1. Good Morning!
Do you have any activities or rituals that help you calm down or focus?
Describe them, what makes them work?
How do you feel during these rituals?
How do you feel after?
Write these on a warm-up sheet (divide into quarters)

2. Altered States of Consciousness

3. Three main types to talk about today:
Meditation
Biofeedback
Hypnosis

4. Meditation:
Narrowing Consciousness in order to tune out the outside world
Focusing in on one stimulus:
Flame of a lamp
Pattern on a rug
Mantras (om)
Peaceful and repetitive

5. Meditation: Buddhism in particular
Meditation is associated with some religions and spiritualists
Buddhism in particular
Achieving oneness with the universe, or some great insight

6. Meditation HOWEVER! Spiritual claims are unproven scientifically
Studies have shown that meditation can help you relax
It can also help lower high blood pressure!
Let’s give it a go!

7. Biofeedback Here’s how it works:
Hook up to a computer or a monitor
Scanning different body functions that can cause problems
People are able to process each function, and make changes to help themselves out

8. Biofeedback For example:
June is having headache problems, and wants to try the biofeedback method
June is hooked into a machine that reads muscle tension in her forehead.
The machine displays a line that jumps each time there is tension
June’s goal is to keep the line as flat as possible

9. Hypnosis

10. Hypnosis Hypnosis: Do you believe in it?
Interestingly, this can impact the effectiveness of hypnosis

11. Hypnosis: WHAT IS IT? Altered state of consciousness What can it do?
People respond to suggestions and behave as if in a trance
People who are able to focus on instructions without getting distracted are considered “suggestible”
What can it do?
Reduce anxiety, pain, or overcome fears

12. Hypnosis: What it is NOT
Bending people to your will
Merely suggestions implanted by the hypnotist
Cannot be made to do things like kill on command
Going to sleep, even though it is a phrase used during hypnosis sessions

13. Let’s give it a shot!