STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

DESCRIBING CONSCIOUSNESS Consciousness is the awareness of objects and events in the external world, and of our own existence and mental processes, at any given moment. The contents of consciousness can include your perceptions of the world around you (what you see, hear, smell or feel); the comments you make to yourself; the memories of your life; your beliefs; your plans and your attitudes.

DESCARTES THEORY OF CONSCIOUSNESS Philosophers believed consciousness was the ‘mind’ and was present in many organs e.g. heart and liver. Most Greek philosophers believed that the mind and body were separate & that the mind could control the body but the body could not influence the mind. Descartes challenged this belief in the 17 th century

DESCARTES THEORY Dualism – Mind and body 2 different things however the mind is a non-physical spiritual entity (soul) & the body is a fleshy structure (matter). Mind & body come into contact through the pineal gland, located in the brain. This enables the mind & body to interact to produce thoughts, sensations, feelings & other conscious experiences.

Descartes also argued that the body could affect the mind & vice versa. E.g.: memory and imagination as a result of bodily functions & emotions such as love and hate arose from the body and influenced mental states which could in turn influence the body. Descartes - consciousness as encompassing everything we are aware of, including our own existence. Our ability to think provides evidence of consciousness. i.e.: “I think therefore I am”

LIMITATION OF DESCARTES THEORY Descartes understanding of the brain limited & at times incorrect. E.g.: pineal gland is a hormonal gland and belongs to the endocrine system, and is not even a nerve structure unlike other brain structures.

Conscious experience is often described as being personal, selective, continuous and changing. Over 100 years ago, American Psychologist William James (1890) likened consciousness to a continuously flowing ‘stream’ of water – ever-changing, multi- layered, and varying in depth.

STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS Consciousness is not an ‘all or nothing’ experience, there are variations in the extent or degree of awareness we experience at different times. These levels of awareness are called states of consciousness, and they determine how much information we take in and respond to.

In one typical day, we experience many different states of consciousness. There are no distinct boundaries between one state and another. Psychologists often describe consciousness as ranging along a continuum, from total awareness to a complete lack of awareness.

CONTINUUM OF STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS TOTAL AWARENESS Focused, selective attention (controlled processes) Divided attention (automatic processes) Daydreaming Meditative state Hypnotised Asleep Anaesthetised Unconscious (coma) COMPLETE LACK OF AWARENESS

NORMAL WAKING CONSCIOUSNESS AND ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS Most people spend about two thirds of each day in normal waking consciousness. This refers to the states of consciousness associated with being awake and aware of our thoughts, memories, feelings and sensations. Altered states of consciousness refers to any state which is distinctly different to normal waking consciousness in terms of one’s thought, feelings and perceptions.

TOTAL AWARENESS Focused, selective attention (controlled processes) Divided attention (automatic processes) Daydreaming Meditative state Hypnotised Asleep Anaesthetised Unconscious (coma) COMPLETE LACK OF AWARENESS Normal waking consciousness Altered states of consciousness

CHARACTERISTINCS OF NORMAL WAKING CONSCIOUSNESS There are a number of qualities that differentiate the different states of consciousness. Attention Attention is a concentration of mental activity that involves focusing on specific stimuli and ignoring other stimuli. The states of consciousness which fall under normal waking consciousness require more attention than altered states. A shift in the focus of one’s attention can be intentional, but most of the time we are unaware of it.

At the very top end of the continuum is selective attention. This involves selectively attending to certain stimuli while ignoring other stimuli. Research has shown that people often do not notice information that is not attended to. We are more likely to attend to a stimulus if it is important to us (party phenomenon), if it changes us or if it is novel. Even when we are focused on one thing, we are still capable of reacting to other stimuli. This suggests that we can process information outside conscious awareness.

As we move down the continuum, the level of attention required is not focused or selective. Divided attention refers to the ability to distribute one’s attention and undertake two or more activities simultaneously. Our ability to divide our attention depends on the complexity of the task.

Controlled and Automatic Processes Activities which demand high levels of concentration and therefore attention, use controlled processes. When controlled processes are used, the processing of information involves conscious, alert awareness and mental effort. Controlled process are serial, only one task requiring controlled process can be completed at once. Unfamiliar or difficult tasks require controlled processes.

Automatic processes require little conscious awareness and mental effort. Automatic process are used when an activity is easy or familiar. Two or more tasks involving automatic process can be completed at one, they are parallel.

Content limitations The content (type of information) held in our normal waking consciousness is more restricted than the contente of an altered state of consciousness. During normal waking consciousness we can block our awareness of information that makes us feel embarrassed, depressed, repulsed, sad, afraid, hurt and so on. During altered states of consciousness, we generally don’t have that control. The content during wakefulness is also logical, and organised. Whereas in an altered state the content is often nonsensical, illogical and disorganised.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS (ASC) Some ASCs are a normal part of our lives and occur naturally. Other ASCs are purposely induced. Although each ASC will appear differently in each individual, there are a number of common characteristics between that states.

Distortions of perception An ASC will have one of two effects on the senses – it either makes them more receptive to external stimuli, or dulls them to such an extent that some sensations are not experienced at all. Perceptions are often so distorted during an ASC that people may lose their sense of identity. They may think they are someone else or that they are outside themselves looking in.

Distortions of cognition Thought processes are often more disorganised during an ASC. Thinking is often illogical and lacks sequence and people may experience difficulty with problem solving. People have trouble remembering events which occur during an ASC. They may also have difficulty retrieving information from their long term memory whilst in an ASC.

Time orientation In an ASC time seems to pass at a different speed than normal. For some, time may appear to pass quicker, while in other ASCs time may pass slower. Emotional awareness ASCs appear to sometimes put an individual’s feelings into a state of turmoil, resulting in uncharacteristic responses. An individual may become more emotional, while others become emotionless. A person may even experience inappropriate emotional reactions.

Changes in self control Depending on the ASC, people experiences changes in their ability to maintain self-control. Some ASC results in less self-control, while other ASC result in greater self control.

EXAMPLES OF ASC’s Daydreaming: Our attention shifts from external stimuli to internal thoughts, feelings & imagined scenarios. Occurs naturally & often without awareness. More likely to occur when stationary rather then moving, when we are alone, waiting to fall asleep, travelling or performing routine or boring activities.

Meditative State: intentionally induced through the practise of meditation which is the use of a technique to deliberately alter normal waking consciousness in order to induce an ASC through deep relaxation. Typically involves altering the normal flow of conscious thoughts by focusing attention on a simple stimulus (ie breathing or a single word). True meditation clears the mind of completely any thoughts – ‘pure consciousness ’

Alcohol induced state: Alcohol is considered to be a psychoactive drug. Psychoactive drugs are chemicals that change conscious awareness, perception or moods. Specific effects of alcohol on consciousness depends on a wide range of factors including the concentration & amount of alcohol, conditions under which it is consumed and individual differences such as drinking history, rate of consumption, body weight, age, gender, chemistry, physical well-being, emotional state and amount of food in the stomach.

Effects of Alcohol on Consciousness Shortened attention span Impaired perceptions, thinking, & memory Slower reaction times Reduced self-awareness Impaired emotional awareness & control Impaired perception of time Less self-control Difficulties with voluntary muscular control & fine movements Deterioration in performance of complex tasks Higher the BAC level (% alcohol in the blood) more pronounced the effects.

MEASURING PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF CONSCIOUSNESS Measuring consciousness is difficult as it is a hypothetical construct (it is believed to exist, but can not be directly observed or measured). Much of what we know about consciousness is inferred or assumed based on what the individual reports, their behaviour and their physiological changes. Various devices are used to measure physiological responses and different patterns of responses are associated with different states of consciousness.

Electrical activity of the brain Brain wave patterns as shown in an EEG recordings can vary in frequency (the number of waves per second). High frequency is faster, with more brain waves per unit of time; while low frequency is slower with fewer brain waves per unit of time. Brain waves can also vary in amplitude (the size of the waves), this is judged on the size of the peaks and troughs. High amplitude waves have bigger peaks, and low amplitude brain waves have smaller peaks.

Four different brain wave patterns have been identified.

Heart rate Changes in heart rate are associated with different states of consciousness. In some ASCs heart rate increases, while in others it decreases. Body temperature Body temperature is less variable than heart rate; however, a pattern has been identified. Body temperature will drop by more than 1  C when person is asleep.

Galvanic skin response (GSR) GSR indicates the change in the resistance of the skin to an electrical current (the electrical conductivity of the skin) Electrodes are attached to fingers or palms and measure the amount of sweat. The more sweat secreted, the more electrical conductivity experienced (we become less resistant to electricity). As we sweat when emotionally aroused, and as we are more or less emotional when in an ASC, the GSR can be used as an indicator of an ASC.