12/11/2013

Altered states of
consciousness
Marian M. Lagundino, MA
Instructor

Act on
senses of
a
conscious
being

An awareness of the different stimuli in the environment

Consciousness

Resulting from using any number of procedures (meditation,

psychoactive drugs, hypnosis or sleep deprivation) to produce
awareness that differs from normal consciousness

Sleep, dreams,
hypnosis, psychoactive
drugs, paranormal
phenomena

State of our awareness when we do not have a full grasp and

apprehension of all the stimuli in the environment that are
acting on our senses.

ALTERED state of consciousness

Sleep
Suprachiasmatic nucleus:
controls the biological clock
of the person
Circadian rhythm: biological
clock
Can be
adjusted

Activation of the
suprachiasmatic nucleus
in the hypothalamus

Pineal gland
Back of brainstem

Secretion of melatonin

Melatonin increases

Sleepiness

Suprachiasmatic nucleus
Sleep

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Sleep

Stages of Sleep
High level of
melatonin
High level of
serotonin

REM sleep

NREM sleep

Rapid Eye Movement

Mind is active
Dreams are occurring
Voluntary muscles are
inhibited

Non-Rapid Eye Movement

Persons body is free to
move around
Divided into four stages
determined through the
electrocephalograph

Lower temperature

http://www.angelfire.com/journal/ldps/SleepingDisorders.htm

Stage 1
Initial stage
Light sleep
Theta waves

Stage 2
Deeper sleep
Body temp diminishes
Heart rate slows down
Sleep spindles in brain
waves

Stage 3
Sleep going deeper
Delta waves

Stage 4
Deepest level of sleep
Delta waves

Sleep disorders

Night terrors

Sleep disorders
Nightmares
Bad dreams
Occur during REM sleep
Common in children and
adults

States of panic experienced

while asleep
May get out of bed, scream,
be terrified and experience
difficulty in breathing
Rare disorder
More likely in children and
likely to disappears as the
child grows older
Occurs during deepest
phases of NREM sleep

Somnambulism

Sleep disorders

Sleepwalking
Repeated episodes of rising
from bed during sleep and
waking about
While sleepwalking, the
person has a blank, staring
face, relatively
unresponsive to the efforts
of others to communicate
and can be awakened only
with great difficulty, has
amnesia for the episode

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Narcolepsy

Sleep disorders

Sleep disorders
Circadian rhythm sleep
disorder

http://usermeds.com/static/narcolepsy-4.jpg

Attributed to irrisistable
attacks of refreshing sleep
that occur daily over at
least three months
Sudden loss of muscle tone
associated with intense
emotion

Persistent or recurrent
pattern of sleep disruption
leading to excessive
sleepiness or insomnia due
to a mismatch between the
sleep-wake schedule
required by the
environment and the
person's circadian rhythm

Sleep disorders

Sleep disorders
Insomnia

Hypersomnia

Sleep apnea

Difficulty going to sleep or

staying asleep for one
month

Excessive sleepiness
Individual has prolonged
sleep episodes or daytime
sleep episodes almost daily

Causes the person to stop

breathing while he is
sleeping
Muscles involved in
breathing are not receiving
the needed impulses from
the brain

Maybe a sign of depression

During the apnea episode,

the oxygen level of blood
drops leading to the
secretion of emergency
hormones
Individual must be
awakened to breathe again

Dreams
Smith et al (2003): Dreaming is an altered state of
consciousness in which picture stories are constructed based
on memories and current concerns, or on fantasies and
images
Freud: dream is a form of wish fulfilment of impulses that are
not acceptable to the ego

Dreams

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Dreams

Dreams

Some people are not able

to recall a dream

Dreams have meanings

Freud:

Some people can vividly

recall a dream

Manifest content: dreams that we consciously recall after

waking up is only the surface level
Latent content: dreams that are in the deeper, unconscious
level, where the true meaning of a dream lies

Awakened during the REM sleep

Also affected by the persons
motivation to recall dreams and
interest in dreams

A dream is directly related to things going on in our lives during

the day: DAY RESIDUE

Dreams
Cognitive Theory
Dreams are just like what
we are thinking in everyday
life

Hypnosis

Hypnosis

Hypnosis
An altered state of
consciousness during
which an individual is
placed under the control of
a hypnotist who influences
his behavior
People who are
suggestible, willing and
cooperative are easily
hypnotized

Person being hypnotized

focuses all attention on the
hypnotists voice
May be asked to focus
attention on a certain object
in the environment

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Hypnosis

Hypnosis
Hypnotist tells the subject
that his eyes are becoming
heavier and he will feel
sleepy and close his eyes
This method will little by
little induce a relaxed state
on the subject as
suggested

Hypnotized state
Ability to plan ceases
Attention becomes more
selective than usual
Enriched fantasy is readily
evoked

Reality testing is reduced

and reality distortion is
accepted
Suggestibility is increased
Post-hypnotic amnesia is
present

Hypnosis
1. Relief from pain
2. Enhancement of memory
3. Improvement of selfconfidence
4. Relaxation
5. Psychotherapeutic value

Meditation

Meditation
Coon (2003): meditation is a mental exercise for producing
relaxation or heightened awareness
Concentrative meditation: subject is asked to concentrate
on a single stimulus
Receptive meditation: open and more encompassing