Section 01
Background & Demographics
Q1.1
Primary field(s) of expertise
Select all that apply
Q1.2
Career stage
Q1.3
Type of work
Select all that apply
Q1.4
How would you characterize your current work?
Q1.5
When you experience an 'insight' or 'breakthrough' in your work, which of the following best describes what you typically mean?
Select all that apply
Section 02
Familiarity & Experience with Non-Ordinary States
Q2.1
Which non-ordinary states have you personally experienced?
Select all that apply
Q2.2
For your primary or most significant modality (the one you engage with most deeply or frequently), how would you characterize your level of engagement?
My primary modality is:
Q2.3
Which modalities have been the most impactful to your work or thinking, regardless of level of engagement?
Select all that apply
Q2.4
How frequently do you intentionally engage with non-ordinary states?
Q2.5
If you engage with non-ordinary states, what are your primary motivations?
Select all that apply
Q2.6
Have you effectively combined different modalities, either at the same time, or in a sequence? If so, which do you primarily combine?
Select all that apply
Q2.7
Where do you typically engage with non-ordinary states?
Select all that apply
Section 03
Non-Ordinary States and Professional Work
Q3.1
Have non-ordinary states ever contributed to your professional work or research?
Q3.2
If yes, how have non-ordinary states contributed?
Select all that apply
Q3.3
In your experience, at what phase of creative problem-solving have non-ordinary states felt most useful or generative?
Select all that apply
Q3.4
Can you briefly describe a specific instance where an non-ordinary state contributed to your work?
Optional — if privacy is a concern, feel free to describe the domain or type of problem rather than the specific content.
Q3.5
Have you ever experienced what felt like an insight during an non-ordinary state that later proved incorrect or misleading?
Q3.6
What do you typically do with an insight or experience arising from an non-ordinary state?
Select all that apply
Section 04
Epistemic Effects Beyond Creativity
Q4.1
To what extent have non-ordinary states generally influenced the following capacities in your work?
| Not at all | Slightly | Moderately | Significantly | N/A |
|---|
Q4.2a
A note on two types of benefit before you answer
Understanding the distinction
Acute State Effects
What happens during the state itself, or shortly after. Unusual associations, expanded attention, novel framings, relaxed cognitive inhibition, heightened sensory salience, or loosened category boundaries, occurring during or in the hours/days following the state.
Example: A researcher notices a structural analogy between two unrelated fields while meditating; the connection persists after the session ends even though the state does not.
Long-Term Trait Shifts
Lasting changes to how you think, regardless of whether you are in any particular state. Increased openness/humility, higher tolerance for ambiguity, expanded conceptual range, greater capacity for interdisciplinary thinking — durable shifts in cognitive style or disposition that persist across months or years.
Example: A scientist who practiced intensive meditation for a year finds that, years later, they approach problems with more comfort in open-endedness — independent of whether they still meditate.
Having read these definitions, which best describes your prior familiarity with this distinction?
Q4.2b
Please rate how valuable each type of NOS benefit has been to your work, then briefly elaborate if you wish.
1 = No value · 5 = Transformative · N/A = Cannot assess
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | N/A |
|---|
Q4.3
Have you noticed lasting changes (trait-level) in your thinking or approach to problems following non-ordinary state experiences?
Q4.4
If yes, please describe these changes briefly:
Optional
Section 05
Risks and Challenges
Q5.1
What concerns, if any, do you have about non-ordinary states in professional/academic contexts?
Select all that apply
Q5.2
Have you ever experienced negative consequences from non-ordinary state exploration?
Q5.3
What safeguards or supports do you consider essential for responsible non-ordinary state exploration in professional contexts?
Section 06
Social and Institutional Context
Q6.1
Have you discussed non-ordinary state experiences in relation to your professional work with colleagues?
Q6.2
How would you characterize the attitude toward non-ordinary states in your professional community?
Q6.3
Would greater institutional acceptance and shared protocols for non-ordinary state exploration benefit your field?
Section 07
Future Directions
Q7.1
Which practices or modalities would you be most interested in exploring in a structured, professionally-supported context?
Select all that apply
Q7.2
What would make you more comfortable exploring non-ordinary states in relation to your work?
Select all that apply
Q7.3
This survey is part of an effort to develop responsible frameworks for NOS as tools of epistemic inquiry, including informing program design for professional communities. Knowing this, how do you feel about participating?
Select all that apply
Q7.4
Additional thoughts on non-ordinary states, awakening, and epistemic development in professional/academic contexts:
Optional