Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: We propose that N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) provides a reproducible window into a universal consciousness (or interwoven networks of consciousness)-a modern empirical realization of Jung's collective unconscious.By combining Gallimore & Strassman's "reality switch" model (Gallimore & Strassman 2016) with Josie Kins' Subjective Effect Index (SEI) ontology (Effect Index 2017), we assert the existence of discrete consciousness-regionsstable phenomenological domains reliably accessed under DMT.We present a conceptual methodology for: 1. Defining a controlled vocabulary of region tags grounded in phenomenology and archetypal theory; 2. Tagging DMT sessions via SEI-enhanced interfaces; 3. Aggregating and clustering tagged data to reveal invariant regions across individuals; 4. Correlating each region with objective neural signatures (e.g., high-gamma bursts in visual cortex for fractal-geometric domains, default-mode network hubs for archetypal-mythic domains).Finally, we outline future extensions to transform this static atlas into a dynamic "consciousness weather" dashboard-tracking temporal fluctuations-and a multi-scale Mapping Universal Consciousness: DMT as a Reality Switch and the Consciousness Atlas A Methodological Framework for Charting Consciousness Regions Abstract spatial map (personal → planetary → cosmic), thereby creating a living scientific cartography of the "elephant" of consciousness.The parable of the blind men and the elephant illustrates how isolated perceptions yield only fragmented truths.We contend that human consciousness likewise spans an immense "elephant"-a multi-dimensional field of awareness whose full topology escapes any single vantage point.Carl Jung's concept of the collective unconscious posits an inherited repository of archetypes and primordial images shared across humanity (Jung 1969; Britannica).Recent neuropharmacological research suggests that DMT, due to its ultra-rapid pharmacokinetics and consistent subjective effects, functions as a reliable neural switch: it transiently dismantles cortical filtering, permitting direct access to deeper strata of awareness (Strassman 1996;Nichols 2016;Gallimore & Strassman 2016).Pioneering EEG-fMRI work demonstrates that DMT induces global network desegregation and high-entropy brain states (Timmermann et al. 2023), while qualitative analyses reveal recurrent phenomenological motifs-from intricate fractal geometries to encounters with autonomous entities.However, these insights remain anecdotal and uncoordinated.We propose to move beyond isolated case studies by mapping these recurring domains-consciousness-regions -into a shared Consciousness Atlas.Such an atlas will serve both as a research scaffold for neuroscientists and as a guide for practitioners exploring the depths of mind. Universal Consciousness ("the Elephant")A boundless, interwoven field of awareness encompassing personal, collective, and potentially transpersonal layers.This field manifests archetypal structures-symbols and motifs-that recur across cultures and eras (Jung 1969). DMT as Reality SwitchDMT's unique pharmacology (rapid onset, short duration, minimal tolerance) reliably flips neural circuits into alternative operating modes, yielding phenomenological states that are consistent, highly structured, and quantifiable (Nichols 2016; Carhart-Harris et al. 2019). Consciousness-Regions
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4410104831