Methods of altering consciousness

From The Maze Where Realities Converge - the psychedelic encyclopedia of reality from The Ultimate Comment

The Ultimate Comment is known for experimenting with non-ordinary states of consciousness like a bunch of freaking hippies. This page is for informational purposes only and we take no responsibility for any harm that comes to you trying this techniques. However, we'll accept all credit for good things that happen to you as a result. These techniques may be used for fun, or for philosophical reasons, for practical reasons such as learning stuff or creating stuff, or for the empowerment of one's consciousness.

Psychonauts explore the mind's exotic realms for fun and profit. We cultivate strange new awarenesses and invent unknown pleasures. We examine the limits of ordinary consciousness - in our rear-view mirrors. We live on many levels.

Methods of entering non-ordinary states of consciousness

• Hypnosis. (Not to be confused with hip gnosis, which is that thing that we do so startlingly well.) Artful use of the psychic influence we all exert when we communicate with others can induce trance.
• Drugs. Obviously.
• Brainwave entrainment.
• Massage. Reiki, shiatsu and acupressure can be pretty fuckin' trippy and are worth learning. There's a Hawai'ian system of massage called lomi lomi, which includes a 'four hands' technique: one masseur works each side of the body with a fast, rhythmic massage. The twentiness of the fingers on your back is more than you can consciously keep track of, so you'll feel impossible feelings. The official massage of The Ultimate Comment is is known as an 'insane massage'. It utilises this effect of overloading consciousness with kinesthetic stimulation, however, unlike four hands lomi lomi, it requires no formal massage training. Just get as many people as possible to massage you at the same time: get one or two people massaging your feet, one or two massaging your back, maybe someone massaging your head and maybe one or two on your hands.
• Dreaming.
• Sex. One method for gaining altered states of consciousness through sex (described in Crowley's Liber CDLI) is to push as far into the state of sexual exhaustion as possible until you reach a visionary state. Another method (known as karezza) is to prolong sex for hours by repeatedly backing off from orgasm when you approach it by relaxing the muscles around the genitals. This apparently gets you into a trance.
  It is possible to enter a scintillating state of consciousness by drawing the sexual sensation in the genitals up the spine, towards the brain. This is done by alternately contracting and relaxing the muscles of the perineum/genitals/anus while concentrating on the sexual sensation and visualizing it rising up the spine. This book has some further details. Hooray for Taoism!
• Holotropic breathwork. The brainchild of eminent consciousness researcher Stanislav Grof. Fans claim that this method allows you to enter some pretty far-out states using nothing more than deep, fast breathing and evocative music, though details are sketchy. Here is the official explanation.
• Heat. Native Americans use sweat lodges - essentially very hot, steamy saunas - to induce visions. You feel really hot, and you want to go out and cool off, but you force yourself to stay there in the heat until your core temperature rises slightly and you experience visions.
• Sensory deprivation. Not sure how to acheive this effect at home. Experiments must be conducted... somebody go get me a sleep mask, earplugs, a large bathtub and a few bags of salt. (The salt is for bouyancy.)
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation. Temporary lesion induction in the brain - fiddling with your neuro-anatomy. Some links: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]
• Meditation.
• Spinning until you're dizzy. Probably the first altered state of consciousness you ever experimented with and a favourite of Mevlevi Sufi mystics. Look at 'em go!. Spin around your own central axis, staying on one spot rather than moving in a circle. Move your feet faster and faster and keep your arms relaxed so that they rise up from the momentum generated. You should feel like the whole world is moving, but your axis is completely solid.
• Mirror-gazing death posture. (See: Austin Osman Spare)
• Blackout death posture. (See: Austin Osman Spare)
• Kundalini. An occult energy in the perineum. Bringing it up the spine towards the brain causes hallucinations, tremors, gnosis and euphoria. The pranayama 'Sukha Purvaka' described on page 46 of Swami Sivananda's book Kundalini Yoga is the best method I know of for arousing it. (Others should be posted here.) Handy hint: put Tiger Balm on your perineum to facilitate concentration on that spot and awaken the firesnake. (Crowley's words are relevant here: "It is immaterial whether they exist or not. By doing certain things certain results follow; students are most earnestly warned against attributing objective reality or philosophic validity to any of them.")
• Death. This one is simple to do. Just die. I can pretty much guarantee you'll feel different afterwards.
• Finding the secret of the universe. It'll be, like, the ultimate trip, man.
• Others‽‽‽. I dunno; you tell me!

Methods of altering moods

• Adrenaline. Whatever does it for you: rollercoasters, bungee jumping, going to war... Be afraid. Be very afraid.
• Exercise. Endorphins and a good body feeling, as well as shortness of breath, are guaranteed to make you feel a bit different. If you're out walking somewhere, try suddenly sprinting as fast as you can for as long as you can, then stop and enjoy the heady feeling. (See: DXM). It is possible to acheive visionary states by total physical exhaustion.
• Anchors
• Metacommentology
• Laughter
• Rage. Slap on some punk music and think about someone you hate. Thrash your body around a bit and work yourself into a rage. Get a feel for what this is like: does your vision go red? Do your muscles tense up? What facial expression does the rage cause? What do you feel in your body? Once you know how the rage presents, dig into the feelings and exaggerate them. Abandoning all external associations, and just experience the rage for itself. You're not angry about anything; it's just that your state of existence is Anger. You should be able to get to a point where discursive thought stops.
• Other emotions. The above procedure for rage could be done with other emotions as well - but some are easier than others.

Recommended combinations

Drugs + massage. Drugs + meditation. Drugs + sex. Drugs + sensory deprivation (<- be careful with this one; you don't want to end up like D.M. Turner), Hypnosis + sex. Sensory deprivation + hypnosis. Sensory deprivation + meditation. Binaural beats + meditation. Binaural beats + hypnosis.