Altered States of Consciousness in Birth

Have you ever thought about birth as a way of accessing other planes of consciousness? We often associate altered states with substances—psychedelics or other external catalysts that help us reach new levels of awareness. But the truth is, birth itself is one of the most profound, natural ways of accessing these states. It’s within the very design of our hormones, our bodies, our minds, and our intuitions to tap into something much larger and deeper during the birthing process.

When we’re in the raw, primal power of labour—especially when birth happens undisturbed—it’s not uncommon for women to describe feeling as though they’ve entered another world. Time begins to slip away, and something truly magical happens: the voice, once a mere means of communication, becomes a tool of energy, resonating with the rhythm of contractions and helping to soften the intensity of pain. That sound, that primal roar or hum, carries with it the power to ground us, to connect us to our bodies in a way that facilitates the birth of our children. It’s not unusual for women to describe the experience of labour as otherworldly, where the veils between different realms seem to thin, allowing them to embody both strength and surrender simultaneously.

There is an intensity to birth, a force of nature that sweeps us into its flow. And while many might describe this intensity as pain, it’s important to understand that we have the innate ability to navigate it. In fact, this intensity, when embraced, becomes the very catalyst for transformation and birth. Women who allow themselves to dive into the experience—who soften into it rather than resist it—often describe birth as less painful and more empowering. The contractions become waves that can be ridden, not something to escape but something to work with.

In contrast, the current medicalized approach to birth often tries to separate us from this intensity. We’re handed tools and procedures that encourage us to avoid the pain—drugs, machines, and techniques meant to "take it away." The message seems to be that pain is something to be feared, something that needs to be eradicated at all costs. But what if we reframed the pain? What if, instead of running from it, we viewed it as a path forward? A necessary passage toward bringing our babies into the world? When we face the intensity head-on, when we surrender to it, we often find that the pain lessens, that the act of feeling it becomes vital to the birthing process itself.

Labour is a portal. It’s a gateway between worlds, where life and spirit meet. The intensity, the physical and emotional experience of birth, is the opening through which we can connect to something far greater than ourselves. It’s a moment where time, reality, and identity blur, and we’re given the opportunity to access realms of consciousness that are often hidden in everyday life. When we embrace the intensity, when we trust in our bodies and our instincts, we find that the pain becomes something much more than discomfort—it becomes the way through, the very force that propels us toward the birth of our children.

It’s a sacred act, this journey of birth. And it’s one that offers us so much more than just a baby at the end. It offers us a glimpse of the divine, a moment of connection to something ancient, something primal, something beyond the confines of the physical world. Birth, when we allow it to unfold naturally and undisturbed, gives us the power to transcend, to touch other planes of existence, and to return to our lives with a new understanding of the strength and wisdom that resides within us.

So, the next time we think about birth, let’s not just view it as a medical event or a mere physical experience. Let’s recognize it for what it truly is: a sacred portal, a spiritual journey, and a profound opportunity to connect with the otherworldly power that resides within us all.