On states of consciousness in the light of Andean and pre-Columbian wisdom
CAYPACHA; UCUPACHA; HANANPACHA
Introduction:
From a physiological standpoint, the expression Altered States of Consciousness (ASC) implies a habitual, ordinary or 'consensual' state, from which divergences — quantitative and qualitative — of consciousness occur. These fluctuations may be classified as expansion or retraction. According to the definition, both a state of narrowing, repression or retraction, and a state of elevation, expansion and amplification of consciousness, at a non-habitual intensity, configure what is conventionally called 'altered' or modified states of consciousness. The ordinary state of consciousness is dynamic and fluctuates, from a quantitative and qualitative standpoint, within an average range of possibilities; quantifiable, they could be plotted on a Gaussian curve. Daily situations such as dreams and so-called hypnagogic phases — the creative, image-laden drowsiness that precedes sleep or precedes waking — represent fluctuations of consciousness, as do the subjective states experienced in elated moments. Other less usual experiences, such as so-called lucid dreams, or moments of high emotional voltage in which significant modifications of perception and physiological state occur, can be considered 'altered states of consciousness'. Other states such as analgesia and numbness induced by medications, sedatives, alcohol, physical fatigue, sleep deprivation, can equally be classified in this category. As can be predicted, there is no precise boundary between the various states of consciousness, as they are essentially subjective.
Another, less physiological, way of classifying states of consciousness would be from a more humanist, sociological and even philosophical position, involving ethical criteria: 1. the Ordinary State of Consciousness would be the medial situation from which the civilizational consensus is drawn, from which the general political and economic sense emanates, as well as the quality of affectivity and respect toward others; 2. the Inferior State of Consciousness, producer of more egoic realities and experiences, and 3. the Expanded (or superior) State of Consciousness would be the source of more altruistic experiences, of a more loving and universal affectivity, of more transpersonal perspectives. The experience called the Ordinary State of Consciousness is stimulated, allowed and negotiated through social life and interrelationships. This state of consciousness is generated by and generates the current experience of humanity, our civilization. A positive, corrective modification — in the sense of improving human action, performance and general results — can only occur and be induced within and from a more comprehensive, flexible and ethical level of consciousness. A more precise knowledge of the physiology, nature and philosophy of the Ordinary State of Consciousness, and of the resources necessary to induce alterations to remedy and heal distortions, seems fundamental; the knowledge of the various states of consciousness, of their properties, the mastery of their induction, their proper use and the teaching of this technology, can certainly generate a new phase in human history and evolution.