Altered States of Consciousness
Altered states of consciousness refer to any mental state that differs from a person's normal waking state. This can include experiences such as meditation, hypnosis, or drug-induced states. These altered states can lead to changes in perception, cognition, and self-awareness, and are of interest to psychologists studying human consciousness and behavior.
4 Key excerpts on "Altered States of Consciousness"
eBook - ePubConsciousness
The Science of Subjectivity
- Antti Revonsuo(Author)
- 2009(Publication Date)
- Psychology Press(Publisher)
...This clearly happens in dreaming, psychotic episodes, hypnosis and mystical experiences, whereas perceptual illusions, misper-ceptions or isolated hallucinations would not count as ASCs (Revonsuo, Kallio, & Sikka, 2009). Chapter summary To define “altered state of consciousness” is almost as difficult as it is to define “consciousness” itself. There are many different definitions of ASC, and all of them agree about the following two issues: In an ASC, something in the way consciousness functions or what it contains (or both) has been altered, relative to a baseline state that is considered the standard or normal state of consciousness. We have explored three different ways to define ASC more precisely: by using altered patterns of experience as the criterion; by using the feeling or recognition of an alteration as the criterion; or by using the altered informational or representational relation between consciousness and the world as the criterion. All of the above definitions have their strengths and their weaknesses. Perhaps the most workable definition of an ASC could be arrived at by combining all of the above ideas: An ASC is any temporary, reversible state of consciousness in which the relationship between the patterns of experience and their typical, appropriate causes has been changed so that patterns of experience tend to occur without their appropriate causes (positive hallucinations), or some patterns of experience do not occur despite the presence of their appropriate causes (negative hallucinations), or both. The hallucinations are often coupled with delusional beliefs, so that the person is in a globally misrepresentational state (perceiving and believing things that are not really there)...
eBook - ePub- Anamaria Iosif Ross(Author)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...While they differ from ordinary awareness, they are not abnormal in a biological or cultural sense, because they constitute fundamental and influential features of animal minds, particularly humanity. Michael Winkelman and Daniel Moerman have written prolifically on the subject of shamanic experiences associated with Altered States of Consciousness, the evolutionary. biological, and cultural (thus biocultural) underpinnings and diversity, including therapeutic uses, and recently they have taken their analysis into the realm of neuroscientific theorizing. Buddhist scriptures identify as many as "89 distinct types of consciousness, determined by combinations from 52 elements of consciousness." including seven universal elements: attention, contact, perception, feeling, concentration. will, and psychic energy (Laughlin et al.. cited in Winkelman 1994:24). Such "mature contemplative traditions" offer a tremendous range of possibilities of awareness other than the egoic self and rational processing, often requiring that such functions need to be temporarily suspended for other, more advance states, to become achievable. In Winkelman's recent theoretical work he has branded the term neurophenomenology to describe his approach to ASCs. which includes (1) personal phenomenal experience and (2) knowledge of brain structures and functions (Wiiikelman 2000:xiv). He argues for a broad and complex understanding of consciousness as a system that blends both biological and learned symbolic capacities while emphasizing the importance of the communal dimension hinted at in the form "conscience." and the centrality of social relationships and "social intelligence" in the emergence of the self in relation to "other" and the reflexive awareness of the self (Wiiikelman 2000:11-22)...
- Rebecca L. Stein, Philip L. Stein(Authors)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Chapter 5 Altered States of Consciousness Religion is a system of beliefs and behaviors that deals with the relationship between humans and the sacred supernatural. In interacting with the supernatural world, an individual may have experiences that transcend ordinary experiences, such as a trance or hallucination. These religious experiences are subjective; they manifest themselves on an emotional and psychological level. These emotions range from fear and anxiety, to a generalized feeling of well-being, to a profound experience in which a person feels an association with supernatural power or a supernatural entity such as a spirit or a god. These experiences and emotions are important elements in religious practices. These experiences are called Altered States of Consciousness. In its simplest sense, an altered state of consciousness is any mental state that is recognized by the individual or observer as differing from a normal state. Daydreaming and the feeling that comes from drinking a little too much alcohol are examples of mental states that can be subjectively identified by the individual, and/or seen by observers, as being different from that individual’s normal, alert mental state. Although everyone experiences Altered States of Consciousness to some degree, in both religious and nonreligious contexts, in many cultures these states are encouraged and are interpreted by the culture as important religious experiences. The nature of Altered States of Consciousness The definition of an altered state of consciousness is a subjective one that includes a wide variety of phenomena. Table 5.1 lists some of the experiences that characterize altered states...
eBook - ePub- Elina Hytönen-Ng(Author)
- 2016(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Many of these points correspond to the respondents’ descriptions in earlier chapters. Ludwig pointed out that during these states, people’s ways of thinking change as the reflective consciousness usually diminishes. People’s sense of time can also be distorted during the altered state, and they can feel they are losing their grip on reality. This may cause feelings of helplessness or, paradoxically, they may feel they are gaining greater control or power through this loss of control. 8 Altered States of Consciousness can include feelings of oneness with the universe or expanded consciousness; distortions of perception, such as synaesthesia or hallucinations; and feelings of refreshment, rejuvenation and susceptibility to external stimuli. 9 The experience is often very difficult to describe to someone who has not experienced it. However, reading such descriptions, it is often easy to forget that altered states are experienced by everyone: for example, the transition between sleeping and waking. 10 Even though the capacity to experience Altered States of Consciousness is a fundamental human trait, some individuals nonetheless reach Altered States of Consciousness quite easily, while others experience great difficulty in attaining them. Despite the difficulty, there are techniques that can be used. In contemporary Western societies, alcohol and drugs have been the statistically preferred methods for altering consciousness for secular purposes, 11 but different cultures use different techniques and define their own rules for reaching and legitimising altered states. Flow experiences can be seen as consistent with William James’s concept of transcendence, which includes the idea of the progressive obliteration of time, space and the sense of self. 12 James’s criteria for mystical experiences, which are similar to Ludwig’s, are: (1) ineffability, meaning that words cannot express the experience...
