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ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS. CONSCIOUSNESS .
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CONSCIOUSNESS • CONSCIOUSNESS includes the internal and external stimuli and events that we are aware of at any time. There are various states of consciousness that differ from our normal waking consciousness called ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS such as meditation, dreaming, hypnosis and the sleep state.
STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS • As William James pointed out we actually experience a STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS as thoughts flow in and out of our mind rapidly as we race from one topic, feeling, image or sensation to another in rapid succession. Forms of consciousness also vary from conscious to subconscious and to nonconscious processes.
SLEEP • SLEEP is an altered state we experience every night as we drift into deeper states of unconscious levels including a dream state, in which REM (Rapid Eye Movement) activity increases. Sleep and dreams are fascinating states of consciousness. Many psychologists have created systems to interpret the meaning of dreams to uncover the insights that these mind creations may reveal about our psychological nature.
SLEEP • Stage One Sleep • Pulse slows, muscles relax, breathing becomes uneven, brain waves irregular. • If awoken, you will say you were “drifting.”
SLEEP • Stage Two Sleep • Eyes slowly roll from side to side; 30 minutes later you drift into deeper sleep.
Sleep • Stage Three Sleep • Large-amplitude Delta waves sweep your brain.
SLEEP • Stage Four Sleep • Deepest sleep; large regular Delta waves sweep the brain; sleep talking, walking, or bedwetting (if they occur at all) will happen here with no recollection.
SLEEP • R.E.M. Sleep • Rapid Eye Movement—dreams occur. • Irregular breathing, hormones (adrenal and sexual) rise; muscles tense up—almost paralyzed, and your brain functions as if it were awake.
R.E.M. • Well, who wasn’t expecting something like this from me????
HYPNOSIS • HYPNOSIS is an altered state of attention and awareness in which the person becomes highly suggestible to thoughts given by the hypnotist. Hypnotists use special induction techniques to focus the subject's attention and guidance is given as to what the subject will experience, increasing the power of suggestibility.
HYPNOSIS • When hypnotized, the subject readily accepts the suggestion and ideas offered by the hypnotist and will carry out suggestions even after they emerge from the hypnotic trance. This is called POSTHYPNOTIC SUGGESTION and can be very helpful in treatment of pain, psychological disorders or habit disorders such as smoking.
MEDITATION • MEDITATION is a learned technique that refocuses attention to achieve an altered state of consciousness. Some people focus on mantras such as SHANTI (peace) and experience great spiritual transcendence into an ecstatically blissful state of peace.
MEDITATION • Meditation does seem to change brain wave patterns, from a normal beta pattern to an alpha state in which one is more relaxed, peaceful and bodily activity and tension is reduced. Simple techniques such as breathing deeply and rhythmically are also used and have no spiritual component.
BIOFEEDBACK • BIOFEEDBACK has been used by Western scientists to treat patients with heart disease (hypertensive), with migraine headaches or psychological anxiety disorders. One uses a monitor to give "biological feedback" such as heart rate. When a person’s heart rate for instance increases the monitor beeps and the person uses a tension reduction technique such as breathing deeply to reduce the heartbeat.
BIOFEEDBACK • For a hypertensive person who has had two heart attacks, BIOFEEDBACK could literally save his life as he begins to learn to control the pressure on his heart by relaxing.
PARANORMAL STATES • PARANORMAL STATES such as telepathy, precognition and clairvoyance are called EXTRASENSORY PERCEPTION. Although many psychologists do not believe in ESP, others known as PARAPSYCHOLOGISTS devote their lives to researching perceptions that seem to come from other than ordinary sensory channels.
PARANORMAL STATES • Critics say they do not use rigorous scientific method while parapsychologists argue that ESP is not within a normal visible sensory world and therefore cannot be investigated or replicated in normal scientific methodology.
