ALTERED STATES OF
CONSCIOUSNESS
CHAPTER 7
CONSCIOUSNESS DEFINED:
 Consciousness is the awareness of, or
the possibility of knowing what is
happening inside or outside of you.
 Are you constantly open to information and
able to continuously adjust your own
behaviors to conform to all changing
conditions, both internal and external?
 If your answer is “Yes”, then you are
conscious
BECAUSE CONSCIOUSNESS IS UNIQUE TO
THE INDIVIDUAL IT IS ALWAYS:
* A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
* SELECTIVE
CONSCIOUSNESS IS ALSO ALWAYS
CHANGING AND CONTINUOUS
LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
• Sigmund Freud
theorized that there are
three levels of
consciousness.
1. Conscious level –
Being aware and alert
of your environment
2. Subconscious level –
Where subliminal
perceptions occur
3. Unconscious level –
it contains thoughts,
information, and
desires about which we
have no direct
knowledge
FACTORS THAT AFFECT CONSCIOUSNESS
 Every change in external stimuli affects our
consciousness.
 Changes in internal stimuli affect our consciousness
as well. Some changes affect us physiologically (ex:
hunger), some affect us psychologically (ex:
emotions), some affect us in both ways.
CHRONOBIOLOGY
One external/internal factor that affects us is
CHRONOBIOLOGY. It is the study of forces
that control the body at different times of the day,
month,
or year.
For example:
*Night and day
cycles
*Monthly cycles
*Seasonal cycles
We all possess a biological clock, meaning that body
chemistry controls parts of the body and are
regulated by nature.
We also possess sleep and
awake cycles. People have
a free running clock which
runs on a 25 hour cycle.
Our body cycles run in a
25 hour “CIRCADIAN
RHYTHM”.
A 24 hour day means that we must alter our
natural cycles to meet societies expectations. The
result is periodic high and low points in the cycle.
The process of altering our cycles to fit a different
rhythm is called ENTRAINMENT.
“ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS”
 DEFINITION: An altered state of
consciousness is a change in mental
processes.
The definition means that the brain processes
information differently from the times when we
are aware of ourselves in relation to the
environment.
SLEEP
DRUGS
DAY DREAMING
The many factors that affect consciousness, in addition to
chronobiology and entrainment, mean that we all experience
altered states of consciousness regularly (either naturally or
by choice).
HYPNOSIS
MEDITATION
ALCOHOL
SLEEP
Sleep is the altered state of consciousness that people
experience more than any other altered state.
We spend approximately one-third of our lives in the
state of sleep.
During sleep we are still conscious but our brain is
processing information differently from when we
are awake.
SLEEP
ONLY the first hour of sleep is
peaceful and relaxing.
During that time our blood
pressure drops, and heart
rate and breathing is altered.
The first period of sleep is
theHYPNOGOGIC
STATE.
It is the period between
awake and sleep when
the mind wanders and
random images are
generated.
SLEEP
During the time that we sleep many events occur in
our bodies:
* Cell restoration and healing occur faster than when
we are awake
 New cells are made in greater quantity than when
we are awake
 Brain chemistry is restored in order to prepare for
the next day’s activities
 Body hair grows most rapidly
 Dreaming occurs
SLEEP
Our brain goes through different STAGES OF SLEEP
throughout the night. Each stage is characterized
by different types of brain waves being emitted.
AWAKE – Beta waves are emitted
STAGE 1 – Alpha waves are emitted
STAGE 2
STAGE 3
STAGE 4 – Delta waves are emitted (Deep Sleep)
SLEEP CYCLES
ELECTROENCELEPHOGRAPH
SLEEP CYCLES
The sleep cycle starts in stage 1 and goes down
through stage four then reverses, but rather than
waking REM (Rapid Eye Movement)sleep occurs.
During REM sleep we dream.
The first dream of the night lasts for about 10
minutes and as the night progresses the length of
our dreams increases. The last dream of the night
lasts about 30 minutes.
SLEEP CYCLES
SLEEP CYCLES
During dream sleep the
brain emits a muscle
inhibitor that
“paralyzes” the muscles.
That is the reason why
we don’t act out our
dreams.
Those people who sleep walk are in Stage 4
sleep when the brain does not emit a muscle
inhibitor.
WHY DO WE DREAM?
There are different theories why we dream. They
are:
1. The Psychoanalytic Theory of Dreaming
(proposed by Freud) suggests that dreams are a
representation of unconscious desires, thought and
motivations. Most of those desire are suppressed
because they are socially unacceptable. Freud
believes dreams are a safe way to release those
desires.
WHY DO WE DREAM?
2. The Activation-Synthesis Model of Dreaming.
According to this theory, circuits in the brain
become activated during REM sleep, which causes
areas of the limbic system involved in emotions,
sensations and memories, to become active. The
brain synthesizes and interprets this internal
activity and attempts to find meaning in these
signals, which results in dreaming. This model
suggests that dreams are a subjective
interpretation of signals generated by the brain
during sleep.
WHY DO WE DREAM?
3. 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 .
4. 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 .
5. 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.
NIGHTMARES and NIGHT TERRORS
Nightmares are nothing
more than scary dreams
that occur during REM
sleep.
Night Terrors occur during
NREM sleep and are more
common in children (ages 4 –
7). During a night terror
breathing rate increases, pulse
races, and feelings of panic
occur.
SLEEP DISORDERS
INSOMNIA – Not getting
enough sleep for about two
weeks straight.
CAUSE: Usually stress is the main cause
of insomnia
EFFECTS: Inability to concentrate, a
general tired feeling, reduced energy
levels, blurred vision, and even
hallucinations in the extreme case
CURE: Exercise during the day, don’t read any stimulating material or watch TV
shows which could affect your sleep patterns before bed, take a nice warm bath
and listen to some relaxing music. changes in your lifestyle, such as these, can
help you to get a good night sleep.
SLEEP DISORDERS
NARCOLEPSY –
Falling quickly asleep
during normal wake
periods.
CAUSE: Narcolepsy is a chronic
neurological disorder, affecting the
part of the brain that regulates
when to be asleep and when to be
awake.
SYMPTOMS: The most common narcolepsy symptoms,
excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy (loss of
muscle control), seem to be connected to emotional state.
People often have these symptoms when they are
experiencing intense emotions, such as laughter, sadness,
surprise, or frustration.
Physical
well-being
and safety
EFFECTS OF NARCOLEPSY
Many activities, including driving, working,
cooking, or walking, can be very dangerous if you
fall asleep or lose muscle control unexpectedly.
Mental
health
Narcolepsy disrupts many aspects of life and can
lead to depression and anxiety.
Social and
Unfortunately, sudden sleep episodes are often
professional found humorous to those not familiar with
relationships narcolepsy.
People may assume that the individual with
narcolepsy is lazy, rude or faking the sudden sleep
episodes.
Intimate
Personal relationships, especially spousal
relationships relationships, often suffer. Extreme sleepiness
may also cause low sex drive and impotence.
Memory and People with narcolepsy may have problems
attention
remembering things and concentrating.
SLEEP DISORDERS
SLEEP APNEA –
breathing
periodically stops
while an individual
is sleeping
CONTRIBUTING CAUSES: Male gender ;Being overweight;
Being over the age of forty ;Having a large neck size (17 inches
or greater in men and 16 inches or greater in women) ;Having
large tonsils, a large tongue, or a small jaw bone ;Having a
family history of sleep apnea; Gastroesophageal reflux, or
GERD ; Nasal obstruction due to a deviated septum, allergies, or
sinus problems
SLEEP APNEA
EFFECTS: If left untreated, sleep apnea can result in
a growing number of health problems including:
 High blood pressure
 Stroke
 Heart failure, irregular heart
beats, and heart attacks
 Diabetes
 Depression
 Worsening of ADHD
SLEEP APNEA TREATMENT
Lifestyle changes that can help sleep apnea
 Lose weight.
 Quit smoking.
 Avoid alcohol, sleeping pills, and
sedatives
 Avoid caffeine and heavy meals
 Maintain regular sleep hours.
The most common medical treatment is Continuous Positive
Airflow Pressure, or CPAP for short. In many cases, patients
experience immediate symptom relief and a huge boost in
mental and physical energy. The CPAP device is a mask-like
machine that provides a constant stream of air which keeps
breathing passages open while sleeping. Most CPAP devices
are the size of a tissue box.