Pivotal Mental States

Pivotal Mental States (PiMS) are states of mind created by profound psychological events which shift default thought patterns. PiMS are an evolved feature of human brains as they aid in overwriting outdated ways of thinking when novel, actual or perceived environmental pressures demand this. PiMS exert their effect by inducing neuroplastic states, which given the correct priming, setting and integration allow users to eliminate out-of-date thought patterns and strengthen healthier, more adapted ones.

Below is a list of known PiM inducers, listed in order of ease of accessibility:

Figure 1. Pivotal mental states induced by psychedelics.

Psychedelics

Psychedelics are medicines that when administered under Best Practice can safely and profoundly shift normal thought patterns (see Figure 1). This is achieved by temporarily altering brain function to be less constrained than usual by modulating the presence or absence of underlying anatomical connections. There is now an overwhelming amount of evidence to suggest that psychedelics are highly effective in treating mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is a technique used in modern medicine to help cure treatment-resistant depression (TRD) patients. Research has shown that 64% to 87% of patients with severe TRD respond to ECT, with response rates as high as 95% for patients that have accompanying psychotic features. There is some evidence to suggest that ECT causes similar long and short-term effects to psychedelics in some in vivo case studies.

Overview Effect

It has been documented that astronauts looking back at Earth from space with the naked eye often suddenly get an overwhelming responsibility to protect it. When they see only a fine blue line of atmosphere that shelters our only planet from the hostile vacuum of space, national borders disappear; and the scene often evokes a feeling of cosmic connection. This so-called “overview effect” has been turning astronauts into environmental advocates ever since the first person in space.

Yuri Gagarin, upon his return as the first human in space, marvelled at the planet from orbit in 1961. “People of the world, let us safeguard and enhance this beauty — not destroy it,” . A half-century later, ex-NASA astronaut José Hernández said that the view aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 2009 turned him into “an instant treehugger.” On Christmas Eve 1968, NASA astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders were aboard Apollo 8, the first manned mission to orbit the Moon. They had spent most of the day photographing the Moon’s surface when Borman turned the spaceship around, and Earth came into view. ‘Oh my God, look at that picture over there. Here’s the Earth coming up,’ shouted Anders. Like the astronauts themselves, the world was awestruck by the first images of the whole Earth from space, which are today widely credited with triggering the birth of the modern environmental movement.

Fasting

Aldous Huxley observed that Medieval Christians often reported "visions" of Heaven and Hell during the winter, a time when their diets were deficient in essential nutrients like vitamin B and vitamin C. These nutritional deficiencies, such as those leading to scurvy, often triggered hallucinations, altering their perception of reality. Huxley further suggested that religious practices like fasting were deliberately designed to induce states of delirium, enabling individuals to access these extraordinary "antipodes of the mind"—a glimpse into altered realms of consciousness that could profoundly shape their beliefs and understanding of the world.

Sensory Deprivation

Sensory deprivation has been shown to induce pivotal mental states and restore critical-period-like plasticity in the brain. For example, in the somatosensory cortex, deprivation can reactivate synaptic plasticity akin to that observed during developmental critical periods, highlighting the brain’s retained capacity for adaptation beyond early life stages. Moreover, sensory deprivation in one modality can lead to compensatory enhancements and reorganization in other sensory modalities. This phenomenon, known as cross-modal plasticity, demonstrates the brain's ability to adapt to sensory loss by strengthening other senses, further underscoring its potential for functional reorganization during critical periods.

Near Death Experience

A Near-death-experience (NDE) is an intense psychological experience characterised by an atypical state of consciousness typically experienced during life-threatening conditions. NDEs in general are typically characterised by Out of Body Experiences and hallucinations which are affected by set and setting much like psychedelics. The after-effects of NDEs have been widely documented and have been shown to be powerfully life-altering.

Stroboscopics

Stroboscopics is a technique that flashes a bright light into the eyes of patients that in turn induces visual hallucinations. The process works as the speed at which the light is flashing is the same speed as the transmission rate of the optical nerve, this causes a temporary interference pattern which disorientates optical transmission to the brain leading to visual hallucinations similar to effects induced by psychedelic substances.

Pivotal Mental States Precursors

While there is a substantial body of scientific evidence supporting PiM inducement through the techniques mentioned above, there is also some evidence suggesting the involvement of the precursors listed below.

Optical Illusions

Whilst one of the weakest ways to induce PiMS, optical illusions can provide a gateway for people to start to ask elementary questions about their perceptions and start them on the path to overcoming their Psychedelic Anxiety Syndrome.

Spiritual experiences

Whilst unproven scientifically, (it would be very difficult due to the subjective nature) spiritual experiences have been shown to shift modes of general thought patterns. Pharmacologically the human brain has been found to produce endogenous psychedelic compounds (DMT), some believe that certain techniques may be helpful in unleashing its effect:

• Holotropic breathing techniques - 30 minutes of breathing in a controlled, three-beat pattern — one sharp breath into my belly, one sharp breath into my lungs, and a sigh-like exhale to release.

Subspace

There is some evidence in the scientific literature that a sexual practice of inducing subspace can induce PiMs. The term subspace is used to describe a psychological state of mind that some people may experience during or after participating in BDSM activities. Subspace is described as a feeling of floating or detachment from reality and can be accompanied by feelings of euphoria, tranquillity, or disassociation.

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