Wired for Union
Ordinary and Non-Ordinary States, the Mystic in the Market, and Tapping the Biological Ability to Flip the Switch
Happy Spring Equinox, beloveds. I’ve landed back in the US, my body is in the WTAF state of 12-time-zone flipping, and my mind is deep in prepping for the spring courses and retreats. If you’re considering either course or the retreat, come and have a chat with me during these information sessions: on on Saturday, 3.22.25, 9 am pacific, on Living Tantra and the incredible retreat, and one on Monday, 3.24.25, 5 pm pacific, on Thrive: Conscious Midlife. Also, the launch of the Nine Lives of Woman is in less than 2 weeks: 440 pages of sensual, sexual and reproductive information, with an emphasis on the wonder of our embodiment. If you haven’t yet reserved a copy in digital or print, please do. All love, all the time, Christine
Wired for Union
Mystical experiences — those profound moments of unity with the universe, accompanied by a feeling of deep interconnectedness with all of life — are more common than we might think. Often, they are life changing. We might move from a momentary sense of oneness, awe and reverence to a more pervasive identification with the divine essence present in everything- a sense of the ensouled world. These moments may also involve a personal encounter with a transcendent being, fostering a sense of communion with a higher power and evoking profound feelings of unconditional love. For most people, the mystical also involves a sense of merging, where the self seems to dissolve.
Initially these experiences may be accidental, most often happening in nature, and can feel surprising, but over time and with care and attention, we learn that they are part of our human design, a necessary part of our psycho-social intelligence and a protective stucture for the individual mind — and that they can be cultivated and summoned at will.
The mystical is one of many types of non-ordinary states of consciousness- and they aren’t merely accidents of the mind, evolutionary quirks, or aberrations. They are part of what it means to be human. Our ancestors relied on heightened awareness for survival tasks like hunting and interpreting the natural world. Rituals and collective trance states strengthened social bonds and created a shared sense of belonging. These states also facilitate deep emotional processing, trauma release, and psychological reordering beyond the capabilities of rational thought alone.
Mystical states, in particular, provide direct experiences of the sacred, dissolving existential anxiety, reframing suffering, and revealing the interconnectedness of all things. They allow us to tap into transgenerational, multi-lifetime, and subconscious memory, accessing archetypes and perceiving scales beyond the ordinary mind's reach.
These access points are embedded in our biology.
When we tire of separation, we can shift to unitive awareness and touch the divine. The capacity to access non-ordinary states is inherent in our design. From the ancient Siddhas to contemporary mystics, the pathways for this have been laid out, for all of those those who wish to follow.
Ordinary and Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness
Let’s look a bit at ordinary consciousness, our baseline waking state, so we have a shared understanding. Ordinary consciousness is characterized by:
Stable sense of self: A continuous, familiar identity that persists over time.
Linear thought processing: Logical, sequential, and goal-oriented thinking.
Objective time perception: A stable experience of past, present, and future.
Limited sensory perception: Awareness largely confined to immediate surroundings.
Conditioned thought patterns: Behaviors shaped by upbringing, language, and belief systems.
Manageable emotional range: Feelings generally within a moderate spectrum.
Problem-solving mode: Engagement in practical concerns like work, relationships, and planning.
While necessary for daily functioning, ordinary consciousness is by it’s nature limited, and has some problems of its own. In ordinary consciousness, we often rely on repetitive thought loops and conditioned responses, which hinder creative problem-solving and invite rigidity. This state can disconnect us from direct experience, as the mind filters reality through concepts and judgments, leading to a lack of present-moment engagement, and bringing us to false conclusions based on the patterned mind.
Moreover, a purely rational, ego-driven state can create a sense of existential emptiness and alienation from meaning. The ego's self-protective mechanisms can also block deep emotional expression and prevent transformation. Additionally, the dark side of the linear perception of time in ordinary consciousness is stress, urgency, and fear of death, whereas mystical states suggest a timelessness where essential tasks unfold naturally (as my friend Maggie used to say, whenever overwhelm would arise, “There is always enough time in God: the important stuff will get done.”).
Ordinary consciousness is where we spend most of our time, managing responsibilities and keeping daily life in motion. It is useful. It is necessary.
And yet, beyond this waking state lies a vast and luminous terrain of awareness exists—non-ordinary states of consciousness—offering doorways to perceptions beyond habitual patterns.
Non-ordinary states can manifest subtly, such as losing track of time during immersive creative projects. Flow states emerge when attention is so fully engaged that the self dissolves, and action becomes effortless: the surfer becomes one with the wave, the dancer embodies the rhythm, the writer loses themselves in the unfolding narrative. Other states can profoundly alter our perception of identity and reality, revealing an underlying unity or an overwhelming sense of love. Shamanic states guide us beyond the ordinary self into non-linear landscapes where symbols come alive, ancestors communicate, and the unseen becomes visible. Kundalini awakening involves deep energetic shifts, often accompanied by spontaneous movements, visions, or waves of bliss.
Dreaming also serves as a portal. In lucid dreams, we become conscious within the dreamscape, exploring inner worlds untethered from physical constraints. The hypnagogic and hypnopompic states—the transitional phases between waking and sleep—carry whispers from the subconscious, presenting images that flicker between worlds. Ecstatic states arise through practices like breathwork, dance, chanting, drumming, and devotion, while trauma-induced dissociation can transport consciousness away from pain as a survival mechanism.
Perhaps the most well-known, and also the most heavily regulated, are the entheogenic states induced by psychedelics and sacred plant medicines. Used for millennia to expand perception, dissolve the ego, and reconnect with greater intelligence, these substances can bring profound insights or, if not handled with reverence, lead to fragmentation and disorientation.
Breakthroughs in Non-Ordinary States
Throughout history, altered states of consciousness—such as dreams, meditation, and trance—have been catalysts for significant scientific and artistic breakthroughs. Friedrich August Kekulé’s discovery of benzene’s ring structure was reportedly inspired by a dream of a snake biting its own tail. Srinivasa Ramanujan, the self-taught mathematician, credited his extraordinary mathematical insights to visions he experienced in dreams. Elias Howe’s invention of the modern sewing machine came from a dream in which he saw warriors with spears that had holes near their tips, inspiring the design of the needle. Samuel Taylor Coleridge composed Kubla Khan after an opium-influenced dream, and Salvador Dalí used hypnagogic techniques—those moments between wakefulness and sleep—to access surreal imagery for his art. These examples illustrate how non-ordinary states can unlock novel perspectives, leading to groundbreaking advancements.
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) has also played a notable role in fostering innovation. Biochemist Kary Mullis credited his development of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a revolutionary technique in molecular biology, to insights gained during LSD experiences. Steve Jobs described LSD as one of the most important experiences of his life, influencing his vision for Apple and personal computing. Douglas Engelbart, the inventor of the computer mouse and early hypertext systems, participated in LSD research and later developed pioneering human-computer interaction technologies. Francis Crick, co-discoverer of DNA’s double-helix structure, reportedly used LSD during his research and claimed it helped him visualize molecular structures. The countercultural movements of the 1960s, influenced by LSD, led to radical new artistic expressions, such as The Beatles’ experimental albums Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Revolver. Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception laid the foundation for a broader exploration of psychedelics, while Ken Kesey’s "Acid Tests" helped shape the psychedelic revolution. These breakthroughs show how LSD has expanded creative, technological, and scientific frontiers.
The Realm of the Mystical
Among all non-ordinary states, mystical experiences stand apart. These are not just altered perceptions but profound encounters with something greater—whether that is called God, the Universe, Source, or simply an overwhelming sense of interconnectedness. In these moments, ordinary reality dissolves, revealing a deeper truth beyond the limitations of thought and identity.
The study of mysticism has been shaped by thinkers seeking to understand these experiences. William James, in The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902), identified key characteristics of mystical states: ineffability, a deep sense of knowing, transience, and passivity. Walter Stace categorized mystical experiences into introvertive (pure consciousness beyond time and space) and extrovertive (unity with nature). Evelyn Underhill mapped stages of mystical development, from initial awakening to final union. Ralph Hood developed the Mysticism Scale, a psychological tool for measuring these experiences, while Bernard McGinn emphasized mysticism as an ongoing transformation rather than a singular event. More recently, Dr. Andrew Newberg has studied the neurological basis of mystical states, exploring how the brain changes during transcendent experiences. Each of these perspectives contributes to our understanding of mysticism as both deeply personal and universally human.
Not all non-ordinary states lead to expansion. Some bring revelation, clarity, and deep healing, while others can be destabilizing or even harmful. Expansive states foster wisdom, creativity, and love. They dissolve the ego in a way that is grounding rather than disorienting, leaving a person feeling renewed, infused with understanding. These are the states that bring lasting transformation—insights that continue to shape life long after the experience itself has faded.
Others, however, can fragment the self. Instead of clarity, they bring confusion, paranoia, or grandiosity. Rather than integration, they create disconnection. These states may arise from reckless or excessive use of psychedelics, prolonged sleep deprivation, or unprocessed trauma overwhelming the nervous system. When an altered state leads to instability rather than deeper connection, discernment is required.
The essential question to ask after any non-ordinary experience is: Does this make me more whole? If the answer is yes, it is worth integrating into daily life. If the answer is no, it may be a signal to pause, reflect, and seek guidance.
Coming Home
The journey into the mystical inevitably circles back to the ordinary world. The dishes still need to be washed. Emails still arrive. The body still hungers. And yet, something has shifted. The real gift of non-ordinary states is not just in the experience itself but in how they shape the life we return to.
After an expansive experience, we carry that knowing into the so-called "regular life." Increased meaning and connection may arise, a sense of time and reality expanded beyond the familiar. Compassion often deepens, as does emotional intelligence. Care for the earth, for other people arises. With intention, these moments of transcendence can shape who we become, allowing us to move through the world with more presence, more love, and a greater capacity to hold both the mystery and the practicalities of being human. The great teaching of these states is this: that the sacred is not separate, that divinity is not distant, that love is not elsewhere.
The oscillation between ordinary and non-ordinary states is intrinsic to the human experience. The ability to access ecstatic states—whether through birth, sex, meditation, plant medicine, or communal dance—is not just a personal right but a fundamental aspect of what it means to be fully alive.
Throughout history, the suppression of these states has not only been about safety or morality but also about control. Direct experience of the mystical has always been disruptive to rigid hierarchies, threatening established power structures. When humans awaken to their own direct experience of unity, of the divine, of the vast intelligence beyond the personal mind, when we remember our freedom, we are less susceptible to imposed narratives. Sometimes I feel this is the entire game in a body: to remember the level of choice we are always in, in how to play the game.
We are wired for union. The doorways are in our DNA, in our epigene, in innermost code. We are built to touch the infinite.
