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Mental
Altered States
An altered state of consciousness is a usually temporary condition clearly different from ordinary waking awareness.
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The idea
An altered state of consciousness is a condition that is clearly different from ordinary waking awareness. In it, normal consciousness is suspended, replaced or changed in some way. It is also called an altered state of mind or an altered state of awareness. These changes are generally temporary. Afterward, the person usually returns to ordinary awareness.
People often bring on altered states deliberately. The term is most often used for these induced states, which range from those caused by drugs to those that arise through meditation practices. Other examples include hypnosis, the deep trance seen in some religious ceremonies, and the dreamlike experiences that can follow long sensory deprivation. In the broadest sense, even sleep counts as an altered state of consciousness.
Scientists and philosophers still debate what these states have in common. Some ask whether all induced states are basically the same, or whether states that happen in religious settings differ in kind. Others suggest that the label lumps many separate brain states together under one heading. If so, it would be a category error. Researchers use tools such as recordings of brain activity to learn how these states differ from everyday waking life.
Check yourself
Question 1 of 2
What possible mistake do some thinkers say the label "altered states of consciousness" makes?
Composition
what it's made of
- Changed awareness — Normal consciousness is suspended, replaced or otherwise altered.
- Temporary course — The changes are generally temporary.
- Induced states — States brought on by drugs, meditation practices and similar methods.
- Sleep — In the broadest sense, sleep itself is an altered state of consciousness.
Connection
how it relates
Under Human Consciousness
Change
how and why it evolves
- Past
- Humans may have sought such states as early as 30,000 years ago, using drug plants or long periods of dancing. In academia, Arnold M. Ludwig used the expression as early as 1966, and Charles Tart brought it into common use from 1969.
- Now
- Today there is still no final agreement on the most accurate definition of the term. Researchers often measure these states with questionnaires that rate several separate factors of experience.
- Next
- Brain research will likely clarify how different altered states work, which may help settle whether they truly belong in one category.