Consciousness and its Variations

Epworth Sleepiness Scale0= would never doze1= slight chance of dozing2= moderate chance of dozing3= high chance of dozing

1. Sitting and reading2. Watching TV3. Sitting inactive in a public place, ex: class4. As a passenger in a car for an hour without a

break5. Lying down to rest in afternoon6. Sitting and talking to someone7. Sitting quietly after lunch8. In a car, while stopped in traffic

HYPNOSIS

Franz Mesmer (1734-1815)

• Created “Animal Magnetism” Theory

• Cured sick with elaborate rituals involving hypnotism

• Investigated by Benjamin Franklin and Guillotine

• His theory was false, he actually cured people thru “imagination” or suggestion

Hypnosis Basics

• Aware of where they are

• State of highly focused attention

• People vary in responsiveness

• Best candidates: Positive, imaginative, receptive

Effects of Hypnosis

• Sensory and Perceptual changes• Hallucinations• Posthypnotic suggestion• Hypnosis and Memory• Posthypnotic amnesia• Hypermnesia• Limits of Hypnosis• Neodissociation Theory of Hypnosis

BIOBIOFEEDBACKFEEDBACK

Definition of Biofeedback

• A system for monitoring and “feeding back” info about certain biological processes, such as blood pressure, heart rate, etc.

History of BiofeedbackHistory of Biofeedback

• Neal Miller: Yale neuroscientist & Neal Miller: Yale neuroscientist & “father” of biofeedback. “father” of biofeedback.

• Discovered biofeedback thru Discovered biofeedback thru conditioning experiments on rats in conditioning experiments on rats in 1960s.1960s.

How is Biofeedback Used Today?How is Biofeedback Used Today?

• Migraines, headaches, other types of painMigraines, headaches, other types of pain• Digestive disordersDigestive disorders• High blood pressureHigh blood pressure• EpilepsyEpilepsy• Paralysis and other movement disordersParalysis and other movement disorders

Clinical biofeedback techniques that grew Clinical biofeedback techniques that grew out of the early laboratory procedures are out of the early laboratory procedures are now widely used to treat an ever-lengthening now widely used to treat an ever-lengthening list of conditions. These includelist of conditions. These include:

How Does Biofeedback Work?

• Who knows?

DJ Biofeedback• A computerised DJ that uses

feedback from the dancers to generate new music has been developed by artificial intelligence experts at Hewlett-Packard.

• The “DJ” monitors the way dancers respond to the music and composes new tracks according to how animated the crowd becomes

Biofeedback Demo

1. Find a partner, take each others’ pulses for a minute. Write down the # of beats/minute

2. Now each person try your hardest to speed up your pulse. Write down results

3. Now each person try to slow down your pulse. Write down your results.

MEDITATIONMEDITATION

Origins of Word

• Latin meditatio, “contemplation.”

• This usage is found in Christian spirituality for example, "meditations on the sufferings of Christ"; as well as Western philosophy, as in Descartes’ Meditation on First Philosophy, a set of six mental exercises which systematically analyze the nature of reality.

• However, "meditation" in its modern sense also However, "meditation" in its modern sense also refers to a separate practice unrelated to refers to a separate practice unrelated to Christian meditations. Christian meditations.

• In the In the late nineteenth centurylate nineteenth century, the word , the word "meditation" came to refer to various spiritual "meditation" came to refer to various spiritual practices drawn from Hinduism, Buddhism, practices drawn from Hinduism, Buddhism, and other and other Eastern religionsEastern religions. .

• Thus the English word "meditation" does not Thus the English word "meditation" does not exclusively translate any single term or concept.exclusively translate any single term or concept.

Definition of MeditationDefinition of Meditation

• A group of techniques that A group of techniques that induce an altered state of induce an altered state of focused attention and focused attention and heightened awareness.heightened awareness.

Meditation is usually defined as one of the following:

• a a statestate that is experienced when the mind that is experienced when the mind dissolves and is free of all thoughts dissolves and is free of all thoughts

• focusing the mind on a single objectfocusing the mind on a single object (such (such as a religious statue, or one's breath, or a as a religious statue, or one's breath, or a mantramantra) )

• a mental "a mental "opening upopening up" to the " to the divinedivine, , invoking the guidance of a higher power invoking the guidance of a higher power

• reasoned analysisreasoned analysis of religious teachings of religious teachings (such as impermanence, for Buddhists). (such as impermanence, for Buddhists).

Association with ReligionAssociation with Religion

• Virtually every major religion has a rich tradition of meditative practices.

• The Christian practice of praying, and contemplating the nature of God is one form.

Hindu Meditation• There are several types of

meditation in Hinduism.• Raja Yoga has the assumption

that a yogi should still the fluctuations of his or her mind: Yoga cittavrrti nirodha.

• Sant Mat teaches "sound and light meditation"

• Osho taught a wide variety of meditative techniques, including a "laughing meditation".

A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating

YOGA• Yoga is a family of ancient spiritual

practices that originated in Hinduism from India, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means to enlightenment.

• It has become popular as a form of meditation and exercise in the West.

Buddhist Meditation

• Influenced by Hindu meditation methods, strives to achieve Enlightenment

• The main methods of Buddhist meditation are divided into samatha (tranquility meditations) and vipassana (insight meditations).

A replica of an ancient statue of Gautama Buddha, found from Sarnath, near Varanasi.

Muslim MeditationMuslim Meditation• Meditation in Islam is primarily practiced by Meditation in Islam is primarily practiced by

one sect, known as one sect, known as SufisSufis..• MuraqabaMuraqaba is the Sufi word for meditation. is the Sufi word for meditation.

Literally it means "to watch over", "to take Literally it means "to watch over", "to take care of", or "to keep an eye". care of", or "to keep an eye".

• Metaphorically, it implies that with Metaphorically, it implies that with meditation, a person watches over or takes meditation, a person watches over or takes care of his spiritual heart, and acquires care of his spiritual heart, and acquires knowledge about it, its surroundings, and its knowledge about it, its surroundings, and its creator. creator.

Whirling DervishWhirling Dervish

• A A mystical dancermystical dancer who stands between the who stands between the material and cosmic worlds. His dance is part material and cosmic worlds. His dance is part of a sacred ceremony in which the dervish of a sacred ceremony in which the dervish rotates in a precise rhythmrotates in a precise rhythm. He represents the . He represents the earth revolving on its axis while orbiting the earth revolving on its axis while orbiting the sun. The purpose of the ritual whirling is for sun. The purpose of the ritual whirling is for the dervish to the dervish to empty himself of all distracting empty himself of all distracting thoughtsthoughts, placing him in , placing him in trancetrance; released from ; released from his body he conquers dizziness. his body he conquers dizziness.

Two General Meditation Techniques• Concentration Techniques –

focusing awareness on a visual, image, your breathing, a word or phrase (mantra), etc.

• Opening-up Techniques – focusing on the NOW, emptying the self and engages in quiet awareness of here and now without distracting thoughts.

Effects of MeditationEffects of Meditation• EnhancedEnhanced physical and psychological physical and psychological functioningfunctioning

beyond than that provided by relaxation alonebeyond than that provided by relaxation alone

• Stress reductionStress reduction - - Brain scansBrain scans have revealed that have revealed that meditators shift their brain activity to different areas meditators shift their brain activity to different areas of the cortex - brain waves in the stress-prone right of the cortex - brain waves in the stress-prone right frontal cortex move to the calmer left frontal cortex.frontal cortex move to the calmer left frontal cortex.

• This mental shift decreases the negative effects of This mental shift decreases the negative effects of stress, mild depression and anxiety.stress, mild depression and anxiety.

• There is also less activity in the amygdala, where the There is also less activity in the amygdala, where the brain processes fear.brain processes fear.

Ecstasy Use on the Brain

Non-MDMA user MDMA user

These brain scans show the amount of serotonin activity over a 40-minute period in a non-MDMA user (right) and an MDMA user (left). Dark areas in the MDMA user's brain show damage due to chronic MDMA use.