive reframing.
4. Symbolic-Archetypal Experiences: Involving mythological and symbolic content, these experiences may include encounters with deities, angels, and universal qualities such as truth and beauty. They often transcend personal narratives, connecting participants to cultural and historical contexts and providing lasting therapeutic benefits (Richards, 1978).
5. Challenging Experiences: These can manifest as intense feelings of anxiety, fear, or disorientation, with some participants reporting sensations of “dying” or losing control (Barrett et al., 2016). However, such experiences can lead to significant insights and healing benefits when properly integrated post-journey (Johnson et al., 2008).
6. Mystical Experiences: Rated among the most spiritually significant encounters in participants' lives (Griffiths et al., 2006), these experiences are characterized by feelings of unity, transcendence, and deep emotional resonance. They often result in lasting positive changes in attitudes and behaviors (Griffiths et al., 2008; MacLean et al., 2011; Schmid & Liechti, 2018).

In summary, the exploration of expanded states of consciousness offers rich and dynamic opportunities for personal transformation and healing. By recognizing that these experiences are accessible to everyone, we dismantle the notion that they belong solely to the spiritual elite. In working with psycho-technologies therapeutically, the significance of set and setting cannot be overstated; a supportive environment and skilled guides play critical roles in facilitating deep, meaningful experiences. Through establishing ethical, clearly understood guidelines for practice we can offer a solid foundation for participants to navigate their inner landscapes safely and effectively. As we draw from ancient traditions and modern insights alike, we emphasize that healing is a dynamic and collaborative process. By nurturing trust, openness, and intention, we empower individuals to reclaim their agency, fostering connections not only with themselves but also with their community and with nature. In this way, we honor the complexity of human experience and promote a collective evolution toward healing, wholeness, authenticity, and responsibility.