The Higher Self in the Psychological Integration of Ayahuasca Experiences

Dr. Erik Hendrick Carpio 

October 27, 2025

When one undergoes a transcendent experience due to the use of sacred plants like Ayahuasca or San Pedro, the perception of oneself and reality can often change dramatically. The way we perceive and understand the world around us is transformed suddenly, and the boundaries between the "I" (personal identity, life history) and the "Not-I" (the environment, other people, the universe) become blurred or disappear completely. The feeling of being a separate and isolated entity dissolves, and a sense of interconnectedness with everything around us is experienced. It is as if we were the Whole or the Whole were us. This experience does not have a single way of occurring. It happens differently for every individual who manages to live it. Sometimes it brings with it a feeling of spiritual ecstasy and union with the cosmos, but sometimes it is excessively overwhelming and destabilizing.

When this type of experience occurs in a positive manner, it is often called a "mystical experience," though it is also known as a "peak experience" or a "transpersonal experience." This type of experience implies a dissolution of the ego's boundaries, where individual consciousness feels subsumed or identical to a universal consciousness. It is in these moments that our perception of ourselves ceases to be a personal experience, and we become participants in a Cosmic Consciousness, which implies a radical and profound shift in how we perceive ourselves and our relationship with the universe. During this experience, our understanding and perception of the universe are transformed; we no longer see it as a chaotic or mechanical place, but as something imbued with a deep and transcendent Intelligence, Order, or Meaning.

In our psychic structure, it is the Higher Self (or Superior Self), as conceived by Assagioli, that sustains the direct connection and the point of access to the Universal or Transpersonal Consciousness. The Personal Self and the Higher Self are not the same. From Assagioli's perspective, the Personal Self is conceived as the center of consciousness on the plane of everyday life. It is what most people conceive of as their identity. It is the point of awareness that allows for perception, thought, and feeling in the here and now. It is confined by the body, past experiences, and current circumstances. It is experienced as an entity separate from others and the world. It focuses on managing practical life, achieving goals, and avoiding the suffering that accompanies daily life. The main mistake is believing that it is the totality of the being, when in reality it is only a focal point within a much vaster psychic field, since our psychic life is not composed only of consciousness, but also of the life of the unconscious—both personal, collective, and transpersonal.

The Higher Self is a deeper and vaster dimension of our psyche.

The Higher Self is a deeper and vaster dimension of our psyche. It is the aspect of consciousness that exists outside of time and space, and it is what allows us to give meaning or significance to life, and to connect with our innate wisdom. The Higher Self can be understood as the center of our entire psychic structure, including our conscious and unconscious life. Furthermore, it is the point of our being that connects all our psychic life with the cosmos and is the guiding and harmonizing point of our entire being. It is indescribable in its totality but can be partially perceived during expanded states of consciousness. It is the guide that our Personal Self aspires to connect with. It is asked for advice and is credited with the deepest insights, intuition, inspiration, and genius.

The goal of a transpersonal psychotherapeutic process is to align the Personal Self with the will and wisdom of the Higher Self at the center of the same axis, thus overcoming the fears and limitations of the personality of daily life. The aim is to ensure that the Personal Self does not stray from the axis of the Higher Self, as otherwise, the personality becomes eccentric, off-center, off-axis, and therefore prone to being dominated by the forces of the unconscious. Psychotherapy seeks an expansion of the field of consciousness, achieving alignment between our Personal Self and our Higher Self.

A ritual experience with Ayahuasca, followed by a rigorous process of psychological integration, can significantly help an individual align with their Higher Self. This alignment is achieved through a process of ego dismantling and consciousness restructuring. The process often involves the confrontation with complexes and traumas. By participating in an Ayahuasca ceremony, one often experiences a physical and emotional purge that is lived symbolically as a cleaning. This cleansing unlocks access to the higher potential, aligning us with the Higher Self, which manifests not only as ecstasy but also as a source of wisdom and power. It forces the individual to see the lies and self-deceptions that sustain misalignment, allowing the will of the ego to surrender to the higher will.