Effects of meditative trance

[demonsbane]

Originally Posted by whswhs

That's fair enough; I got distracted by a side thread.

However, I do want to suggest that the focus in LTC1 is the relevant one for answering the OP. That is, LTC1 didn't ask about whether there is a divine, supernatural, or metaphysical reality, but about methods of inducing certain altered states of consciousness in human organisms. The OP wanted to know about how those altered states of consciousness would affect awareness of the environment in, say, a combat situation. That's a very this-worldly issue.

You can see I answered to Asta Kask in such terms, as others did. I spoke about penalties, I quoted GURPS sources, including LCT 1, and offered suggestions along these lines. Then, afterwards I added more depth to this when you answered to my initial objection to Edges -for saying it so.

Of course I acknowledge that this thread has grown beyond Asta Kask initial request!

Originally Posted by whswhs

(...) Speculatively, I think that the usual in-game representation of an ineffable spiritual experience is an ineffable aesthetic experience. If "usual" means anything for an outcome that a GM might attain a few times in a lifetime of gaming.

Yes, I agree very much with your last paragraph. Indeed, that ineffable spiritual experience can be reached through such aesthetic experience; it's attainable with role playing games. And I'm familiar with that, indeed I understand that with the doctrine of the Rasa, the diverse aesthetical flavours allied to the purpose of attaining Enlightenment, especially according to the Shaivism-, and particularly in the way Abhinavagupta explained it. Santa-rasa (transcendent peace) and Vira-rasa (heroic, epic feeling) are the most powerful and effective for this that you're suggesting here.