Glimpses of our evolutionary potential
Mystical experiences, cosmic consciousness, spiritual awakening – the names alone are enough to turn you off, as they are commonly associated with woo-woo. The two of us writing this article have had several oneness experiences between us and we certainly don’t wish to be linked with such nonsense. In an attempt to demystify what is undoubtedly a real phenomenon, we call them “oneness experiences”. This term adequately describes the feeling of connectedness with everyone and everything, summarising the defining feature.
Having a oneness experience is certainly not commonplace, but it’s not as rare as some might think. People across all cultures and continents have found themselves suddenly catapulted into this altered, but temporary, ecstatic state. Although these glimpses only typically persist for a few minutes, they’re often described as the most significant experience someone has ever had – exceeding those of falling in love, the birth of a first child, and other common euphoric life events. A oneness experience is usually vividly remembered decades later.
In the Maturity section of this website, we’ve talked about the need to go beyond our limited mindset which causes horrendous amounts of unnecessary suffering. We can’t, in all honesty, call ourselves truly civilised whilst we continue as a species to kill each other, cause mental health problems for ourselves and others, and abuse our environment. We seriously need to mature and move beyond the dysfunction of psychological avoidance. The root cause of this immaturity and dysfunction is the “me, first” starting point. A much better alternative is the “one for all, all for one” approach to life. Such a fundamental change in our psychology would undeniably be an evolutionary step forward. Oneness experiences provide a glimpse of our incredible human potential.
We need to explain what a oneness experience is, as simply as possible. Bear in mind that this state has traditionally been described as ineffable, so using words inevitably detracts from the enormity of what is actually experienced. Everyone reporting a oneness experience describes being immersed in unity, with the normal sense of self suspended. There’s an unparalleled feeling of love for all, underpinned by an incredible and lucid understanding or knowing. In this ecstatic state, there’s no psychological dilemma. Senses are intensified and there’s a different perception of time. The experience is extremely powerful, incomparable to anything known or thought possible beforehand.
These experiences have been recorded for several thousand years and academically described by psychologists since 1900. They have traditionally been framed in religious terms, which was understandable at the time but is completely unnecessary. Nowadays, this religious context is off-putting to many in our society where religion is no longer dominant. Unfortunately, the woo-woo brigade have now hijacked this evolutionary potential ambition - which is distasteful to those of us who cherish logical thinking, practicality, and an evidence-based approach.
A oneness experience usually happens as a fleeting glimpse that is rarely repeated. This element of surprise - as it is both unexpected and sudden - is reported by almost everyone. There are specific triggers which initiate the onset of a oneness experience, and we have identified there are also triggers out which end the altered state. Being in nature is a known situation when a oneness experience might possibly occur. By contrast, an ex-colleague was standing in a crowded London Underground station when she found herself suddenly absorbed in unity. There appears to be a pre-existing route in our brains that enables someone to spontaneously go from their normal mindset into oneness, with no apparent build-up.
A few excerpts of how others have explained their oneness experience might add to the above description.
Jane Goodall, known for her work with chimpanzees, was doing field work in the forest.
Lost in awe at the beauty around me, I must have slipped into a state of heightened awareness. It is hard – impossible really – to put into words the moment of truth that suddenly came upon me then. Even the mystics are unable to describe their brief flashes of spiritual ecstasy. It seemed to me, as I struggled afterward to recall the experience, the self was utterly absent: I and the chimpanzees, the earth and trees and air, seemed to merge, to become one with the spirit power of life itself.
Edgar D. Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the Moon, was on his way back to Earth when a oneness experience was triggered.
This knowledge came to me directly. It was not a matter of discursive reasoning or logical abstraction. It was an experiential cognition. It was knowledge gained through private subjective awareness, but it was – and still is – every bit as real as the objective data upon which, say, the navigational program or the communication system [of the Apollo 14 mission] were based.
A woman in her early 30s, who we’ll identify by the initials RD, was in the shower when her oneness experience happened. She described the following as “a crap description”:
Any words are going to be inadequate to describe the bigness of it. Total understanding. Space. Enormity of it. Calm. It’s not a distinct thing, everything merged together. It wasn’t about me, so it’s hard to identify, because everything is about me, and, this wasn’t about me. There was an urgent and big urge to help. It was important. Like there were no boundaries. They were gone. There wasn’t any body – it was like I was bigger than my body. It was a euphoric feeling.
Victoria, one of the authors of this article, had a oneness experience whilst at work in an office. She adds the following:
The fact is, there was no duality in the ordinary sense of there being a person having an experience. There was no dilemma and no fear, just expansion and seemingly total understanding. There were infinite possibilities of how to use this knowledge and where to direct it. The experience was the most profound state of being I have ever known.
A oneness experience is seen as transformative. But, in reality, the path forwards after this brief illumination has faded is unclear. An exact map of how to progress is unavailable. The old habitual ways of thinking and acting remain, even if there’s now a positive spanner in the works. There’s hope that a better way of living is possible, but that’s about it. The memory of unity and a greater love often acts as a crutch for when life gets tough, and it can even be misused as a form of escapism.
A woman living in Newcastle, who’d had a oneness experience whilst walking in nature, tried to tell her husband about it. He casually brushed it off with the words: “It’s just that time of the month.” This ignorance is typical, even if it’s not normally dismissed in such a misogynistic manner. The subject is either something completely unknown to most people or wrongly lumped in the category of religious experience. A few academic psychologists have attempted to get to grips with it all - but, after a good beginning, the emergence of transpersonal psychology has failed to make any further impact or provide practical information as to what can happen next. By contrast, our own organisation - The Human Potential Trust, a British educational charity - has laid out a detailed explanation, plus a clear “how to change” way forward.
We think it’s important to stress that, unfortunately, a few delusional individuals have confused having a oneness experience - and the afterglow effect that can linger - with attaining “enlightenment” or continual oneness. These charlatans talk the talk, but fail to live a life of genuine service before self. They set themselves up as “gurus”, but financial and other exploitation expose them for what they are: con artists. All of which severely taints an emerging area of psychology or human potential. It’s sickening.
Neuroscience, using brain scanning equipment, has attempted to study “oneness experiences” in recent years. The subjects have been monks and nuns who claim to be able to enter a oneness state through meditation. Whereas this research has shown different brain functioning, the findings are flawed. They are merely recording a passive, blissful mentality which can be achieved by years of repeated concentration. Researchers and practitioners, who don’t know better, have confused this dissociative meditative state with authentic oneness. Contrary to popular opinion, meditation is not a reliable path to glimpsing oneness. Again, this emerging field is riddled with myth and ignorance.
Hallucinogenic drugs can sometimes induce oneness experiences. Limited research has mapped brain activity whilst this is happening. The problem with hallucinogens is “pollution” from the associated perceptual distortions. It should also be noted that these drugs are illegal to take outside of an academic research program, and they can produce “bad trips” as well as trigger psychosis where there’s a predisposition.
If oneness experiences are a glimpse of our potential, then we should all be seeking to understand what’s going on. Everything from the big questions like how this state can be taught or learnt - right through to how, neurologically, this pre-conditioned state may be able to exist in our brains. Even more importantly, the first step has to be for society to start chewing on the consequences of avoidance. But in order for this pre-change baby step to happen, people need to start looking at what the problem with them is. And, in this current climate of not wanting to be challenged – we’re specifically referring here to the vicious cancel culture – the idea of bravely facing some of your baggage seems rather far away.
Glimpses are just glimpses and nothing more. They are not even a necessary part of the educational process for significant psychological change. An exact framework must be built which is in keeping with a non-separate perspective. This structure will ultimately enable a continuous experience of oneness, rather than a glimpse.
Written by Becky Scott & Victoria de las Heras, 21st July 2021
Since this article was written, Becky has presented a series of 42 films on how to unlock your human potential - including Film No 30 which is about oneness experiences. You can watch it here.