Altered States of Consciousness
Sleep and Dreams


In 1959, New York disc jockey
Peter Tripp stayed awake for 200
hours to raise money for charity.
After about 50 hours, he started
having mild hallucinations, seeing
cobwebs in his shoes when there
were none there and thinking that
specs of dirt on the ground were
actually bugs.
Sleep and Dreams


After 100 hours had
gone by, he became
delirious and saw a
doctor’s tweed suit as a
tangled mess of furry
worms.
Here, Peter Tripp is
shown yawning at 48
hours. 2 hours prior to
the onset of
hallucinations.
Sleep and Dreams


At roughly 120 hours, he
needed to be given
stimulants in order to
keep him awake.
At 150 hours, Peter was
disoriented, not knowing
who or where he was,
and he became paranoid
– he backed against a
wall, letting no one pass
behind him.
Sleep and Dreams




Finally, by 200 hours, his
hallucinations had taken a sinister
turn.
Peter began to think that the doctor
attempting to examine him was an
undertaker coming to bury him.
He was put to sleep by medical
examiners and slept for 13 hours
straight.
Upon waking up, he asked for the
morning paper as if nothing had
happened.
Sleep and Dreams






So, how important is sleep to humans?
Sleep is VITAL to mental health!
As Peter Tripp found out, if a person is deprived of
sleep, he or she will begin to have psychological
symptoms.
Most people think of sleep as a state of
unconsciousness, punctuated by brief periods of
dreaming.
This is only partially correct.
Sleep is a state of altered consciousness, characterized
by certain patterns of brain activity and inactivity.
Sleep and Dreams



What is consciousness?
Consciousness: Is a state
of awareness, including a
person’s feelings,
sensations, ideas, and
perceptions.
When we discuss altered
states of consciousness,
we mean people can
have different levels of
awareness.
Sleep and Dreams
-
-
-
-
There are many different levels of
consciousness!
For example;
People who are fully aware with
their attention focused on
something are conscious of that
something.
A person who is not completely
aware is in a different level of
consciousness – an altered state of
consciousness
Sleep IS an altered state of
consciousness!
Freud’s Levels of Consciousness



Sigmund Freud identified three
levels of Consciousness.
In his approach to
consciousness, he claimed that
preconscious ideas are not in
your awareness now, but that
you are able to recall them with
some effort.
Unconscious ideas are hidden
and unretrievable.
Why Do We Sleep



We are not sure why people
sleep.
Sleep is characterized by
unresponsiveness to the
environment and usually
limited physical mobility.
There are many different
theories as to why we sleep:




Re-Charge?
Conserve Energy?
Clear our minds of useless
information?
…To dream?
The Stages of Sleep






As you begin to fall asleep…
Your body temperature decreases.
Your pulse rate slowly drops.
Your breathing becomes slow and
even.
Gradually, your eyes close and your
brain begins to record alpha waves
on the EEG.
These waves are associated with the
absence of concentrated thought
and relaxation.
The Stages of Sleep




Your body may slowly begin to twitch.
Your eyes may begin to roll.
Brief visual images may begin to flash across your
mind…Although your eyelids are shut!
All of this is happening as you enter Stage One sleep,
the lightest level of sleep.
The Stages of Sleep

Early Stages – “Stage I
Sleep”




Your pulse slows a bit more
and your muscles relax.
Your breathing becomes
uneven and your brain
waves grow irregular.
If you were awaken during
this stage, you would
report that you were “just
drifting off” for a bit.
This phase lasts for up to
10 minutes.
The Stages of Sleep

Early Stages –
“Stage II Sleep”
Your eyes roll
slowly from side to
side.
 Your brain waves
quickly grow and
fall from lows to
highs and back
again.
 Lasts roughly 30
minutes

Stage 3

Early Stages – “Stage III
Sleep”

Your brain SLOWS down

Also called rejuvenating
sleep (stages 3 &4)

Large amplitude waves
begin to sweep through
your brain every few
seconds.

Lasts roughly 10 minutes.
The Stages of Sleep

Later Stages – “Stage IV Sleep”
This stage is the deepest sleep of all.
 It is VERY difficult to wake a sleeper during this stage.
 Large, regular waves move through your brain
occurring more than 50% of the time.
 If you are awakened by a large noise or movement, you
will most likely feel disoriented.
 Talking, Sleep-Walking, and Bed Wetting, all which
occur in this stage – leave no trace on your memory.
 In Stage 4, something very odd also begins to
happen…

The Stages of
Sleep

Later Stages – “Stage
IV Sleep”



…Your eyes begin to
move rapidly.
You have entered a
more rapid type of
sleep characterized by
rapid eye movement.
This is called REM
sleep.
The Stages of Sleep

Later Stages – “REM Sleep”
REM Sleep: A stage of sleep characterized by rapid
eye movements, a high level of brain activity, a deep
relaxation of the muscles, and dreaming.
 During REM sleep:
 Your Pulse rate and breathing become irregular, and
the levels of adrenal and sexual hormones in your
blood rise – as if you were in the middle of an
intensely emotional experience.
 Often your face or hand muscles twitch…and the
muscles in your arms and your legs actually become
paralyzed.

The Stages of Sleep

Later Stages – “REM Sleep”



If you were to “sharply” wake up during this sleep, you could awake to find
your body partially paralyzed…Or you could be dripping in sweat and have no
idea why.
REM lasts for about 15-45 minutes.
After this period of time is over, you slowly go backwards through stages 4 – 1
until you awake.

Play “Sleep: Brain
Functions” (11:12)
Module #14 from
The Brain: Teaching
Modules (2nd
edition).
How Much Sleep Do We Need?



Humans spend approximately
one-third of their lives in
sleep!
The amount of sleep that you
need to properly function
varies greatly from person to
person and time to time.
Infants = 16, High School =
10, College = 8
How Much Sleep Do We Need?



Have you ever noticed that there are certain
times of the day when you feel more alert and
certain times when you feel more tired?
People seem to have an internal biological clock
that regulates the sleep – wakefulness cycle.
Blood pressure, heart rate, appetite, , secretion
of hormones and digestive enzymes, sensory
sharpness, and elimination processes all follow
what is called your “circadian rhythm.”
How Much Sleep Do We Need?




So…What is the Circadian Rhythm?
Circadian Rhythm: The rhythm of
activity and inactivity lasting
approximately one day.
Circadian Rhythms do not control
our sleep cycles; the environment
and 24 hour day control our sleep
cycles.
For example: when you travel from
New York to Moscow, your body is
on a different time clock when you
reach Moscow. You feel tired and
disoriented.
Are we getting enough sleep?

Mondays after a
change in
daylight savings
Are YOU getting enough sleep?

Sleep deprivation
survey
Dreams



We call the mental activity that
takes place during sleep
“dreaming.”
Everybody dreams, although
most people are able to recall
only a few, if any, of their
dreams.
Sleep researchers make a point
of waking study participants at
regular intervals in order to
study their dreams.
Dreams





Your first few dreams are usually composed of vague
thoughts left over from the days activities.
Example; you may report that you were watching
television in your dreams.
As the night wears on, dreams become longer and more
vivid and dramatic, especially dreams that take place
during REM sleep.
Because the amounts of time spent in REM sleep
increase during the night, the last dream is likely to be
the longest, and the one people remember when they
wake up.
However, most people can barely remember more than
15 minutes of a dream.
The Content of Dreams




Actually…Dreams are usually very
boring and mundane.
The majority of dreams feature you
sitting and watching whatever is going
on around you.
Occasionally though, you dream
about something in an active sense.
In other words, you are an active
participant in your dream.
These dreams are usually aggressive
in nature and involve some form of
strenuous recreational activity.
Dream Interpretation



Dream interpretations have been discovered
dating back to 5000 BC.
Sigmund Freud believed that no matter how
mundane, dreams contained clues to thoughts
the dreamer is afraid to acknowledge while
awake.
Though many people are very skeptical about
the idea of dreams portraying reality, Freud’s
theories of subconscious desires and hopes still
maintain today.
Freud’s Dream Interpretation
A Few other Theories on Dreaming
1.
Information Processing or Reverse Learning
1.
2.
Physiological Function
1.
3.
5.
Helps us grow and develop our brains
Activation Synthesis
1.
4.
Facilitates memory forming, “making sense” of the day and
“tying up loose ends”
Dreams are the mind’s attempt to make sense of random neural
firing in the sleeping brain
Cognitive Development
Survival Theory-dreams give us info we need to survive
Sleep Disorders


Sometimes we may have
problems falling asleep
or have problems during
sleep.
These “sleep disorders”
can interfere with your
quality of life, personal
health, and even
endanger public safety.
Sleep Disorders



Insomnia: The failure to
get enough sleep at night
in order to feel rested the
next day.
This is usually a
prolonged period of
time.
Insomnia can be caused
by anxiety, depression,
nervousness, alcohol,
and drug use.
Sleep Disorders




Sleep Apnea: A sleep disorder in
which a person has trouble breathing
while asleep.
Can be characterized by hundreds of
brief periods of snoring throughout
the night.
A blocking of the breathing passages
actually causes the snoring; during
this time the victim is in fact choking
– the flow of the air to the lungs
stops.
The episode ends when low levels of
oxygen or high levels of carbon
dioxide in the blood trigger breathing
reflexes.
Sleep Disorders




Narcolepsy: A condition
characterized by suddenly falling
asleep or feeling extremely sleepy
during the day.
Other symptoms include; unusual
sleep and dream patterns, such as
dreamlike hallucinations or of
temporary paralysis.
People with narcolepsy can have
sleep attacks throughout the day.
These sleep attacks are
accompanied by brief periods of
REM sleep.
Sleep Disorders




Nightmares and Night Terrors!
Nightmares: Unpleasant
dreams…
Occur during the sleep phase of
REM.
A nightmare can often frighten
the sleeper, who will usually
wake with a vivid “movie” like
memory of the dream.
Nightmare
Sleep Disorders





Night Terrors: Sleep disruptions that
occur during Stage IV of sleep, involving
screaming, panic, or confusion.
A night terror may last anywhere from 5
to 20 minutes.
They involve screaming, sweating,
confusion, and a rapid heart rate.
The subject may suddenly awake from
sleep or have a persistent fear that occurs
at night.
Subjects usually have no memory of
night terrors.
Sleep Disorders





Sleepwalking: Walking or carrying out daily
behaviors while asleep.
During this disorder, you are partly but not
fully awake.
You will have no memory of doing this.
Sleepwalking is commonly associated with
children, although some adults retain this
ability.
This disorder has been linked to stress,
fatigue, and the use of sedative medicines in
adults.
Sleepwalking/talking





Sleepwalking may be inherited.
It is usually harmless, however, it may become
dangerous if sleepwalkers fall or otherwise injure
themselves.
Sleepwalkers movement is often clumsy and
unstable.
Sleep talking is a common sleep disruption.
Most people talk in their sleep much more often
than they realize, only they do not remember it
because it occurs during REM.
Hypnosis, Biofeedback, and
Meditation
?
Hypnosis






Victor Rausch entered a hypnotic trance by
focusing on Chopin’s Lush Nocturne in EFlat, as it was played in the movie “the Eddy
Duchin Story”.
Rausch visualized scenes from the movie and
wrapped his mind in appealing thoughts.
Rausch’s blood pressure and pulse remained
steady for 75 minutes.
During this 75 minutes, Rausch was
undergoing a gallbladder operation!
He had refused the anesthetic, and during the
surgery, he swears he felt no pain – Just a little
“tugging.” He even talked and joked with the
surgical team during the procedure.
After the surgery, he stood up and walked
down the hall, riding the elevator to his
hospital room.
Hypnosis



Surgery without anesthesia may sound
like a trick, but such operations have
been performed by hypnotizing the
patient.
Although hypnosis still conjures up
images of a circus magician saying,
“you are getting sleepy, very sleepy…,”
researchers are learning more about
this mind-body connection.
Doctors and therapists use hypnosis to
help people quit smoking, lose weight,
manage stress, overcome phobias, and
diminish pain.
Hypnosis






So what exactly is hypnosis?
Hypnosis: A state of consciousness resulting from a
narrowed focus of attention and characterized by
heightened suggestibility.
Hmmm, how does it work?
Well, at all times certain thoughts and sensations are filtered
out of our awareness.
For Example; as you read this sentence, you were probably
not aware of the position of your feet until I called attention
to that. By mentioning the position of your feet, your
attention has not shifted to your feet – an area of the body
that seconds before was outside of your consciousness
Hypnosis shifts our perceptions in the same way.
Hypnosis




Hypnosis does not put a
participant to sleep, as many
people may believe.
A hypnotic trance is quite
different from sleep.
In fact, participants become
highly receptive and
responsive to certain internal
and external stimuli.
They are able to focus their
attention on one tiny aspect of
reality and ignore all other
inputs.
Hypnosis




How is it done?
The hypnotist induces a trance by slowly persuading a
participant to relax and to lose interest in external
distractions.
Whether this takes a few minutes or much longer
depends on the purpose of the hypnosis, the method of
induction, and the participant’s past experiences with
hypnosis.
In an environment of trust, a participant with a rich
imagination can become susceptible to hypnotic
suggestions.
Hypnosis



The participant is not
under the hypnotist’s
control but can be
convinced to do things
that he or she may not
want to do.
The person is simply
cooperating with the
hypnotist.
He or she is not acting
outside of their control.
Theories of Hypnosis





Psychologists do not agree about the nature of
hypnosis.
Some psychologists argue that hypnosis is in no way an
altered state of consciousness, but simply suggestibility.
According to these psychologists, if people are just
given instructions and told to try their hardest, they will
be able to do anything that hypnotized people can do.
Others believe that there is a special hypnotic state that
all people may be susceptible to. In other words, a
separate, altered state of consciousness.
What do you think?
Uses of Hypnosis




Hypnotists can suggest things for their participants to
remember or forget when the trance is over.
This is known as a Posthypnotic Suggestion!
Posthypnotic Suggestion: A suggestion made during
hypnosis that influences the participants behavior
afterward.
For example; a hypnotist can suppress memory by
suggesting that after the person is awakened, she or he
will be unable to hear the word “psychology.” When
she or he comes out of the trance, the participant may
report that some people around them are speaking
strangely. The participant is not fully aware that that
part of their consciousness has been blocked.
Biofeedback



Biofeedback: The process of learning
to control bodily states with the help
of machines monitoring the states to
be controlled.
Biofeedback has been used to teach
people to control a wide variety of
physiological responses, including
brain waves, heart rate, blood
pressure, skin temperature, and sweat
gland activity.
The basic principle of biofeedback is
simple: Feedback makes learning
possible.
Biofeedback

Biofeedback uses machines to tell people about
very subtle, moment-to-moment changes in the
body. People can then experiment with
different thoughts and feelings while they watch
how each one affects their bodies.

In time, people can learn to change their
physiological processes.
Biofeedback
Meditation



What is meditation?
Meditation: The
focusing of attention to
clear one’s mind and
produce relaxation.
Meditation has been
practiced in various parts
of the world for
thousands of years.
Approaches to Meditation



There are 3 major approaches
to meditation!
Transcendental Meditation
involves the repetition of a
“mantra,” usually a Sanskrit
phrase.
The participant sits with eyes
closed and meditates for 15-20
minutes twice a day.
Approaches to Meditation



Mindfulness Meditation was
developed from a Buddhist
tradition.
This form of meditation focuses
on the present moment.
For example; the participant
may move his or her focus
through the body from the tips
of their toes to the top of their
head, while paying particular
attention to areas that cause
pain.
Approaches to Meditation

Breath Meditation is a concentration on ones own
respiration – the process of inhaling and exhaling.

A mandala may be
used to focus one’s
attention during
meditation.

Researchers generally agree that most people can
benefit from the sort of systemic relaxation that
meditation provides.

Meditation has been found to help people lower blood
pressure, heart rate, and respiration rate.
Drugs and Consciousness
Party Time?
Drugs and Consciousness




OK, here we go…
Psychoactive Drugs: Chemicals that
affect the nervous system and result
in altered states of consciousness.
These drugs interact with the central
nervous system to alter a person’s
mood, perception, and behavior.
These drugs range from stimulants
like caffeine in coffee and in cola
drinks to depressants like alcohol to
powerful hallucinogens like
marijuana, mushrooms, and LSD!
How do Drugs Work?




Much like hormones, drugs are
carried by the blood and taken
up in target tissues in various
parts of the body.
Drugs are introduced to the
body through a variety of routes
that eventually bring the drugs
into contact with capillaries.
From there, drugs are gradually
absorbed into your blood
stream.
Then drug molecules act as
neurotransmitters and hook
onto the ends of nerve cells
(neurons) and then send out
their chemical messages.
How Do Drugs Work?



For Example; alcohol molecules
may tell a nerve cell not to fire. As
more and more cells cease firing, the
alcohol user becomes slower and
may eventually lose consciousness.
Another Example; LSD molecules
may cause circuits in different areas
of the brain to start firing together
instead of separately. This is what
causes hallucinations.
So…What do individual drugs do?
Marijuana




And in case you are confused: grass, pot,
weed, chronic, bud, dope, ganja, herb,
homegrown, indo, hydro, shake, Mary
Jane…
Used as an intoxicant among Eastern
cultures, marijuana is legally and morally
acceptable in some societies, where as
alcohol is not.
The sale and possession of marijuana is
against the law in most of the United
States.
Before 1960, marijuana use in the United
States was common only among members
of certain subcultures. Marijuana use
increased through the 60’s and 70’s, but
then suffered a significant decline.
Marijuana




So what is marijuana?
Marijuana: The dried leaves and
flowers of Indian hemp (Cannabis
sativa) that produce an altered state of
consciousness when smoked or
ingested.
The active ingredient in marijuana is a
complex molecule called
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which
occurs naturally in the common weed
Cannabis sativa (hemp.)
Marijuana can be either smoked or
eaten to produce certain effects.
Marijuana





Effects?
The effects of marijuana vary somewhat from person to
person and also seem to depend on the setting in which
the drug is taken and the user’s past experience.
These effects can be both pleasant and unpleasant.
In general, though, many marijuana users report most
sensory experiences seem greatly augmented – music
sounds fuller, colors look brighter, smells are stronger,
foods have stronger flavors, and other experiences are
more intense than usual.
Users may feel elated, the world may seem somehow
more meaningful, and even the most ordinary events
may take on extraordinary significance.
Marijuana




Marijuana is not a physically addictive
drug, as heroin is, but people may
become psychologically addicted or
dependent on the drug.
Marijuana can also instill or heighten a
variety of unpleasant experiences.
If a person is frightened, unhappy, or
depressed to begin with, the chances are
good that taking the drug will blow the
negative feelings out of proportion so
that the user’s world, at least
temporarily, becomes very upsetting.
Cases have been reported in which
marijuana appears to have helped bring  If kids
smoked
on psychological disturbances in people
marijuana…
who are already unstable before they
used it.
Marijuana Facts



Studies suggest that marijuana use is
more damaging to the lungs than
cigarette use.
While cigarettes have been proven to
be more prone to cause cancer and
other physical ailments for a variety of
reasons, studies have shown that
marijuana can be deadly in a different
way.
Marijuana users hold marijuana
smoke, tar, carbon monoxide, and
other chemicals in their lungs for 20 to
40 seconds, creating the deadly
potential for extreme damage to the
lining of the lungs.
Marijuana Facts


Marijuana also disrupts
memory formation, making
it difficult to carry out
mental and physical tasks.
Research has also shown
that adults who are
habitually using marijuana
scored lower than equal –
IQ nonusers on a 12th
grade academic
achievement test.

Wonder how he’ll do on
an IQ test…
Hallucinations



What are hallucinations?
Hallucinations: Perceptions that
have no direct external cause.
These can be such things as
seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting,
or feeling things that do not exist.
Hypnosis, meditation, certain
drugs, withdrawal from a drug to
which one has become addicted,
and psychological breakdown may
produce hallucinations.
Hallucinations

Hallucinations can also occur
under “normal” conditions.

People can hallucinate if
deprived of sleep, during
periods of high emotion,
concentration, or even fatigue.
Hallucinogens





Hallucinogens: Drugs that often
produce hallucinations.
Hallucinogens can be found in
plants that grow throughout the
world.
They have been used for their effects
on consciousness since the earliest
parts of human history.
These drugs are so called
psychedelics because they create a
loss of contact with reality.
These drugs can also create a false
body image and cause loss of self,
dreamlike fantasies, and
hallucinations.

Psilocybin aka
“shrooms”
Hallucinogens




The best known, most
extensively studied, and most
potent hallucinogen is LSD
(lysergic acid diethylamide).
LSD: A potent psychedelic drug
that produces distortions of
perception and thought.
Other names for LSD: Acid,
Dots, Blotter, Mellow Yellow.
In fact, LSD is one of the most
powerful drugs there are.
Hallucinogens



LSD is a synthetic substance.
A dose of a few millionths of a
gram has a noticeable effect; an
average dose of 100 to 300
micrograms produces an
experiential state, called a “trip,”
that lasts from 6 to 14 hours.
To control such small doses, the
producers of LSD usually
dissolve the drug into small
pieces of paper called “stamps”
or small sugar cubes called
“dots.”
Here We Go…
L S D…Trippin’




During an LSD trip, a person can experience any
number of perceptions, often quite intense and rapidly
changing.
The person’s expectations, beliefs, mood, and the
circumstances under which he or she took the “acid”
can effect the experience, sometimes making it
terrifying.
Perceptual hallucinations are very common with the use
of LSD.
Users may experience hallucinatory progressions in
which simple geometric forms evolve into surrealistic
impossibilities.
British Soldier LSD Test
LSD
LSD
“Trip”
Opiates

Opiates, usually called
narcotics, include opium,
morphine, and heroin.

Opiates produce:



Analgesia, or pain reduction.
Euphoria, which is sometimes
described as a pleasurable
state somewhere between
wake and sleep.
Constipation.
Opiates


Regular use of opiates
can and usually does,
lead to physical
addiction.
An overdose of opiates
will result in the loss of
control of breathing –
The user will then die
from total respiratory
failure.
Opiates - Heroin



Heroin.
“Smack,” “H,” “Skag,”
“Junk.”
Heroin abuse is associated
with serious health
conditions, including fatal
overdose, spontaneous
abortion, collapsed veins,
and, particularly in users who
inject the drug, infectious
diseases, including
HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.
Opiates - Heroin




The short-term effects of heroin
abuse appear soon after a single
dose and disappear in a few hours.
After an injection of heroin, the
user reports feeling a surge of
euphoria ("rush") accompanied by
a warm flushing of the skin, a dry
mouth, and heavy extremities.
Following this initial euphoria, the
user goes "on the nod," an
alternately wakeful and drowsy
state.
Mental functioning becomes
clouded due to the depression of
the central nervous system.
Opiates - Heroin



Long-term effects of heroin appear
after repeated use for some period of
time.
Chronic users may develop
collapsed veins, infection of the
heart lining and valves, abscesses,
cellulitis, and liver disease.
Pulmonary complications, including
various types of pneumonia, may
result from the poor health
condition of the abuser, as well as
from heroin’s depressing effects on
respiration.
Opiates - Heroin




With regular heroin use, tolerance
develops.
This means the abuser must use more
heroin to achieve the same intensity of
effect.
As higher doses are used over time,
physical dependence and addiction
develop.
With physical dependence, the body has
adapted to the presence of the drug and
withdrawal symptoms may occur if use is
reduced or stopped.
Opiates - Heroin



Withdrawal, which in regular abusers
may occur as early as a few hours after
the last administration, produces drug
craving, restlessness, muscle and bone
pain, insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting,
cold flashes with goose bumps ("cold
turkey"), kicking movements ("kicking
the habit"), and other symptoms.
Major withdrawal symptoms peak
between 48 and 72 hours after the last
dose and subside after about a week.
Sudden withdrawal by heavily
dependent users who are in poor health
is occasionally fatal, although heroin
withdrawal is considered less
dangerous than alcohol or barbiturate
withdrawal.
Weak Stomach? Afraid of Needles?
Look Away!
This has to be extremely painful!
The lighter side…
Alcohol




The most widely used and abused
mind-altering substance in the
United States is…Alcohol!
The consumption of alcohol is
encouraged by advertisements and
by social expectations and
traditions.
The immediate effect of alcohol is a
general loosening of inhibitions.
Despite its seeming stimulant
effect, alcohol is actually a
depressant that serves to inhibit the
brain’s normal functions.
Alcohol



When people drink, they
often act without the social
constraint of self-control
they normally apply to
their behavior.
The effects of using
alcohol depend on the
amount and frequency of
drinking and the drinker’s
body weight.
As the amount consumed
increases within a specific
time, the drinker’s ability
to function diminishes.
Alcohol


The more a person
drinks, their speech
becomes slurred, they get
blurred vision, and
impaired judgment and
memory.
Permanent brain and
liver damage and a
change in personality can
result from prolonged
heavy use of alcohol.
Alcohol

What does alcohol do to your brain?
Because You Have Asked… “The
Green Fairy!”

What is…
…and why is it illegal in the U.S?
Absinthe



Absinthe is a liquor made with
wormwood (Artemisia
absinthium).
Absinthe is a deep green drink
with a very bitter taste. Absinthe
was very popular with 19th
century intellectuals, poets and
artists like Oscar Wilde and
Vincent Van Gogh.
Besides having a very high
alcohol content (120 to 160 proof),
Absinthe was also said to induce
a dreamlike state, enhance
creativity and facilitate artistic
expression.
Absinthe




What is the active ingredient in
Absinthe?
One of the constituents of
wormwood, thujone is considered
the culprit of Absinthe's "added
effect".
Naturally occurring in many plants
and flowers, thujone is found in large
amounts in wormwood. A-thujone
has a structure very similar to THC
(tetrahyrdacannaboid).
This similarity has lead some to
believe that the two substances work
similarly upon the brain.
Absinthe



New research indicates,
however that thujone blocks
GABA-A receptors in the brain
which inhibit the firing of brain
cells, once these receptors are
blocked, the brain is free to fire
at will.
This is why despite the very
high alcohol content, Absinthe
drinkers report being clear
headed, even after consuming
amounts of alcohol that would
usually put them into a stupor.
The bulk, however of Absinthe's
effects is caused by the very
high alcohol content.
Absinthe




Is Absinthe safe?
The thujone content of all
commercial Absinthes is low
enough to cause no harm to
the human body.
Homemade Absinthe
however can be potentially
fatal.
Be aware that although the
thujone content of Absinthe
may not be harmful, its high
alcoholic content can be.