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 MeditationAll 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

Littleeffect

Bigeffect

Drugeffect

Response tofirst exposure

After repeatedexposure, moredrug is neededto 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 distortionsMescalineLSDMarijuanaFlashback 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” DrugsEcstasy (MDMA)—feelings of

euphoria, increased well-beingSide effects—dehydration,

hyperthermia, tremor, rapid heartbeatDissociative 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