Change and (Spiritual) Growth: Understanding Consciousness, Values, and Spirituality in Psychotherapy
- Dr. Francisco Flores
- 3 days ago
- 35 min read
Updated: 8 hours ago
Here is an audio version of this blog.
Modern societies appear to be facing a profound existential challenge, commonly termed a “crisis of meaning” (Peterson, 2018; Vervaeke, 2020). Despite unprecedented advancements in technology, healthcare, and an overall trend of more material comfort, there is a growing recognition that these materialistic accomplishments fail to address deeper spiritual and existential needs. We can also see this as a mental health crisis worldwide, with global data indicating significant rises in anxiety, depression, and suicide rates (World Health Organization, 2023).
The prevailing biomedical model, which treats psychological distress primarily as symptoms of biological dysfunction, has been criticised extensively for its limited ability to capture the complexity of human experience (Davies, 2018; Flores, 2017; Maté, 2021; Porges, 2017). This reductionist perspective often overlooks the meaningful and adaptive aspects of “disorders” typically pathologised, such as anxiety, depression, and grief, neglecting their potential roles as catalysts for growth (Hollis, 2009; Nesse & Jackson, 2006). It seems to me that this growth involved in the process of healing in therapy (and outside of therapy) involves what could be termed spiritual growth. Spiritual transformation has been described as a deepened sense of meaning, an increased capacity for forgiveness, and stronger relational bonds, often arising through the struggle with suffering and existential crises (Exline & Pargament, 2021) - and this is also seen as personal growth.
Research on psychedelic-assisted therapy has found that participants often report lasting increases in psychological flexibility, emotional openness, and a sense of interconnectedness and meaning (Garcia-Romeu & Griffiths, 2022) - for example, changes in mystical experience have been shown to mediate therapeutic outcomes (Ko et al., 2022), and self-transcendent experiences are well documented (Yaden et al., 2021). From a strictly physicalist standpoint, such growth might be explained as neuroplastic changes in brain structures related to social and emotional processing (cf. Valk et al., 2017). However, even this physicalist interpretation inevitably references values, highlighting that non-physical, meaning-oriented concepts play a central role in healing and well-being. Consequently, I believe there is a compelling argument towards starting to think about values as an aspect of spirituality (alongside its evolutionary adaptive value), recognising these elements as central to psychological healing and overall well-being.
A core critique of the biomedical model arises from its underlying Cartesian dualism - the division of mind and body - which tends to dissociate psychological and social explanations from biological ones (Flores, 2017). This artificial separation has led to fragmented treatments that focus heavily on symptom reduction through medication or superficial behavioural adjustments, rather than addressing root causes embedded in existential and relational contexts. Indeed, behaviours traditionally labeled as pathological can often be understood more compassionately when viewed through an evolutionary and biopsychosocial lens. From this perspective these behaviors are seen as adaptive responses, evolved to manage environmental threats and maintain relational stability and personal identity (Flores, 2017; Nesse & Jackson, 2006). Although it may appear at first glance that spiritual concepts involve a form of dualism (spirit-body), we will see later on that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, some contemporary thinkers challenge not only Cartesian dualism but also the deeper materialist assumptions that underpin much of modern science and psychology. Many serious theorists and scientists - including Bernardo Kastrup, Rupert Spira, David Chalmers, Donald Hoffman, and Philip Goff, propose that consciousness is not a byproduct of matter but the fundamental basis of reality itself - we will explore these perspectives in more detail.
Having an understanding of evolutionary psychology principles is in my opinion essential for therapeutic practice as it offers a scientific framework that reframes the concept of mental health away from mere symptom relief and toward an understanding rooted in adaptive functionality. For example, evolutionary theories such as Life History Theory (LHT) provide valuable insights into how early life experiences shape individuals' strategies for managing emotional distress and interpersonal relationships (Belsky, Steinberg, & Draper, 1991; Chisholm, 1996). LHT posits that individuals develop either present-focused or future-oriented strategies based on their early developmental environments. Present-focused strategies, characterised by immediate gratification, impulsivity, higher risk-taking, and early reproduction, etc. tend to emerge from environments marked by instability and unpredictability. Conversely, future-oriented strategies, marked by delayed gratification, careful planning, and risk aversion, arise from stable and predictable environments. These differing strategies are not inherently pathological but represent adaptive responses that maximise survival and reproductive fitness within specific ecological contexts. Present-focused strategies maximise immediate survival and reproductive opportunities in uncertain environments, while future-oriented strategies foster long-term success and stability in predictable contexts (Chisholm, 1999).
Recognising these behaviors and related experiences (often referred to as symptomatology) as functional rather than dysfunctional can significantly reduce the stigma associated with them, fostering greater empathy, understanding, and compassion in therapeutic settings. For example, behaviors such as substance use or risk-taking serve immediate self-regulatory purposes, helping individuals cope with emotional pain or establish social connections in challenging environments (Flores, 2017; Nesse & Jackson, 2006). An adaptive framework resonates with therapeutic modalities that emphasise values, spirituality, and meaning-making, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Jungian psychoanalysis, mindfulness-based approaches, and even EMDR. Alexandra Dent, for instance, discusses spirituality in EMDR as a means to “learn important life lessons and heal deep inner wounds, sometimes described as soul trauma” (Dent, 2025).
In ACT, psychological distress is viewed not as a symptom to be eliminated but as an opportunity to engage deeply with one's values, thereby enriching life with purpose and authenticity (Hayes et al., 2012). Similarly, IFS posits that within each person exists a "Self," an essence characterised by qualities such as compassion, curiosity, and connectedness, which becomes obscured by defensive "parts" or subpersonalities that emerge in response to threats (Schwartz, 2013). Psychological healing, therefore, involves reconnecting with this Self rather than eliminating symptomatic behaviors. Jungian psychoanalysis further supports this integrative approach by emphasising the "transcendent function," where the resolution of psychological conflicts through the integration of opposites facilitates spiritual and psychological growth (Jung, 1951; Hollis, 2009). As someone who listens to heavy metal myself, I can relate personally to this Jungian notion of integrating opposites. Interestingly, research has found that fans of heavy metal - despite the genre’s themes of death, darkness, and chaos - often score higher in empathy and kindness than stereotypes suggest. The process of engaging with shadow themes through music may, in fact, offer a form of emotional catharsis and meaning-making (Sharman & Dingle, 2015). But that’s a reflection for another blog - I explored a related idea in a piece I wrote [here].
Mindfulness-based practices promote higher-level intentionality through cultivating a "witness" or observer perspective, which I refer to as a fourth-level intentionality in a previous blog. This is based on Robin Dunbar’s (2004) work on the social brain hypothesis, which suggests that the ability to model multiple levels of intentionality is foundational to complex social behavior and moral reasoning. For instance - first-level intentionality, refers to immediate, present-focused experience of a desire or need. Second-level intentionality emerges when we reflect on that desire, attaching personal or social meaning to it“. Third-level intentionality allows for future-oriented deliberation, enabling the individual to inhibit impulses or consider abstract ethical implications. A fourth-level intentionality, cultivated through mindfulness, introduces a witness consciousness: a perspective that observes all these layers with non-reactive awareness. This metacognitive stance supports emotional regulation and existential integration, allowing for compassionate detachment from inner narratives and alignment with deeper values, such as universal love and compassion.
The argument I am making is that a spiritually integrated psychotherapy approach recognises psychological distress as an adaptive response that, when understood within a greater context (or from a higher perspective) can guide individuals toward greater authenticity, compassion, and meaningful engagement with life. This represents a paradigm shift away from pathology-focused treatments toward one grounded in evolutionary, existential, and spiritual principles, which I believe would significantly advance how mental health is conceptualised and how people understand their relationship with the world - a step toward humanity’s growth.
Understanding Consciousness:
To be able to discuss concepts such as spirituality and values, it seems necessary to first discuss consciousness itself. Consciousness is typically defined as subjective experience - the felt quality of being aware, of having perceptions, sensations, and thoughts. Philosophers call these raw feelings "qualia": the redness of red, the ache of grief, the taste of chocolate. Despite advances in cognitive neuroscience and artificial intelligence research, this inner "what-it's-like to be a ..." dimension remains resistant to full scientific explanation, especially when we compare biologically evolved minds with purely computational systems.
1. Consciousness as a Brain Product (Materialism)
Materialists such as Daniel Dennett (1991) argue that neural machinery alone is sufficient for understanding consciousness: the brain's information-processing routines generate our sense of an inner theatre of consciousness. Qualia, on this account, are adaptive "user illusions" - helpful but ultimately misleading representations that our brains create to navigate the world effectively. Variants of this view include mind-brain identity theory (which holds that mental states are identical to brain states) and computational functionalism - the idea that running the right sort of software is, in principle, enough to generate conscious experience.
Yet we face the problem of mental causation: how do thoughts, if they are nothing over and above physical brain states, exert genuine causal force in the world? Moreover, it has been argued by Roger Penrose, Nobel Prize-winning physicist, mathematician, and philosopher, that consciousness is not algorithmic, computational, or the result of processed data in a Turing machine-like manner. He has said that "the decision as to the validity of an algorithm is not itself an algorithmic process," highlighting how conscious contemplation enables us to perceive mathematical truths and engage in creative insight in ways that no purely computational system could replicate. A striking historical example comes from the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, who reported that many of his theorems came to him through vivid dreams and visions, which he attributed to the Hindu goddess Namagiri. I very much enjoyed a film about his life and work called The Man Who Knew Infinity (Brown, 2015), which brings the viewer to reflect on these questions.
2. The "Hard Problem" of Qualia
David Chalmers (1996) referred to the problems of understanding consciousness discussed of as the "hard problem": explaining why physical processes feel like anything at all from the inside. His famous thought experiments, including the philosophical zombie (a being physically identical to a conscious person but lacking inner experience - much like AI’s Large Language Models (LLM’s) nowadays); and Mary the colour scientist (who knows everything about colour but has never seen it) - suggest that purely structural and functional accounts of the brain cannot capture the subjective texture of conscious experience. Chalmers' naturalistic dualism entertains the idea that consciousness might be a fundamental property of reality, perhaps intrinsically linked to information processing itself.
3. Quantum Proposals: Penrose & Hameroff's Orch-OR
Key Quantum Phenomena and Their Relevance to Consciousness
Before examining specific quantum theories of consciousness, it's essential to understand the fundamental quantum mechanical phenomena that make these proposals so different from those based on classical physics:
The Observer Effect suggests that the act of measurement or observation fundamentally alters quantum systems, causing them to "collapse" from multiple possible states into definite ones. In consciousness studies, this raises profound questions: Could conscious observation be what causes quantum wave function collapse in the brain? Some theorists propose that consciousness itself might be the mechanism by which the brain selects specific outcomes from quantum superpositions, potentially explaining how we experience unified, definite perceptions rather than probabilistic fuzzy states (Wigner, 1961).
Superposition allows quantum systems to exist in multiple states simultaneously until measured - Schrödinger's famous cat being both alive and dead until observed. In neural terms, this could mean that quantum-scalbecke brain structures might exist in superposed states that encompass multiple possible computational outcomes simultaneously. Consciousness might emerge when these superposed states collapse into specific configurations, potentially explaining the brain's remarkable ability to consider multiple possibilities before "deciding" on particular thoughts or actions (Stapp, 2007).
Quantum Entanglement creates instantaneous correlations between particles regardless of spatial separation - what Einstein called "spooky action at a distance." In the brain, entangled quantum states could theoretically enable instantaneous coordination across different neural regions, potentially explaining the "binding problem" of how distributed brain processes unite into coherent conscious experiences. This could also provide a mechanism for the holistic, integrated nature of consciousness that seems to transcend simple computational addition of parts (Beck, F., & Eccles, 1992).
Quantum Tunneling allows particles to pass through energy barriers that should be insurmountable, enabling processes that classical physics would deem impossible. In neural computation, this could allow information processing pathways that transcend classical logical limitations, potentially contributing to creative insights, intuitive leaps, and the non-algorithmic aspects of human thinking that Penrose emphasises (Penrose, 1994).
David Bohm’s Implicate Order introduces a radically holistic perspective, suggesting that what we observe (the explicate order) is a projection from a deeper, interconnected reality (the implicate order). Bohm viewed consciousness and matter as inseparably linked aspects of this underlying reality, with mind not isolated in individual brains but distributed in a fundamental wholeness. His contributions to science include key advancements in quantum theory, such as the Aharonov–Bohm effect, which demonstrated that electromagnetic potentials have measurable physical consequences, and his hidden variables interpretation, which proposed a deterministic alternative to standard quantum mechanics. Bohm’s ideas continue to inspire physicists, philosophers, and contemplative traditions for their non-reductionist vision of unity. His proposals challenge both classical physics and mechanistic neuroscience by framing consciousness not as an emergent property, but as integral to the fabric of reality itself (Bohm, 1980).
The Orch-OR Theory
From these foundations, Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff (2014) propose that conscious insight hinges on quantum coherence within neuronal microtubules - structures within brain cells that are proposed to operate at a quantum mechanical level, a domain supposedly unreachable by classical digital computation. Their "Orchestrated Objective Reduction" (Orch-OR) theory suggests that consciousness emerges from quantum processes that collapse probability waves in a coordinated fashion across the brain's microtubule network. In this model, microtubules maintain quantum superposition states that represent multiple possible computational outcomes simultaneously. Consciousness emerges at the moment when these superposed states undergo "objective reduction" - collapsing into specific configurations through a process that Penrose argues is non-computable and non-random. This collapse is “orchestrated” by the brain’s architecture and may occur in synchrony with gamma-range oscillations (often around ~40 Hz), a frequency band frequently associated with conscious awareness.
This quantum coherence could potentially give rise to conscious experience by allowing the brain to access non-algorithmic processes, enabling genuine creativity, mathematical insight, and the unified binding of disparate sensory inputs into coherent conscious moments. The quantum entanglement between microtubules across different brain regions could explain how distributed neural processes unite into singular conscious experiences, while quantum tunneling could enable the kind of intuitive leaps and creative insights that seem to transcend purely logical computation.
Skeptics point out that the brain's "warm-wet" environment is hostile to quantum coherence, arguing that thermal noise and molecular chaos would destroy delicate quantum states too quickly for them to influence neural processing. However, recent findings in quantum biology - including quantum effects in photosynthesis, avian magnetoreception (how birds navigate using Earth's magnetic field), and potentially even the sense of smell (Turin, 1996) demonstrate that quantum processes can indeed operate within biological systems. Given that consciousness represents perhaps the most complex phenomenon we are attempting to understand, it seems unlikely that quantum mechanics would play no role in its emergence.
4. Consciousness - First Views: Idealism & Panpsychism
Analytic idealists such as Bernardo Kastrup (2019) and Donald Hoffman (2020) flip the traditional materialist script by seeing consciousness as primary and fundamental, while what we perceive as physical matter is actually consciousness representing itself to itself. From this perspective, the material world is more like a dashboard or user interface that consciousness creates to navigate reality efficiently, rather than the fundamental substrate of existence. Hoffman (2019), drawing from evolutionary game theory, argues that natural selection does not favour perceptions that accurately mirror objective reality. Instead, organisms evolve perceptual interfaces tuned solely to fitness payoffs - those aspects of the environment that enhance survival and reproduction. In a series of simulations, Hoffman and colleagues demonstrated that agents perceiving the world veridically were consistently outcompeted by those with simplified, fitness-oriented representations. He concludes that the probability that our perceptions of objective reality are veridical is precisely zero.
Panpsychists like Philip Goff (2019) and Christof Koch (2012) take a related but distinct approach, granting some form of proto-experience or rudimentary consciousness to every fundamental entity in the universe - from electrons to quarks to photons. They hope to bridge the explanatory gap between physics and subjective feeling without positing entirely separate substances (as traditional dualism does). According to panpsychism, complex consciousness emerges when these micro-experiences integrate and combine in sophisticated ways, particularly in highly organised systems like brains.
These views are not necessarily irreconcilable with quantum theories of consciousness. Christof Koch, for instance, has been influenced by Integrated Information Theory (IIT), which attempts to mathematically quantify consciousness based on how much information a system integrates. This approach could potentially accommodate both quantum processes and panpsychist insights about the fundamental nature of experience.
Chalmers' Bridging Framework
I believe Chalmers' position offers a bridge between the various theories of consciousness discussed here. Unlike strict materialists who attempt to reduce consciousness entirely to brain processes, and unlike traditional dualists who posit consciousness as entirely separate from the physical world, Chalmers suggests that consciousness represents additional properties of certain physical systems, properties that are fundamental like mass or charge, but is not reducible to them (cannot be explained solely in terms of it). This framework is compatible with quantum theories of consciousness (consciousness could emerge from quantum properties), with panpsychist views (fundamental conscious properties could exist at micro-levels), and even potentially with idealist perspectives (if information itself is seen as more fundamental than matter).
While the term "dualism" is often associated with a strict division between mind and matter, Chalmers' approach can be seen as a form of non-dualistic pluralism, where consciousness is not separate from matter, but is an irreducible aspect of certain physical configurations. Chalmers' approach thus provides a philosophical foundation that doesn't require choosing definitively between materialist and non-materialist explanations, instead suggesting that consciousness might represent a natural but irreducible feature of how certain complex information-processing systems operate in our universe.
In any case, it is mind-blowing to me how much information is encoded in every object in the world in terms of maths, physics, and in human collective knowledge. Some point out that reality itself behaves like a computational system. For example, Nick Bostrom (2003) famously argued that it is statistically more probable that we are living in a simulation created by an advanced civilization than in base reality. More recently, physicist Melvin Vopson (2021) proposed that gravity and mass might be emergent properties of informational entropy - suggesting that the universe behaves like a simulation optimising data storage, reinforcing philosophical speculation that we may be living in an informational, rather than purely material, cosmos, and that reality is “rendered” as it is experienced in the same way as video games. If so, much of the universe’s operation could be understood as a vast quantum computation - yet, as Roger Penrose argues, the experience of consciousness itself may arise not from the computation, but from the moment of objective reduction: the non-computable quantum collapse events he believes underlie awareness. In this view, the cosmos might run like a quantum computer, but consciousness is the “spark” that occurs in the collapse, linking mind to the fundamental fabric of reality.
Implications for AI
As a side note, these different theories of consciousness lead to different predictions about the possibility of artificial consciousness and technologies like mind uploading:
Materialism: Sophisticated silicon-based systems may eventually support genuine consciousness; uploading human minds becomes primarily an engineering challenge of sufficiently detailed brain simulation.
Quantum theories: Classical digital AI, no matter how sophisticated, can never truly feel or experience; genuine artificial awareness would require quantum hardware capable of supporting the same non-algorithmic processes that generate human consciousness.
Panpsychism: Machines could potentially host conscious experience if their micro-components (transistors, processors, etc.) already carry proto-feelings that can integrate into unified conscious systems, similar to how neurons integrate in biological brains.
Idealism: AI systems would serve as new portals or interfaces through which universal consciousness could express itself, rather than creating entirely new minds from scratch.
Strong dualism: No technology, regardless of sophistication, could ever breathe spirit or soul into silicon; consciousness requires some non-physical substance that cannot be replicated artificially.
The jury is out, I guess, and I think that in the coming years we may be able to have more answers about consciousness if/when machines reach superintelligence (exponential intelligence in a runaway process) and the field of quantum computing advances.
Ending Suffering by Ending Resistance to Existence
Personally, after shifting from a religious upbringing to a more materialistic perspective during my undergraduate and student years, I now connect with concepts that could be termed non-dualist. This aligns with Buddhism, which I encountered through mindfulness, helping me address my own suffering, which I now view as essential to personal growth.
Moving beyond ego-driven impulses and rigid narratives often requires what some clients described as a “leap of faith”: the courage to trust that an alternative (healing) is possible with self-compassion, and that meaning can be found even amid suffering. This I later discovered is an archetypal dynamic, ie, In the Tarot, The Fool - a figure whose name historically refers to openness and freedom from preconceptions, rather than stupidity - steps off a cliff with open arms, trusting the unknown, symbolising spiritual surrender and the beginning of transformation. In alchemy, the Nigredo phase (dark night of the soul) precedes albedo and rubedo, stages of purification and integration. In mythology, heroes like Odysseus, Inanna, or Dante descend into darkness or the underworld before ascending renewed. Jung identified this journey as the path of individuation: facing the shadow, letting go of the false self, and trusting the Self - often represented by symbols of light, wholeness, or compassion. This "faith in the process" is not blind belief but an archetypal act of trusting something deeper than the conscious ego, often catalysed by suffering, surrender, and inner guidance.
This process is also represented in Christian symbolism, for instance, the journey beyond the ego is depicted in the archetype of Christ’s Passion. Jesus’ surrender in Gethsemane - "not my will but thine be done" - and his subsequent crucifixion reflect a profound trust in divine purpose through suffering. The cross itself symbolises death to the old self and the possibility of renewal and transformation, symbolised in the practices of baptism and resurrection. The Christian path of kenosis (self-emptying) mirrors the therapeutic process: a movement from ego to compassion, from control to trust.
These universal archetypes acknowledges the richness of subjective experience, which, in my view, inevitably invites reflection on non-material dimensions - those aspects of existence that can hold deeper significance and even transcend the material world.
Toward a Paradigm Shift
The persistent deadlock in consciousness studies points to a fundamental blind spot within strict physicalism: namely, that every scientific investigation of consciousness must itself arise from within consciousness. In response to this conundrum, Francisco Varela (1996) proposed a promising epistemological position known as "neurophenomenology." This approach seeks to bridge the first-person domain of lived experience with the third-person rigor of empirical neuroscience. Rather than dismissing subjective reports as unscientific, neurophenomenology incorporates them systematically into research design, treating them as indispensable data for understanding consciousness. It encourages a disciplined introspection that can be correlated with neural dynamics, offering a richer, integrative account of the mind that honors both interior and exterior perspectives.
Developmental and synthetic biologist Michael Levin (2014), whose research spans regenerative biology, evolutionary theory, bioengineering, and computational modeling, has shown that even simple multicellular organisms can exhibit goal-directed behaviors, memory-like processes, and adaptive self-regulation. Remarkably, Levin’s work demonstrates that these capacities are not strictly directed by genes, but can emerge from bioelectrical signaling and collective cellular intelligence - suggesting that coherent “selves” may arise from distributed systems rather than from a centralised brain (Levin & Martyniuk, 2018). These findings suggest that "selves," or coherent agents, may not be unique to creatures with nervous systems, but might instead emerge from distributed cellular intelligence.
David Eagleman (2020) also sees the human brain as a dynamic coalition of semi-autonomous subsystems, akin to a parliament where competing interests are negotiated rather than commanded by a singular executive. This decentralised model gains further support from research into the gut-brain axis and the human microbiome. A growing body of evidence suggests that microbial communities within our digestive system can influence mood, cognition, and even decision-making, challenging the assumption that conscious experience and behavioral agency are solely products of cortical processes. It is plausible, for instance, that the desire to consume certain foods may not originate in our conscious preferences but in the metabolic signals or neurochemical nudges issued by gut bacteria. In this light, the self becomes even more porous and participatory - an emergent process shaped by symbiotic intelligences rather than an isolated command center. Such metaphors challenge the classical image of the mind as a unified self and open the door to a more pluralistic, relational understanding of cognition. If minds can be distributed, fragmented, or emergent at multiple scales of biological organisation, then the ethical implications expand as well - potentially extending moral consideration to forms of intelligence we previously ignored or underestimated.
From a phenomenological standpoint, Internal Family Systems (IFS) offers a lived analogue to these neuroscientific models. In IFS therapy, clients often describe the subjective experience of multiple inner “parts” engaging in dialogue, negotiation, and conflict - much like Eagleman’s parliament of neural subsystems. This process makes tangible the idea that the mind’s unity is not a given, but an emergent harmony that can be cultivated through conscious awareness and the guiding presence of the Self.
If consciousness is indeed fundamental - or at least far more pervasive throughout nature than once assumed - then purpose, meaning, and interconnectedness shift from being optional beliefs or cultural constructs to being structural facts about reality itself. This prospect offers a potential scientific foundation for spirituality and values-based interventions. With such a new paradigm psychological healing may require not only cognitive reframing and behavioral change, but also a fundamental re-acquaintance and re-enchanment with the nature of awareness and reality itself.
Manifestation and Consciousness as Generative
So, when trying to accommodate all these ideas, one thing seems self-evident to me: consciousness is not merely a byproduct of physical processes, but an active participant in shaping reality. This realisation resonates with both ancient spiritual traditions and contemporary therapeutic practices.
In psychotherapy, intentionality - the focused direction of awareness toward a value, image, or desired state - can catalyse profound change. Techniques such as mindfulness, visualisation, values-based action, and somatic integration is not just about describing inner experience; they help generate new realities. From this perspective, therapy becomes an act of manifestation: thought and attention actively co-create lived experience. This generative dimension is especially evident in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), where protocols such as the “future template” help clients install and rehearse desired outcomes, while the “reverse protocol” begins with visualising a positive future scenario before addressing the emotional and cognitive blocks that stand in its way. These methods combining vivid imagery, somatic focusing, and bilateral brain stimulation—demonstrate how focused intention, when paired with felt experience, can reshape our inner world and send ripples into the ways we live and act.
This view is not merely metaphysical speculation; it reflects an emerging consensus in therapeutic practice. Modalities such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS) already operate from frameworks that implicitly honor consciousness as having a profound influence on a person's development. When a client directs their attention toward a deeply held value, visualises a desired future, or extends compassion toward wounded parts (called exiles in IFS), they participate in a process that transcends linear causality. The mind, through focused intention, becomes the agent for transformation manifesting change in the body, emotions, relationships, and broader life trajectory.
Cognitive constructivist therapy (a branch of cognitive therapy), which sees individuals as active meaning-makers is another example of this trend. Rather than treating perception and emotion as outputs of a fixed reality, constructivist approaches understand them as co-constructed through lived narratives and relational engagement. As Mahoney (2003) emphasises, clients are not passive patients but “authors of their own experience,” whose transformations are shaped by imagination, embodiment, and the interpersonal field. As a Buddhist proverb suggests, “What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow.”
Aesthetic and spiritual experiences reinforce the view that consciousness is participatory, not passive. When we hear a symphony, it’s not merely vibrations on the eardrum; color is more than photons; we experience depth, texture, emotional resonance. These examples show that consciousness doesn’t just register sensory input; it co‑creates meaning (Bekoff, 2007; de Waal, 2009). Studies document that elephants mourn their dead, chimpanzees exhibit empathy, and rats will free distressed cage-mates even at the cost of chocolate rewards (Bekoff, 2007; Ben-Amil Bartal et al.,, 2011). Such evidence challenges human-centered theories of consciousness and suggests that experiential depth arises across diverse species and that these archytypes transcends human consciousness (Stevens, 1982).
Taken together, these insights invite us to rethink the dominant paradigm of reality as an evolving field of conscious co-creation. As Teilhard de Chardin (1959) observed, “Man discovers that he is the universe become conscious of itself through him.” From this perspective, each act of perception, each gesture of compassion or creativity, is not an epiphenomenon but part of a cosmic unfolding - where beauty, love, and meaning are not emergent illusions but fundamental expressions of awareness itself.
Concluding Thoughts
As we learn more about what truly works in psychotherapy, I believe we’ve made important strides against the pathologisation of existential suffering. Thinkers such as Jordan Peterson (2018), Jungian analyst James Hollis (2009), and Gabor Maté (2003), among others, argue that anxiety, grief, and depression are not merely pathological symptoms but existential signals - pointing to misalignments between a person’s lived experience and their core values or spiritual needs.
I believe this is why therapies of all kinds work best when they engage the client’s inner guide or “Self.” Even within traditional CBT, there is an implicit recognition that people are more than their behaviours and cognitions. In healing and recovery, I find it more helpful to see the Self not as a cognitive computation, but as the lived continuity of awareness over time. Although Daniel Dennett argues that this sense of self is an adaptive illusion, my experience in therapy, both as practitioner and client, suggests otherwise. In light of Michael Levin’s research on cellular intelligence, it seems that consciousness and our sense of self may be more pervasive and interconnected than our ordinary awareness implies, extending beyond physical identity. Whether this is entirely generated by the brain or exists in some form beyond it remains an open question, one on which consciousness researchers remain divided.
Therapeutic modalities like Internal Family Systems (IFS), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), the Adaptive Information Processing model from EMDR, and mindfulness-based approaches affirm the existence of a compassionate, wise inner Self capable of guiding healing. These approaches suggest that healing comes through growth from integration through understanding and transforming the wounded parts of the psyche. In IFS, these subpersonalities emerge as protectors or exiles - but healing comes when the Self is able to hold them in compassion. This is Hegel’s dialectic of thesis-antithesis-synthesis, or Dunbar’s layered intentionality model, in which we develop capacity for complexity through inner integration.
I think that the growing interest in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy also has to do with letting go of the ego (ego dissolution - reported in experiences with substances like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT) which often leads with encounters with something felt as universal, loving, and deeply intelligent and also part of you. I don’t believe that these are mere “helpful hallucinations”, instead, they may reflect access to previously dissociated or dis-integrated parts of our mind and perhaps, as Bernardo Kastrup (2020) suggests, our default egoic state may be akin to dissociated alters within a broader consciousness. Similarly, in IFS, our ordinary waking life can be likened to a state dominated by protector parts, while psychedelics, mindfulness, or deep surrender can help us return to Self.
Recent phenomenological research increasingly demonstrates how trauma may be liberated through non-ordinary states of consciousness induced by psychedelics. In these states, individuals often access layers of their experience not typically reachable through conventional cognition, allowing for the resolution of somatic memory, emotional insight, and narrative integration (Kočárová et al., 2021; Watts et al., 2017). These healing processes frequently involve a sense of returning to a state of coherence or wholeness - something fractured by trauma but now re-integrated across the psyche.
I believe this is the essence of how values operate in the healing process. In its original sense, sacrificium means “to make sacred”: the immediate reward, or the avoidance of potential threat, the identity narrative is given up in service of a higher value, ie.: trust, love, courage, etc. or a transcendent purpose (some new possiblity created in our minds). What is relinquished is not lost; but transformed into meaning. This reframing allows survival strategies to transition to a future-focused strategy that is only possible in the presence of feelings of safety, stability, trust, and a secure attachement to the world. This “making sacred” marks the move from a short-term survival stance to a future-focused strategy of expansion, connection and growth. This is, naturally, facilitated through (self) compassion.
At the same time, when we give life to our values - we are identifying ourself with something greater than ourselves, although this can also be confused with pursuing our values in order to construct or defend a desirable self-image. Although Ego, is always present, the emphasis is in the transitioning away from ego - we move from egoic performance (“being the person who did good”) to authentic action (“doing good,” making the value itself manifest). Like picking up rubbish when in nature because you value nature. Even if altruistic acts benefit the community and serve evolutionary interests, they ring hollow when perceived as driven by recognition or self-promotion (commonly associated with narcissistic traits). This is commonly referred to as “virtue signalling”, which is also what it is known as in Evolutionary Psychology. Identifying with the value rather than the ego can move beyod deep habits away from short-term gratification and survival toward future-oriented strategies grounded in meaning and purpose. I believe those shifts involve something sacred - which we value also as a society when we see it in others. I believe this transformation involves this alchemic divine component. Not only because it deals with archetypal themes that only exists in the collective unconscious, but because it requires a kind of faith - the trust that life can improve and that it is worth striving not only to survive, but to flourish by allowing our values to live through us. In ACT terms, this shift is held by self-as-context - the self is not the story but the space that holds it. From this witness stance, as in Buddhist practice, the self becomes a vessel through which values and universal archetypes can move cleanly into action.
One particularly striking and consistent feature of psychedelic, holotropic and meditative states is the spontaneous emergence of geometric patterns - spirals, lattices, tunnels, and fractals. Far from being mere visual hallucinations, these forms may reflect both underlying neural reorganisation (Bressloff et al., 2001) and an expression of universal mathematical structures. The Qualia Research Institute describes this as a reconfiguration of the “energy-complexity landscape,” where heightened entropy allows the mind to rewire itself more freely. The Entropic Brain Hypothesis (Carhart-Harris et al., 2014) builds on this, proposing that psychedelics increase the diversity and unpredictability of neural activity. Normally, the brain operates in a low-entropy, highly organised state that maintains stability but can reinforce rigid patterns of thought and behaviour. Psychedelic states dissolve these constraints, temporarily flattening hierarchical brain networks and enabling more flexible, integrative processing. This enhanced neural fluidity may help explain not only the emergence of archetypal geometry but also the therapeutic breakthroughs in psychedelic therapy - where trauma-related rigidity gives way to new insights, emotional release, and deeper meaning-making.
Many describe this as encountering the “inner geometry” of consciousness - fractal structures, harmonic forms, and resonant patterns that seem less like random artifacts and more like symbolic blueprints of psyche and cosmos. Present in sacred art across cultures, these geometries echo what David Bohm (1980) called the implicate order: an enfolded dimension in which consciousness and matter interpenetrate through coherent, resonant fields.
Such coherence refers not only to neurobiological synchrony but also to a felt alignment between one’s inner state and the larger resonant field of being—when thoughts, emotions, and bodily signals “sing the same note.” This harmony is often experienced as peace, clarity, or a sense of rightness. The idea that altered states can facilitate such coherence aligns with Bohm’s view of wholeness and implicate order, where reality is a unified field of enfolded potentials, and resonates with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy’s emphasis on psychological flexibility and alignment with personal values.
The experience of coherence often brings a sense of unity, clarity, and emotional alignment, suggesting that healing may not simply be about insight, but about tuning the psyche to its original harmonic tone. By "original," this is referred to not necessarily to a state from birth, but to an underlying essence - a foundational frequency or core orientation within the psyche that reflects one's authentic, undistorted nature. This perspective resonates with Stanislav Grof’s whose transpersonal psychology explores the idea of a deeper, often non-ordinary dimension of the psyche that retains access to archetypal wisdom, spiritual insight, and healing potential (Grof, 1985).
This framework is supported by research into heart-brain coherence (McCraty et al., 2009), which shows that emotional regulation and well-being improve when heart rhythms are synchronised with cognitive-emotional states. Integrative models of consciousness such as neurophenomenology (Varela, 1996), Grof’s holotropic breathwork, and HeartMath’s biofeedback protocols also draw on principles of coherence. HeartMath’s work, for instance, provides empirical tools and real-time feedback technologies that help individuals consciously regulate their physiological and emotional states through breathing techniques and heart rhythm tracking. Their biofeedback protocols are grounded in the concept of Resonant Frequency Biofeedback Training, where individuals are guided to breathe at a personalised rate (usually around 6 breaths per minute) that maximises Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) and enhances baroreflex function (RSA refers to the natural variation in heart rate that occurs during the breathing cycle, while baroreflex function is a key autonomic mechanism that helps regulate blood pressure). This training helps improve autonomic balance, emotional resilience, and overall cardiovascular health, making coherence a physiological as well as psychological state (Lehrer et al., 2000).
The language of harmonics and resonance offers a valuable framework to understand how psychological transformation occurs: not only as a cognitive reframe but as a vibrational reattunement to self and cosmos. I recently came across the verb "vibing". I quite like this expression as it seems a colloquially deeply intuitive expression of being in resonance with oneself and the moment. Whether someone says, “I’m just vibing” or “She’s vibing,” it reflects a felt state of coherence, presence, and flow.
Metatron’s Cube (see image above) is a structure derived from the Flower of Life that contains all five Platonic solids - the fundamental shapes believed to underlie the material universe. Psychologically, it serves as a symbolic mandala of wholeness, representing integration across polarities - above and below, inner and outer, masculine and feminine. It consists of 13 spheres, interwoven to form a three-dimensional “merkaba,” or light-body, where the lower pyramid symbolises the physical world and the upper, the spiritual or archetypal realm (Freire, 2024).
Therapeutically, meditating on or drawing Metatron’s Cube can foster a sense of internal balance, relational integration, and cosmic belonging. This symbolises Jung’s individuation - a process by which fragmented aspects of the self come into alignment and harmony. While the ontological status of these symbols may remain debated, their psychological impact - especially in psychedelic and contemplative settings - is unquestionably real. I think that as therapists we must be part of the discussion of what we believe consciousness is and that even and that even if we rule out concepts as the spirit - when we talk about the Self we see it as something to be honoured, sacred and non-reducible.
There are also new, intriguing theories that aim to reconcile quantum theory with relativity. Metatron’s Cube, for example, symbolises how all complex forms can emerge from a single circle and its repetition - illustrating the principle that diversity can arise from a unified origin. Eric Weinstein’s Geometric Unity proposes a mathematical framework aiming to integrate general relativity, which describes the curvature of spacetime, with quantum field theory, which governs the subatomic realm (Weinstein, 2021). In simple terms, Weinstein suggests that the universe may be described by a single, elegant geometric structure - like a multidimensional shape - that naturally contains both the smooth, continuous curves of Einstein’s spacetime and the discrete, pixel-like patterns of quantum fields. It’s as if the same master blueprint, drawn in higher dimensions, casts two different “shadows” into our reality - one appearing as the fabric of space and time, the other as the particles and forces within it. Geometry, in this view, acts as the “common language” that both realms speak, allowing them to be understood as different aspects of the same underlying reality. If such a framework underlies existence, it could help explain why altered states of consciousness, including psychedelic and contemplative experiences, often present these geometrical shapes. Where these visons may symbolically, or even perceptually, reflect the same deep structures that Geometric Unity posits - a single, coherent geometry binding the physical and, perhaps, the experiential cosmos.
Just as geometry provides a unifying framework for physical laws, harmonic vibration may serve as a unifying bridge within consciousness. Tools like binaural beats—where slightly different frequencies are played in each ear to generate a perceived third tone—may also support integration by gently entraining the brain into coherent states. These auditory frequencies can facilitate transitions between disjointed or fragmented states of consciousness by promoting synchronisation between hemispheres and shifting neural oscillations toward relaxed or meditative rhythms (e.g., alpha or theta waves; Huang & Charyton, 2008). Psychologically, this acts like a vibrational bridge—helping different “parts” of the self, often dissociated through trauma or emotional dysregulation, come into harmony. Iain McGilchrist (2019) argues that contemporary culture often overactivates the analytical, categorising functions of the left hemisphere while neglecting the more integrative, contextual wisdom of the right hemisphere. In this light, frequency-based modalities like binaural beats may facilitate hemispheric balance, support integration between parts, and restore mind–body coherence.
EEG-VR technology may be especially useful in advancing our understanding and application of these principles. The integration of EEG (electroencephalogram) technology with Virtual Reality (VR) allows researchers and clinicians to capture real-time brainwave data within immersive environments, enabling virtual content to be tailored, personalised, or evaluated based on an individual’s current brain state. Dedicated EEG-VR systems combine both technologies from the outset. Examples include Looxid Link (Looxid Labs, n.d.) integrating six-channel EEG and eye tracking into Meta/Oculus headsets, OpenBCI Galea (OpenBCI, n.d.) - a multimodal biosensing headset compatible with VR/AR), and Neurable (Neurable, n.d.) - EEG sensors embedded directly into an HTC Vive. These systems have been used for adaptive meditation and stress reduction, attention training, and experimental brain-controlled interfaces. Academic studies have demonstrated that EEG-driven VR can dynamically alter virtual environments to encourage relaxation, focus, or emotional processing in real time (Friedman et al., 2022; Lécuyer et al., 2008).
With the integration of artificial intelligence, EEG-VR systems are increasingly capable of interpreting complex neural patterns and adjusting the VR experience moment-by-moment. Such AI-driven feedback loops can promote targeted outcomes such as relaxation, cognitive enhancement, or emotional insight. However, as this technology begins to handle intimate neural signatures, significant ethical considerations arise — including privacy, informed consent, and the potential psychological impact of adaptive VR environments.
The World Health Organisation acknowledged spirituality as essential to well-being as early as 1984. Later, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) formally recognised “Religious or Spiritual Problems” as non-pathological concerns that may arise during psychological development, spiritual awakening, or existential crisis (American Psychiatric Association, 1994; Turner et al., 1995). Such acknowledgments affirm the relevance of spiritual and symbolic dimensions within psychotherapy - not as fringe or new age fads, but as core elements of human experience and healing.
Questions for the reader:
Do you live life through your heart / soul or through your ego?
Are you able to identify something positive with a challenging experience?
Two Meditative Practices for Integration
As an extension of the ideas explored in this piece - particularly the importance of presence, intentionality, and integration - I’ve found two simple practices helpful for reconnecting to a deeper sense of self and purpose (inspired by Deepak Chopra). These can act as resets, especially in moments of distraction or disconnection, and serve as gentle tools for cultivating spiritual wholeness in everyday life.
5-Minute Intention Meditation
Part 1: Settling & Breath Awareness (~ 1 Minute)
Sit comfortably. Close your eyes.
Bring your attention to your breath.
Allow each exhale to soften your body, each inhale to gently energise it.
Settle into stillness.
Part 2: Four Intentions Across the Energy Centres (~ 4 Minutes)
Silently introduce each intention while resting awareness on the corresponding area of the body. Notice any thoughts and feelings that arise and return the attention to the area and the intention.
Joyful and Energetic Body • Focus area: Lower body – abdomen, pelvis, legs • Intention: “Joyful and energetic body” Feel grounded, vital, and alive in your physical being.
Loving and Compassionate Heart • Focus area: Centre of the chest • Intention: “Loving heart, compassionate heart” Sense warmth, openness, and connection.
Clear, Creative, Quiet Mind • Focus area: Forehead or third eye • Intention: “Clear, creative, quiet mind” Experience stillness and insight at the centre of awareness.
Lightness of Spirit, Lightness of Being • Focus area: Above the head – space beyond the body • Intention: “Lightness of spirit, lightness of being” Feel expanded - part of humanity, giving expression to values, the collective unconscious, nature and the universe.
Post-Meditation Reflective Inquiry (After the 5 Minutes)
With eyes still closed and a settled body–mind, gently ask these four questions. Do not try to answer. Let the body feel them and simply notice what arises – remain present with whatever sensations, emotions, or thoughts emerge:
Who am I?
What do I want?
What is my purpose?
What am I grateful for?
The second is a moment-to-moment awareness practice.
As thoughts arise and dissolve, gently attend to the silent space between them.
This gap - subtle, spacious, and ever-present - is the same space within a breath, between heartbeats, and in the cosmos.
Resting attention there becomes a portal to clarity, presence, and the spiritual ground of being.
“To experience anything fully and see it clearly, there must be a moment of presence where conceptual thinking is not interfering with your experience of that moment.” — Eckhart Tolle
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Additional Resources
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