I rewrote a recorded rambling I had after a comedown and watching this a few hours ago. I am an extremely auditory person, so I tend to talk to ? and not post, but here it is in typed/translated form:

Consciousness is something that we still lack the understanding to observe and explain. Scientists of all sorts begin from an observation to which a question arises, which is then accompanied by many methods of measurement and repetition until a well supported answer can be drawn. I believe through following forums, reading/listening to both scientists and psychonauts, and doing some exploring on my own that we have the capacity to well observe and characterize different states of consciousness. This video demonstrates this thought to a decent level in ~5 minutes, in my opinion.

I wonder if we have the separate conditions necessary to truly test and understand this 'higher' consciousness. I think that our idea of the 'subconscious' will have to come into play, since we don't understand it as well. I'm lead to think there is some continuum between the subconsciousness, 'higher' consciousness, and 'normal' consciousness, if that makes any sense. If we could measure everything that varies between all conditions, the thing(s) that vary the absolute most might be what consciousness really is. We always think of it as being something abstract, exciting, and intangible, but it could very well be some uneventful biochemical event occurring as the result of meditation/increase of a fairly redundant molecule. I think by finding a method to test humans in these altered states will provide the means to understand consciousness, because only we have the tool of language to explain what's going on with the senses during these times. After some correlation can be built, it would make sense to apply it to other organisms that we deem slightly 'intelligent' to further test the conclusions, maybe extrapolate.

But really, the thought is terrifying. This state of being is really what distinguishes us from every single other species on the planet. If we uncover what it really means to be conscious, to be intelligent, to be human... what does the future look like? Will we uncover some fantastical world of consistent 'higher' consciousness and transcend this human-based life, or will we simply find out that it is a rather dull consequence of a molecular evoked by some event or chemical essentially causing some delirium? The consequences of both seem great.