The Brain Barrier in the Room, Part 1 of 4
The Altered States Context
Because of the pervasive nature of destructive influence patterns within the global community, the articles published over the next several weeks will specifically address and analyze these phenomena.
To understand consciousness transformation, we must first recognize that most human beings currently operate inside the brain barrier, or the ego-bias driven lesser consciousness. What various researchers term as "default mode network" (DMN) functioning—first identified by Raichle et al. in 2001—represents a baseline state of brain activity that correlates with self-referential thinking and ego-bias processing. This isn't a physical barrier—it’s a functional limitation in our capacity to process sensory information beyond the ego-bias stimuli. The journey beyond the brain barrier requires critical thinking, objectivity, and systematic practice.
Contemporary neuroscience, particularly through the work of researchers like Robin Carhart-Harris, suggests that these cognitive constraints developed as adaptive mechanisms but feasibly will limit our capacity for broader states of consciousness. Carhart-Harris et al., also proposed, in a fascinating 2014 Frontiers in Human Neuroscience article, a theory of consciousness duality derived from a psychedelic research study:
“This article proposes that a distinction can be made between two fundamentally different modes of cognition: primary and secondary consciousness. Primary consciousness is associated with unconstrained cognition and less ordered (higher-entropy) neurodynamics, whereas secondary consciousness is associated with constrained cognition and more ordered neurodynamics (i.e., that strikes an evolutionarily advantageous balance between order and disorder - that may or more not be perfectly ‘critical’).” [1]
Critical thinking analysis reveals several vital points about the relationship between brain states and consciousness experience:
Brain-based limitations: The study is absent context of brain barrier restrictiveness related to expanded consciousness. Altered brain states are not de facto encounters with expanded consciousness. While psychedelics will alter neural activity and perception, these changes remain bound by the physical limitations of the brain and ego-bias consciousness.
Temporary vs. permanent: Psychedelic experiences create temporary and some noteworthy changes in brain function rather than permanent expansions of consciousness. Actual consciousness expansion involves developmental changes that persist and progress over time.
Altered states express as temporary modifications of brain function, like adjusting the tuning of a radio. While induced altered states provide novel experiences, they remain bound by the basic operating parameters of the brain barrier, or the dial on the radio. Consciousness expansion, conversely, represents a fundamental evolution of perceptual capacity, comparable to replacing the radio with a Very Large Array (VLA) network to detect entirely unknown frequencies.
Altered states fragment upon returning to ego-bias consciousness, leaving only memories. Actualized consciousness expansion creates permanent developments that integrate fully into one's baseline state of awareness. This integration means the extended capacities become part of normal functioning rather than exceptional experiences.
Altered states are potentially intriguing but lack orderly progression. They're more like random channel changes than actual growth. Consciousness expansion follows a progressive developmental path, building upon itself systematically while creating an enduring evolution of multi-dimensional sensory awareness.
This discussion does not intend to downplay the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelic or micro-dosing treatments for conditions such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression. The need for ongoing exploration and validation is scientifically clear.
Conclusions
The key distinction between altered states and consciousness expansion reveals in:
Permanence versus temporality
Integration versus fragmentation
Development versus experience
Transcendence versus modification
The Brain Barrier in the Room, Part 2
The Brain Barrier in the Room, Part 3
The Brain Barrier in the Room, Part 4
[1] The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs