Artificial States of Consciousness Hypnosis Meditation Psychoactive Drugs

Hypnosis ---Posthypnotic amnesia ---Posthypnotic suggestions Hypermnesia

Hypnosis a social interaction in which one person (the hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts or behaviors will spontaneously occur a relaxed state

Hypnosis State of awareness Highly focused attention Increased responsiveness to suggestion Vivid imagery Willingness to accept distortions of logic Alteration of sensation and perception

Hypnotic Suggestibility related to subject’s openness to suggestion ability to focus attention inwardly ability to become imaginatively absorbed

Can you be hypnotized? Imagine you are holding in your hand a lemon. A bright yellow lemon with shiny, puckered skin. Bring it up to your nose and inhale the citrus smell. Take your other hand and peel back a big piece of the skin to expose the white pith and the juicy fruit underneath. Now bring the lemon up to your mouth and bite right down into it, sucking in all the juices…. Salivating? If you are Like most people, you probably started salivating once I asked you to imagine a lemon in your hand. You have just used the power of your mind to create a physical change in your body in about 15 seconds.

Posthypnotic Amnesia supposed inability to recall what one experienced during hypnosis induced by the hypnotist’s suggestion

Posthypnotic Suggestion suggestion to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized used by some clinicians to control undesired symptoms and behaviors

Hypermnesia The supposed enhancement of a person’s memory for past events through a hypnotic suggestion

Can hypnosis enhance recall of forgotten events? Age regression therapy (the ability to re-live childhood memories) is very limited in its effectiveness….. age regressed people may act as they think a a 6-year old would, but most often they combine new memories and fantasy with what may have been reality

Can hypnosis force people to act against their will? The person who is hypnotized is aware of everything the hypnotist says at all times while they are experiencing hypnosis. Directly proposed hypnotic suggestions cannot make you do anything against your morals, religion, or self-preservation. An authoritative person in a legitimate context can induce people, hypnotized or not, to perform some unlikely acts

Can hypnosis alleviate pain? Dissociation is a split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others –IE. An unhypnotized patient will feel the pain of an ice bath in less than 25 seconds. A hypnotized patient will feel the cold, but not the pain, though their sensory systems will register the activity is present

Help Through Hypnosis Reduce pain Reduce stress Improve concentration and motivation Modify behavior in eating disorders Suppress the gag reflex (dentist) Eliminate recurring nightmares ….much more!

Meditation Any one of a number of sustained concentration techniques that focus attention and heighten awareness

Meditation Sustained concentration that focuses attention and heightens awareness Lowered physiological arousal decreased heart rate decreased BP Predominance of alpha brain waves

Two Forms of Meditation All forms of meditation have the goal of controlling or retraining attention Concentration Techniques Mantra (focus) Opening Up Techniques Quiet awareness of the here and now

Drug-Altered Consciousness Psychoactive Drugs- change moods and perceptions

Common Properties Physical dependence Tolerance Withdrawal symptoms Drug rebound effect

Drug Abuse Recurrent substance use that results in disruption of academic, social or occupational functioning or in legal or psychological problems

Addiction the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

Addiction Examples Drugs Sex Gambling Eating Alcohol Tobacco Pornography Exercising

Physical Dependence A condition in which a person has physically adapted to a drug so that he or she must take the drug regularly in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms

Tolerance  Increasing amounts of a physically addictive drug are needed to produce the original, desired effect

Small Large Drug dose Little effect Big effect Drug effect Response to first exposure After repeated exposure, more drug is needed to produce same effect

Withdrawal Symptoms Unpleasant physical reactions, combined with intense drug cravings Occur when abstaining from a drug when physically dependent

Drug Rebound Effect Withdrawal symptoms are opposite to the drugs action

Do I Have A Drug Problem? Dependence is defined as exhibiting three of the following seven symptoms over a 12- month period of time

Developing tolerance Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when attempting to stop Using a substance for a longer period, or in greater quantities, than originally intended Making repeated attempts to stop or cut-back on drug usage

Devoting a great deal of time attempting to obtain or use a substance Giving up or reducing social, occupational, or recreational activities as a result of drug use Continuing to use a substance even after negative physical or psychological effects have occurred, or will continue to occur with usage

Psychoactive Drugs Depressants—inhibit brain activity Opiates—pain relief and euphoria Stimulants—increase brain activity Psychedelics—distort sensory perceptions

Depressants Barbiturates- sedation meds Tranquilizers - Valium drugs that reduce neural activity Slow body function

What they do Alcohol—CNS depressant Barbiturates—induce sleep Tranquilizers—relieve anxiety

Alcohol - Depressant Alcohol- widely used, abuse common Why people take – initial high followed by relaxation and disinhibition Problems – depression, memory loss, organ damage, impaired reactions

Opiates Chemically similar to morphine and have strong pain-relieving properties Mimic the brain’s endorphins Heroin, methadone Percodan, Demerol

Pain Killers/Opiates Opiates- mostly illegal, produce euphoria alters the brains reaction to pain Mimics endorphins

Heroin - Opiates Heroin – most frequently abused opiates Why people take – Rush of euphoria, relief from pain Problems – depressed physiology, agonizing withdrawal

Stimulants Caffeine Nicotine Amphetamines Cocaine Stimulant induced psychosis

Stimulants drugs that excite neural activity speed up body function produce feelings of optimism and boundless energy, arouse behavior, and increase mental awareness; stimulates the cerebral cortex

Caffeine - Stimulant Caffeine- widely used, addictive Why people take – increased alertness and wakefulness Problems – Anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia in high doses; uncomfortable withdrawal

Nicotine - Stimulant Nicotine- widely used, addictive Why people take – arousal and relaxation, sense of well-being Problems – heart disease, cancer, respiratory problems

Methamphetamine - Stimulant Meth- addictive Why people take – Euphoria, alertness, energy Problems – irritablity, insomnia, hypertension, seizures

Meth Mouth – Constant use leads to this

This good news is your father stopped smoking. The bad news, however…”

Cocaine - Stimulant Cocaine- widely used, addictive Why people take – Rush of Euphoria, confidence, energy Problems – cardiovascular stress, suspiciousness, depressive crash

IE. Cocaine  Cocaine blocks the reuptake of dopamine (pleasure), norepinephrine (energy), and serotonin (arousal), so the feelings generated by those neurotransmitters intensifies as they linger in the synapse longer

Psychedelics Create perceptual distortions Mescaline LSD Marijuana Flashback reactions and psychotic episodes

Psychedelics/Hallucinogens psychedelic (mind-manifesting) drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input LSD- psychotic state similarity Marijuana- cannabis plant, THC similar to LSD Mescaline Peyote

Marijuana - hallucinogen Marijuana- most abused Why people take – enhanced sensation, pain relief, distortion of time, relaxation Problems – lowered sex hormones, memory, lung damage from smoke

Why is marijuana considered a hallucinogen?  It relaxes, disinhibits, and may cause a euphoric high like alcohol, but it may also amplify sensitivity to colors, sounds, tastes, and smells

“Club” Drugs Ecstasy (MDMA)—feelings of euphoria, increased well-being Side effects—dehydration, hyperthermia, tremor, rapid heartbeat Dissociative anesthetics—include PCP and Ketamine; deaden pain, produce stupor or coma, may induce hallucinations

Drug Type Pleasurable Effects Adverse Effects Alcohol Depressant Initial high followed by Depression, memory loss, organ relaxation and disinhibition damage, impaired reactions Heroin Depressant Rush of euphoria, relief from Depressed physiology, pain agonizing withdrawal Caffeine Stimulant Increased alertness and Anxiety, restlessness, and wakefulness insomnia in high doses; uncomfortable withdrawal Metham- Stimulant Euphoria, alertness, energy Irritability, insomnia, phetamine hypertension, seizures Cocaine Stimulant Rush of euphoria, confidence, Cardiovascular stress, energy suspiciousness, depressive crash Nicotine Stimulant Arousal and relaxation, sense Heart disease, cancer (from of well-being tars) Marijuana Mild Enhanced sensation, pain relief Lowered sex hormones, hallucinogen distortion of time, relaxation memory, lung damage from smoke