Beyond the Veil: Altered States and the Fluidity of Reality
by Paul Robear

Science has long struggled to define consciousness. Neuroscientists can pinpoint brain wave shifts during altered states, but those scans don’t capture the experience itself. Shamans, mystics, and seekers throughout history have explored these states, accessing knowledge, healing, and a deeper connection to existence. Those of us who have had such experiences know they are real.

Throughout my life, I’ve had many experiences with altered states that have challenged and expanded my understanding of reality. They weren’t induced by outside agents but by embodied practices such as Ritual Postures. I find myself transported to a realm where time and space no longer follow the same rules.

When we engage in practices that expand our awareness—whether through breathwork, ritual, meditation, or deep contemplation—we enter a space where the rigid constructs of reality soften. Some describe meeting spirits, receiving insights, or feeling a unity with all things. Other times, it is simply a profound inner stillness. What is real? The waking world, with its rules and logic? Or the altered state, which feels just as tangible in the moment?

The truth may lie in the interplay between these states. We live in a culture that prioritizes waking consciousness and mostly dismisses altered states as hallucinations, imagination, or even delusion. But what if these states are different lenses through which to perceive reality? Reality itself seems to be layered, shifting, and responsive to our consciousness.

If we accept altered states as a valid way of knowing, then we also open the door to new understandings of existence. Ancient cultures knew this well—using ritual, dance, music, and ceremony to explore these spaces. Modern neuroscience is continuing to explore how these states can promote healing, enhance creativity, and even help us process trauma.

I propose that our task is to embrace these experiences as a natural extension of the human experience and integrate them into our understanding of the vast and mysterious nature of being.