ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

By: James Louies B. Un

OBJECTIVES

Understand the definition of Consciousness and and its different states

Understand the importance of the study of consciousness

Understand a continuum of conscious-nonconscious processes

Gain a scientific understanding of the different altered states of consciousness

Learn and apply empirical approach to the study of psi phenomena praticularly the ESP

Dispel myths surrounding dreams, hypnosis, meditation, and ESP

Understand the relationship between ASC and ESP and between ASC and faith healing

1. Definition of Consciousness

A stream, or ever changing flow of awareness (William James, 1950)

Awareness of your external or internal stimuli Principle of continuum conscious-

nonconscious process – different levels of awareness of one's own mental activity i.e. from extreme alertness to the deepest coma of vegetative state

Our Consciousness Varies in:

FOCUS → external or internal; single or multiple

DEGREE OF ATTENTION → focused vs automatic process

DEGREE TO WHICH WE VOLUNTARILY SELECT THE CONTENT OF OUR CONSCIOUSNESS

2. Altered States of Consciousness

Definition: Between the continuum of conscious and non-conscious which are radical deviations from overall pattern of functioning of the mind during the normal and ordinary waking state of consciousness.

3. SLEEP

WHY DO PEOPLE SLEEP? Repair Theory

“Sleep allows body to repair and replenish itself. During Non-REM sleep, growth hormone is secreted and immune system is more active.”

Adaptive Theory “Sleep evolved because it conserved energy at

a time that you couldn't hunt for food and helped some species avoid harm.”

2 types of SLEEP

NON-REM sleep Gradual decrease in movement, breathing and heart rate

Slow rhythmical brainwaves

Hard to wake up

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep Very active brainwaves similar to waking

Total lost of tone in most muscles

Rapid jerky eye movements

Breathing and heart rate are unpredictable

90% chance of having dream

Erections; vaginal lubrication regardless of dream content

STAGES OF SLEEP

Stage 1 – slowing of heart rate and muscle relaxation, alpha level

Stage 2 - appearance of bursts of brain waves called sleep spindles and K complex.

Stage 3 - large amplitude, slow brain waves called delta

Stage 4 – marked by appearance of more delta waves

REM – also called the paradoxical sleep, the waves are resembles that of waking state

NREM Sleep Disorders

Sleep walking and Sleep Talking Night Terrors Bed-wetting (enuresis)

REM Sleep Disorder

Narcolepsy – chaacterized by an uncontrollable tendency to fall asleep.

Other Sleep Problem

Apnea - difficulty in breathing while sleeping and even cessation of breathing. It may last from 20 seconds to 2 minutes.

Dyssomnia - Primary Insomnia and Primary Hypersomnia

Consequences of Sleep Deprivation or Insufficient Sleep

Drowsiness: unintended sleep Increased irritability and depression Decreased socialization and sense of humor Decreased Cognitive and Athletic Performance Decreased Concentration, memory, problem-

solving skills, creativity and decision-making

4. DREAMS Why do people dream?

Crick and Mitchison, 1983 – mechanism for debugging and tuning the networks of cells in the cerebral cortex to avoid information overload

Activation synthesis theory - brain attempts to make sense of neural activities that take place during sleep.

What is a dream?

- A dream can include any of the images, thoughts and emotions that are experienced during

sleep.

Characteristics of Dream

Dreams Often Feature Intense Emotions Dreams Are Frequently Disorganized and

Illogical Strange Dream Content Is Accepted

Without Question People Often Experience Bizarre

Sensations Dreams Are Difficult to Remember

Sigmund Freud: Psychoanalytic

Dreams are the royal road to the unconscious. Dreams represent repressed wishes 2 contents of dreams: latent content and

manifest content “The Interpretation of Dreams”: dreams are

"...disguised fulfillments of repressed wishes.”

Psychoanalytic: 2 contents of Dream

Manifest Content - actual images, thoughts and content contained within the dream

Latent Content - represents the hidden psychological meaning of the dream.

Psychoanalytic:Interpretation of Dreams

- content of dreams is related to wish fulfillment.

- manifest content of a dream, or the actually imagery and events of the dream, served to disguise the latent content, or the unconscious wishes of the dreamer.

Freud also described four elements of this process that he referred to as ‘dream work’:

Condensation – Many different ideas and concepts are represented within the span of a single dream. Information is condensed into a single thought or image.

Displacement – This element of dream work disguises the emotional meaning of the latent content by confusing the important and insignificant parts of the dream.

Symbolization – This operation also censors the repressed ideas contained in the dream by including objects that are meant to symbolize the latent content of the dream.

Secondary Revision – During this final stage of the dreaming process, Freud suggested that the bizarre elements of the dream are reorganized in order to make the dream comprehensible, thus generating the manifest content of the dream.

FRITZ PERLS

Dreams are a special message about what is missing in our lives, what we avoid doing, or feelings that need to be reowned.

Often these are parts that have been ignored, rejected or even suppressed.

Dreams are usually used for therapy.

Fr. Jaime Bulatao SJ

He is the father of Paranormal Psychology The levels of unconscious is best understood

by a dream through the collective unconscious. An adoption of the theory of Carl Jung on

archetypes

Jung: Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious

Carl Jung

- dreams reveal both the personal and collective unconscious and believed that dreams serve to compensate for parts of the psyche that are underdeveloped in waking life.

- he believed that dreams can be highly personal and that interpreting these dreams involved knowing a great deal about the individual dreamer

Hall: Dreams as a Cognitive Process:

Calvin Hall

Dreams are part of a cognitive process in which dreams serve as ‘conceptions’ of elements of our personal lives.

Interpreting dreams requires knowing:

1. The actions of the dreamer within the dream

2. The objects and figures in the dream

3. The interactions between the dreamer and the characters in the dream

4. The dream’s setting, transitions and outcome

Other Theories of Dreams:

Many other theories have been suggested to account for the occurrence and meaning of dreams. The following are just of few of the proposed ideas:

One theory suggests that dreams are the result of our brains trying to interpret external stimuli during sleep. For example, the sound of the radio may be incorporated into the content of a dream.

Another theory uses a computer metaphor to account for dreams. According to this theory, dreams serve to 'clean up' clutter from the mind, much like clean-up operations in a computer, refreshing the mind to prepare for the next day.

Yet another model proposes that dreams function as a form of psychotherapy. In this theory, the dreamer is able to make connections between different thoughts and emotions in a safe environment.

A contemporary model of dreaming combines some elements of various theories. The activation of the brain creates loose connections between thoughts and ideas, which are then guided by the emotions of the dreamer .

5. Hypnosis

Proponent: Friedrich Anton Mesmer Inducement of “trance” Hyper-alert hypnotic trance Post-hypnotic Amnesia

Uses of Hypnosis

Smoking * Weight Control * Child Birthing * Alcohol Abuse * Pain Management * Snoring * Insomnia * Exam Anxiety * Academic Achievement * Public Speaking *Communication Skills * Stress Management * Self Esteem * Self Confidence * Nail Biting * Teething Grinding (Bruxism) * Bedwetting * Memory * Procrastination * Creativity * Reading Faster * Sports Performance * Body Building *Concentration * Goal Achievement * Relationship Problems * Sexual Problems * Social Confidence * Teen Problems * Self-Image * Prosperity Issues * Motivation * Forgiveness * Shyness * Stuttering * Fears and Phobias * Dental Fears * Overcoming Blocks * Pre-Surgery * Skin Problems * IBS *Tinnitus * Asthma * Fibromyalgia/CFS * Compulsive Obsessions * Grief * Healing * Intuition * Life Energy * Personal Wisdom

6. MEDITATION

7. PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS

Are chemical substances capable of altering or changing behaviors, moods, and perceptions (entheogens).

Classifications: Depressants, Stimulants, Hallucinogens, Cannabis, Opiates

Note: these drugs are not like any other normal drugs because they can actually through you blood-brain barrier.

Depressants

Also referred as downers They depress the CNS, in effect, slowing down

behavior and cognitive processes. barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and alcohol.

Stimulants

Stimulants ("uppers"). This category comprises substances that wake one up, stimulate the mind, and may even cause euphoria, but do not affect perception.

Examples: Caffeine, Nicotine, Amphetamines, Ecstacy

Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens, including psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants. This category encompasses all those substances that produce distinct alterations in perception, sensation of space and time, and emotional states.

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide

Cannabis

a genus of flowering plants that are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia.

Cannabis has long been used for fibre (hemp), for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug.

A by-product of Cannabis is Marijuana – the dried leaves of cannabis

Hallucinogenic and stimulant effects

Opiates

are constituents or derivatives of constituents found in opium, which is processed from the latex sap of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum.

Morphine Heroin

PSI PHENOMENA: Extra Sensory

Perception

Psi Phenomenon

Concept of Parapsychology Two types: Psi-Gamma (paranormal cognition)

and Psi Kappa (paranormal action) Paranormal Psychology – beside psychology,

investigates the claimed abilities of some individuals to interact with the environment in ways not yet explained by science.

Extra Sensory Perception

Consists of perceptions that does not involve the stimulation of the five senses.

Subject matters: study of the existence and causes and conditions of psychic abilities, near-death experiences, out-of-body experience, crisis apparitions, retro-cognitions, reincarnation memories, regression memories, prophecy, ghosts and life after death.

Three Kinds of ESP

TELEPATHY – thought transference from one person to another, or mind-to-mind communication

CLAIRVOYANCE – literally means clear-sighted or clear vision. It refers to the ability to see things without making use of the sense of sight, and the ability without a sender that intentionally transfers information

PRECOGNITION – ability to predict the future events. It is manifested through dreams or prophecies.

TESTS for ESP

Restricted-choice ESP Test Free-response Test