“We are not human beings having spiritual experiences;
we are spiritual beings having human experiences.”
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
In human history especially in spiritual history, non-ordinary states of consciousness have played a very important role in all ancient cultures. Personally I find fascinating experiences during the non-ordinary states of consciousness, both as my personal experience and as well as a facilitator.
What is a Non-ordinary state of consciousness?
In our everyday state of consciousness, we identify ourselves with a small fraction of who we really are. Although through our senses, we do receive and absorb the information from our environment. However we only take note of a fraction of this flow of information. We may call this state as normal state of consciousness, or daily state of consciousness. The received information is stored up in our systems in the conscious versus subconscious level of the mind.
In a non-ordinary state of consciousness, the previously unprocessed information in form of memories, images, thoughts and visionsare is delivered into the mind. Such a state can contribute to understanding ourselves and our motivations better, helping us to acknowledge our inhibitions as well as realizing the dynamics of our relationships to others.
The experience of the non-ordinary states of consciousness is beyond mental and theoretical nature. There is a real opportunity to understand the mental material experientally.
The experiental understanding has a transformational and healing potential to it. When we can realise and acknowledge what is the energy and experience behind our particular actions, feelings, or behaviour patterns, then all of those motivations can be brought up to the conscious level for transmutation.
How to get into the possible experience of non-ordinary
There are quite a few ways to get to non-ordinary states. These include drumming, music, chanting, rhythmic dancing,changes of breathing, fasting, meditation…just to name a few ways.
Rebirthing breath work as a way to enter into non-ordinary states of consciousness
The purpose of Rebirthing breathwork is to activate the healing potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness. In normal circumstances, we all breathe well under normal capacity. By breathing consciously to keep us focused upon a breathing pattern of connected breath, we are likely to have a greater volume of air passing through the respiratory system. There is no specific technique involved other than the surrender of the participant and the professional guidance of the facilitaor to create the necessary change in consciousness.
Laboratory studies demonstrate that the necessary change in consciousness occurs within five to ten minutes of conscious breathing.
Necessery conditions (or attitude) of reaching this state:
- Acceptance / willing to understand of the participant, that this state is benevolent
- Willing to surrender to the experience
- Knowing that we are being shown something of value
- Allowing the possibility for anything to arise knowing that our innate healing intelligence can be trusted.
- Authentic presence of trained facilitator.
