Effect Categories - Transpersonal States

Transpersonal states are defined as any subjective state that feels as if it alters a person's cognition in a manner that relates to their place in the universe, the inner workings of reality or consciousness, and/or the context of their existence. The highest manifestations of these effects fall under what are commonly known as "peak", "transcendent", "mystical", or "transformative" experiences.

These effects are typically associated with high dose psychedelic or dissociative experiences. They can occur regardless of the person's spiritual or religious beliefs and often have a distinct and lasting impact on the user's perspective of the world around them. During the experience of a substance-induced transpersonal state, the information conveyed is often felt to be a real and objective truth. However, the person will sometimes come to disagree with these supposed "epiphanies" once the effects of the substance have worn off.

The majority of effects listed within this category are largely relevant to the qualitative questions included within the Mystical Experiences Questionare, a well established series of 30 standardized questions that has been developed as a scientific criteria for measuring the presence and intensity of hallucinogen induced mystical experiences.

It should also be noted that these mind-states are the least reproducible of all effects within the Subjective Effect Index. Simply taking more of a given substance does not necessarily increase the chances of having these states occur. Instead, they seem to rely more on contextual factors, such as the person's set and setting.

This page lists the various transpersonal effects that can occur under the influence of certain psychoactive compounds.