Humans,
throughout history have always been quite interested by the altered states of
consciousness. Consciousness is
characterized as the state of being aware. According to Freud, consciousness is
divided in three levels. These include the conscious
level, the preconscious level,
and the unconscious level. In the
conscious levels we can find our thoughts and perceptions. Consciousness can be
seen as sensory awareness- meaning that we are aware of the environment that
surrounds us-direct inner awareness- meaning that one is conscious of an image
that is not happening and yet we feel as if it were- and sense of self where we are aware of our existence. In the preconscious
level of consciousness we have ideas and stored memories. These are not in
one´s awareness at the moment but if it is necessary one would use reference of
them. In the unconscious level the unaccepted
impulses, desires are stored as a defense mechanism so they are out of our
reach of awareness. There is another level called the nonconscious level where basic biological functions take place. So
what are altered states of consciousness? It is a state where the sense of self
and of the world is different. These can be reached through many ways. These
include through meditation, hypnosis,
drugs, biofeedback, and even through an everyday activity which is sleep.
Sleep
is a cycle. To understand the sleep cycle we must first understand the stages
of sleep. The stages of sleep are measured through wave patterns by our brains.
When we are awake beta waves are emitted which are short and quick. Stage one is when our sleep is light. In
here the waves become theta waves which are slower. In stage two the waves become longer and slower. Stage three and four are
stages of deep sleep where delta waves are produced which become longer
and slower. There is another stage which is the REM stage which is quick and short. The cycle of sleep goes like
this. We go into stage one, and after thirty minutes we pass to stages two,
three and four. After approximately thirty minutes of stage four we go back to stage one and later enter into REM stage. This is repeated
approximately five times in one night. Our vivid dreams that appear to be real occur
in the REM stage.
Drugs
are divided into three types: opiates,
stimulants, and hallucinogens. The opiates
include pain killers, alcohol, heroin, and morphine. Stimulants include nicotine, cocaine, caffeine and crack. Hallucinogens include marijuana,
mushrooms, and LSD. These drugs are notorious due to the recreational use leading
to violence and abuse of them as well. However, we are not considering the
medical purposes they offer and even ritualistic uses. How can these drugs be
applies medically. Well, when extreme pain is experienced, one should incline
towards opiates such as pain killers or morphine. Once LSD was used on alcoholics
and after some sessions they got cured. Ecstasy
was used on couples that were having issues relating. They were later used on
clubs and raves and people started abusing of them which lead to the illegalization
of these drugs. Marijuana has been used medically to treat patients with
epilepsy and have proven more effective than the prescription medicated by
certain doctors. Marijuana that has high CBD is the one thought to have
properties that help on the epilepsy. The THC on the other hand is that one
that makes humans high and is the one most consumed as for recreational
purposes. Drugs are also used by shamans in tribes. For example in the Amazons,
a certain group uses Ayahuasca that
when burned and consumed as a beverage, serves as DMT, a powerful drug that
gives us the experience of death, DMT is also found in our brains. This means
that we carry a drug inside of us. The natives consumed these drugs because
according to their beliefs, these drugs such as Ayahuasca heal or contain healing powers. Drugs should not be
illegal. This is because many of these are multifunctional and can serve for
medical uses. Also all these laws and jurisdictions do not prevent the
recreational consumers from consuming. These just do it in a more discreet
environment.
Meditation, biofeedback, lucid dreaming,
and hypnosis are other states of consciousness.
Through meditation the stresses of
the world diminish. Meditation has
been done throughout the years in many cultures. Therefore, several methods of
meditation exist. It can be done through pleasant odors and sounds such as the
om. Biofeedback provides specific
information about what is happening in the body. Controlling bodily functions such
as heart rate can be acquired through biofeedback. Biofeedback can be done by transmitting information
on a screen, and trying to control the line or information transmitted in the screen.
However this has to be done under medical supervision. Hypnosis on the other hand is like a trance. It can be done by focusing
on something specific such as a voice. Then one has the sensation of sleep but
is not sleeping. Hypnosis can only be done only when willing. A problem with hypnosis
is that one can lose notion of what is true and what is real. Hypnosis can be
done to prevent pain, relax, and quit bad habits. Lucid dreaming is a state when one dreams. The dreams are more
realistic and can be manipulated more by us.
After
looking all of these ways of how to achieve an altered state of consciousness,
we can see a similarity in all. It is hard to extract any type on data
regarding states of consciousness.
Most of the information on these regards is mostly theories and ideas. This is
why many people are attracted to these states of consciousness, yet some quite
repelled by them. It is because they are unknown and hard to understand. Drugs, meditation, hypnosis, dreaming,
all of these defy the rules of consciousness and take them to different levels which
is why they are altered states of
consciousness.
