6 Febryary 2026

Altered states of consciousness have long fascinated researchers, clinicians, and explorers of the mind — yet attempts to classify them often run into the same paradox: how do you create structure for experiences that resist neat boundaries? 

The new article of BM-Science researchers, “Can we really taxonomize the nonordinary? Reflections on a consensus classification for altered states of consciousness,” published in Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, takes this challenge head‑on.

The recently proposed by Cardeña and colleagues (2025) consensus taxonomy offers a conceptual foundation that can help unify ASC research across disciplines. It introduces structure without flattening complexity, and it opens the door to more rigorous, data‑driven neurophenomenological inquiry.

The central challenge ahead lies in embracing the most intriguing insight: the ambiguity of altered states isn’t a flaw to be corrected — it may be the very feature that reveals something essential about consciousness itself. Many ASCs simply refuse to fit into a single categorical box, and embracing that tension may be key to moving the field forward.