Fire Kasina Meditation: A Non-Drug Method for Inducing Mystical Experiences

Psychedelics are typically the fastest and most reliable way to induce mystical experiences. These are the types of experiences that people often consider highly meaningful, and which they credit with causing a range of psychological benefits. However, there are also non-drug ways to induce these types of experiences, which many people will feel more comfortable with compared to taking psychedelics. This is because psychedelics can have effects, side effects, or risks that are off-putting to many – despite their potential to evoke profound and transformative mystical states. Not everyone wants to commit to several hours of being in an altered state, potential nausea, or intense visual distortions. Some users may also be concerned about experiencing post-psychedelic difficulties.

A growing body of research illustrates that some non-drug techniques can be effective ways to reach mystical states of consciousness, and, according to some studies, these states can be similar to those occasioned by psychedelics. (On my blog, I’ve written about breathwork and virtual reality as effective techniques for altering the mind without drugs.)

I recently came across a 2024 study, published in EXPLORE, which found that Fire Kasina meditation can produce mystical experiences comparable to those elicited by psychedelics and near-death experiences (NDEs). Since this type of meditation is not as well-known as other types, I think it’s worth highlighting some important findings from this study. If you’re interested in experiencing mystical states and their benefits – alongside or instead of psychedelic use – this mediation technique may be worth exploring.

Fire Kasina is a form of meditation with a long history. Kasina is a word in Pali, the language of the texts of Theravada Buddhism, which means ‘whole’ or ‘complete’, but in the case of this meditation, it refers to an object of attention. One focuses on this object of attention – typically an active light source, such as a candle flame – to develop a deep level of concentration and meditation. Buddhist texts in the Pali Canon, such as the Jataka (‘Birth Stories’), report that the ‘kasina ritual’ was practised long before the Buddha’s existence. 

In Fire Kasina meditation, you look at a candle flame (or another light source) with eyes open long enough to produce an afterimage. The afterimage then becomes the objection of attention (with eyes open or closed), and you stop looking directly at the actual flame. Once the afterimage fades, one refocuses on the external object, restarting the process. By maintaining this cycle, profound internal experiences may arise, including mystical effects such as ineffability and transcendence of space and time.

Some practitioners treat Fire Kasina meditation as the foundation for developing the jhanas. (In Buddhism, the jhanas are a sequence of progressively deeper states of concentration, achieved through meditation. They are also known as ‘states of absorption’ and are characterised by feelings like peace, bliss, and joy.) Fire Kasina meditation is similar to the yogic practice of Trataka: the latter, which literally means ‘to gaze steadily’, involves focusing on a single point (e.g. a small object, black dot, or candle flame) to enhance concentration and calm the mind. There are other forms of Kasina meditation, which feature other objections of attention, such as earth, water, air, and space – but Fire Kasina is a popular type.

The 2024 study referenced earlier studied practitioners who attended a Fire Kasina meditation retreat. (It’s worth noting that this is the very first empirical study on this form of meditation.) The researchers used standardised assessments – also used in studies on psychedelics and NDEs induced by cardiac arrest – to see how Fire Kasina experiences compared to the psychedelic and NDE varieties. They also utilised qualitative analysis (open-form interview) to better understand the nature of the strong altered states induced by Fire Kasina meditation. (The lead author of the study, Marjorie Woollacott, has published many papers on altered states, including NDEs, meditative states, psychedelic experiences, and Kundalini awakenings.)

The Fire Kasina meditation retreat was intensive: it involved long periods of meditation for many days. This is worth emphasising from the outset. While Fire Kasina, and other forms of meditation, do have the potential to induce mystical experiences, this typically occurs when people are experienced and meditate for several hours per day. The retreat was highly disciplined; participants meditated for 6.5–11 hours a day for 17–22 days. One shouldn’t, therefore, expect to experience a mystical experience after an initial and brief Fire Kasina meditation session. But if one were to commit to the practice – perhaps by joining a retreat – then it would be more likely for such states of consciousness to emerge. However, one should also be aware that advanced meditation and intensive meditation retreats aren’t free from psychological risks.

Based on their research, the authors of the study found, “When Fire Kasina meditation is practiced intensively, for 8-14 hours daily and 14+ consecutive days, our observations support previous anecdotal reports that the technique may produce mystical experiences comparable in intensity and depth to those induced by psychedelic substances.” They state:

Six individuals completed a retreat, and participated in an interview in which they described their experiences. They also completed the Revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), Hood Mystical Experience Scale (HME), and Cole's Spiritual Transformation Scale. Mean MEQ scores were 85 %, similar to prior observations of high-dose psilocybin and were stronger than moderate-dose psilocybin…. Mean HME scores were 93 %, exceeding levels reported for NDEs (mean 74 %) and high-dose psilocybin (mean 77 %). In qualitative analysis, experiences were described as the most intense of the individual's life, while subsequent transformational effects included substantial shifts in worldview.

The authors also note, “Psychedelic-assisted therapy studies suggest that the induction of “mystical experiences” combined with psycho-therapy is a possible intervention for psychiatric illness.” Since an advanced meditation like Fire Kasina meditation has the potential to induce powerful mystical states, comparable to those occasioned by psychedelics, it may also help people deal with various forms of psychological distress.

The website Fire Kasina provides audio and written reports from people who have attended Fire Kasina meditation retreats all over the world. In some of these reports, we get a glimpse of the spiritual states and benefits that people experience. (Sometimes, these altered states could be classified as ‘mystical’, other times not.) John Finnell, 36, who did a 9-day retreat, recounts:

On day 3 and 4 I hit some deep relaxation and bliss states. Feelings of being “at home” in my body arose, something I hadn’t felt since I was a little kid. It was extraordinarily beautiful. Memories of being content and drawing pictures laying on the floor of my room, or out with friends biking around the hillsides. Staring at the flame had such a genuinely soft and pure quality to it, it made my heart swell. It was so beautiful at times I almost cried just staring at it. The soft lush quality of the flame infused into my mind a state of blissful softness and awakened restfulness, and I was able to deeply soak it up.

The visual field behind my eyes turned into a psychedelic 3-Dimensional morphing shifting field of faces carved out of the gray. The gray murk came to life like amorphous clay being molded into a crisp defined yet moving form. The quality of the trip was similar in nature to previous acid trips I’d had over a decade ago…. I opened my eyes and the visuals were on the ceiling. I put my had up and could see them overlaid on my hand, which told me it wasn’t outside of my mind, that it was being projected from my mind. After that disappeared, I closed my eyes and rolled over in bed. Triggered by intentionally staring at the luminous phased distortion, a new pattern emerged. Completely 3-Dimensional organic geometric shapes but with the same qualities. Because they morphed out of the gray murk, the objects themselves were also created in shades of gray, no color. They were forming and morphing out of the gray and then disappearing back into it, arising and passing. They looked almost alien like but totally organic and natural. This wasn’t something I was making up or intending, nor had I seen anything quite like it before, even though it resembled the qualities of LSD trips.

I hit a period of dark night … I was irritated by any and all sounds, mental images were far from friendly, I felt awful physically and emotionally. I had visions of being murdered outside the house. I was definitely struggling at this point. I felt very stuck, doubt came up really strong along with all kinds of negative emotions. Feelings that I couldn’t get any further, that I wasn’t going to get out of this “Murk”. It was torturing me.

And on the day he experienced the visual effects, he said:

Along with the visuals there was a tinge of darkness and fear coloring the whole experience. It was a realm I was afraid to go deeper into. Although I was relatively okay with what was happening, I had bad trips on acid in the past, and I realized this realm was not a realm that was going to bring me closer to Enlightenment or real happiness. (This was a pretty significant insight into my overarching goals and practice with Vipassana). The fear that arose around this had to do with the thought that this particular realm would show me things I didn’t want to see, against my will, and because I had opened the door, I knew I was vulnerable to it. There was also a real sense of ownership over having gone into this territory willingly and naively thinking it would only be good and fun, and neglecting the fact that it could come with dark twisted lessons. It brought on a huge sense of humility for these meditative practices. A certain kind reality about it came up, a thought to the extent of: “You asked for this. You went and tinkered with reality, and now you have to accept what it’s giving you. You unlocked something, and you have to see what it’s offering regardless of whether you like it.” Fortunately, it didn’t go further, and I was able to fall asleep and wake up with no resonating bad side effects. (Except for the post retreat confusion and depression that emerged for weeks after.)

We need further research to clarify the types of experiences, benefits, and risks involved in advanced meditation and intensive meditation retreats. Additionally, given that mystical experiences from meditation tend to arise in experienced meditators or those attending (often) arduous retreats – which can also put vulnerable individuals at psychological risk – it’s important to study more reliable and safer non-drug methods for altering consciousness. 

For instance, as I wrote in an article for Psychedelic Support, certain VR programs can induce mystical experiences similar to those occasioned by psychedelics (the researchers who have discovered this, like the authors of the 2024 study on Fire Kasina, used questionnaires like the MEQ). These studies report no adverse effects, and using these VR programs doesn’t require years of individual practice or meditating all day for weeks.

Similarly, forms of breathwork that can elicit ecstatic states – such as Holotropic Breathwork and Psychedelic Breath – can be easily practised by those who’ve never done it before (although it’s recommended to do it supervised in a 1-on-1 or group session). Breathwork can carry some physical and psychological risks for certain vulnerable populations, but I’ve not come across as many cases of extended difficulties as seen following psychedelic experiences or meditation retreats.

The authors of the 2024 study write:

Throughout history, humans have used diverse methods to induce powerful and transformative states of consciousness. Some of these experiences have been described as “mystical”, involving a reported sense of unity with all that exists, a sense of interconnection, a sense of sacredness, a noetic quality, deep positive mood, loving kindness, awe, ineffability, and/or transcendence of time and space.