What is an “altered” state of consciousness? Ludwig (1972) defines an “altered state of consciousness” as
Any mental state(s), induced by various physiological, psychological, or pharmacological maneuvers or agents, which can be recognized subjectively by the individual himself (or by an objective observer of the individual) as representing a sufficient deviation in subjective experience or psychological functioning from certain general norms for that individual during alert, waking consciousness. This sufficient deviation may be represented by a greater preoccupation than usual with internal sensations or mental processes, changes in the formal characteristics of thought, and impairment of reality testing to various degrees. (Ludwig, 1972, p. 11)
Common characteristics of ASCs. The cognitive approach to ASC has revealed that there are similar features that are characteristic of many ASC including: “alterations in thinking,” “disturbed time sense,” “loss of control,” “change in emotional expression,” “body image change,” “perceptual distortions,” “change in meaning or significance,” “sense of the ineffable,” “feelings of rejuvenation,” and “hypersuggestibility” (Ludwig, 1972, pp. 15-19).
State-Specific Sciences. Transpersonal psychologist Charles T. Tart has examined altered states of consciousness from a cognitive perspective in terms of changes in the configuration and operation of underlying mental processes (Tart, 1971, 1976, 1983, 1992b). Tart conceptualizes any state of consciousness as constituted by 10 underlying psychological structures, which interact with one another to define a state of consciousness. A state of consciousness (SoC) involves the operation of the following cognitive subsystems: exteroceptors (receives sensory input), interoceptors (receives kinesthetic input), input processing (working memory), subconscious processes, sense of identity, evaluation and decision-making, emotions, space/time sense, long-term memory, motor output (behavior), plus latent functions. These 10 subsystems (plus potential latent functions) define any discrete state of consciousness (d-SoC). The particular configuration of subsystems at any given moment is shaped and limited by the deployment of attention, body energies, characteristics of the structures themselves, and the particular social and cultural environments in which operate.
|
Alternate states of consciousness. By applying the requisite disruptive force to the baseline state of consciousness (either through some physiological action such as drugs or attentional deployment such as meditation) the current organization of the cognitive subsystems becomes de-stabilized until a new patterning force (such as mental set, setting, expectations, drug effects) is applied to shape the subsystems into a new overall system, producing an entirely new discrete state of consciousness with its own stabilization processes.
Information theory. In another application of the cognitive approach, transpersonal psychiatrist, John Battista (1996b) applies information theory to transpersonal states of consciousness. “Consciousness is information and…different forms of consciousness refer to different, more encompassing levels of information” (Battista, 1996b, p. 85). Battista identifies eight levels of information (or orders of consciousness and corresponding self-structures), each level transcending yet including the previous level (from sensory to perceptual to emotional to subjective to cognitive to existential to metacognitive to transcendental). Furthermore, “each level of information processing gives rise to distinct kinds of psychopathology that require specific types of treatment” (Battista, 1996b, p. 90).
Consciousness and behavior. The cognitive approach to consciousness has helped transpersonal psychologists differentiate degrees of waking states of consciousness. Consciousness, for instance, is not a single homogeneous thing but varies and changes like the colors of the rainbow. It is possible to stratify and order states of waking consciousness from alert and focused concentration to relaxed and diffuse cosmic consciousness. A range of ASCs have been identified - drug-induced states, hypnosis, biofeedback, daydreaming, night dreaming, sensory deprivation, dreamless sleep, and paranormal experiences - with each state consisting of many levels and functions. In each region or area of consciousness, individuals are capable of processing different types of information at different levels of control (Goleman & Davidson, 1979; Ornstein, 1972; Tart, 1983; Wolman & Ullman, 1986).
|
