Altered States of Consciousness

1
Altered States of Consciousness

• Mental experiences that transcend ordinary
  experiences.
• Literally an altered state deviating from ones
  normal mental state.
• May induce emotions like fear/anxiety,
  well-being, connection to supernatural entities.
• Encouraged and interpreted by many different
  cultures as important religious experiences.
• Stroke of Insight Jill Bolte Taylor on TED.com
• http//www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jill_bolte_tayl
  or_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html

2
General signs of an Altered State of
Consciousness (p. 107)

• Alterations in thinking attention/concentration/m
  emory/judgment, trouble distinguishing between
  cause and effect
• Disturbed time sense time ceases to exist or
  goes by very quickly/very slowly. (Dreams)
• Loss of control feeling helpless. (Need to do
  things, but just cant Left Hemisphere jumping
  in something is wrong!)
• Change in emotional expression emotional
  extremes or becoming detached/expressionless.
• Body image change Boundaries between oneself and
  ones environment is blurred. Parts of the body
  may seem strange/heavy/awkward.
• Perceptual distortions Seeing sound, Hearing
  color, also hallucinations.
• Attaching increased meaning to experiences
  Things become so profound!
• Sense of the ineffable Amnesia/vivid
  memories/inability to describe experiences to
  someone who has not undergone something similar
• Feelings of rejuvenation hope/feeling light,
  free euphoric. Also, becoming hyper-suggestible.
  In Hypnotism, this the ideal state of the
  Hypnotee

3
Altered States of Consciousness and the
Brain Cerebral Cortex (when we think of the
brain this is what usually comes to mind)
Divided into right and left hemispheres,
with each hemisphere's lobes responsible for
specific functionsFrontal LobesHave you ever
experienced the phenomenon of arriving at school
and not remembering driving there? The planning,
organization and self-correction skills
controlled by the frontal lobes are responsible
for your safe arrival at school. If there had
been a detour on the way, the frontal lobes'
mental flexibility would have allowed you to
alter your route and successfully complete your
trip. Carrying out daily functions requires you
to remain in control and generate alternatives
when problems arise.

• Sensory Motor StripHigher level motor behavior,
  such as the coordination of movement in walking.
• Parietal LobesAllows you to find your way in
  the dark and sense your relationship with
  surroundings. Visual perception and analysis of
  space, as demonstrated by the ability to read a
  map or follow a maze, are also processed in these
  lobes. Location of the Orientation Association
  Structure
• Ex If these are damaged, may not know where
  you end and the outside world begins.
• Occipital LobesControl visual perception within
  both the right and left hemispheres. They receive
  the pattern for a picture, but do not interpret
  that picture. Damage to these areas results in a
  type of blindness. Ex Numbers on the
  telephone/business card.
• CerebellumMuscle coordination and balance.
• Brain Stem
• Life-sustaining functions such as regulation of
  blood pressure, heart rate, breathing and body
  temperature. The system that is responsible for
  the level of arousal and alertness is also in the
  brain stem and is known as the Reticular
  Activating System (RAS). The RAS, referred to in
  the book as the Sympathetic System functions like
  a dimmer in a light switch, increasing and
  decreasing the responsiveness to the environment.
  If the RAS is damaged, like a light that has been
  dimmedan altered state of consciousness such as
  a coma or a vegetative condition may result. An
  altered state may also result from
  overstimulation of this system.

• Temporal Lobes-The ability to hum a tune
  (music), identify an airplane overhead
  (environmental sound), and recall a beautiful
  sunset (visual memory) Right Temporal Lobe.
  This is the place for the senses, without
  worries, burdens, etc. produced in the Left
  Temporal lobe. It is this lobe that is
  stimulated most during an Altered State.
• -The ability to understand a teacher during a
  lecture (language comprehension), to name your
  friends and family (naming ability), and remember
  the words to The Star Spangled Banner (verbal
  memory) Left Temporal Lobe. This is the area
  whose functioning is subdued/halted during an
  Altered State, to achieve the sense of euphoria
  felt in the Right Temporal Lobe. Also, if
  damaged, may result in Golden Retriever
  syndrome.

Limbic SystemIn addition to the easily
identifiable lobes, there are systems within the
brain that connect the lobes. The system most
sensitive to the results of head injury is the
limbic system, which mediates mood, emotions,
motivation, attention and memory. Injury to the
system may be manifested in behaviors ranging
from flat affect (no expression) to
aggressiveness from mild distractibility to the
inability to pay attention for one minute from
almost imperceptible memory problems to the
inability to recall dialing numbers on a phone
(as in the video).
4
Entering an Altered State of Consciousness

• Sensory Deprivation or constant exposure to
  repetitive actions Solitary Confinement and
  Assembly-line daydreaming
• Sensory Overload Opposite of the above, brought
  on by sports/ecstatic dancing/chanting, extreme
  pain, getting all worked up via sounds, smells,
  sights.
• Continuous focus over long periods of time
  Study/work for hours on end, mind may
  wander/dream.
• Decreased alertness Emptying the mind,
  meditation, conscious relaxing of the muscles.
• Alterations to the Nervous System Dehydration,
  sleep deprivation, hyperventilation, temporal
  lobe seizures (like video), recreational/prescribe
  d drugs (e.g. Weed/Vicodin/Morphine)

5
Cultural Interpretations

• Culture lends meaning to an Altered State.
• Ex Migraine. The resulting Aura or
  haziness/hallucination may be seen as a vision,
  mystical experience, or as a simple annoyance
  caused by a really bad headache.
• Ex Les Trois Frères cave (French Pyrenees).
  Upper Paleolithic Cave Paintings from around
  13,500 BCE. Popular theory
• Painting appears to be coming out of the wall.
  This picture (top right) and others may have
  represented a link to the spirit world, an
  attempt by the shaman to pull these beings
  through the membrane of the cave wall into the
  realm of the living during a trance.
• 3 stages to Trance
• 1. Focus on geometric shapes (found on the cave
  walls). These shapes are then enlivened by the
  brain, becoming entoptic phenomena or, Geometric
  visual images open to cultural interpretation.
• 2. In the second phase, ordinary symbols are
  allotted a specific meaning.
• 3. This is the deep trance stage where the
  entoptic phenomena are combined with images of
  the spirit world (like animals/people) and these
  combined are seen to mesh with the person in the
  trance. So the shaman will in a sense merge
  with the spirit world. The picture to the top
  right is called a therianthrope and represents
  this transformed or merged Shaman.
• Caves may have represented a membrane between
  two worlds, with the paintings and an Altered
  States of Consciousness acting as links. Animal
  bones/teeth (bottom right) wedged into cracks in
  attempt to penetrate to this other world?
• Same physiological symptoms (flying, being drawn
  into a vortex) cross-culturally, but
  interpretations differ.

6
Altered States of Consciousness and Religion

• Fasting
• Abstaining from food/water, eating little over a
  multi-day period.
• In the absence of food, body will start to
  consume itself
• Fat stores around organs, other fat deposits
• Muscle
• After a few days of no food, feeling of hunger
  disappears to be replaced with
• Aggression/impulsive actions, decrease in
  competence, hallucinations, fatigue, lethargy,
  confusion, dizziness. An Altered State of
  Consciousness
• Fasting in response to religious rituals,
  cleansing the spirit/soul, worthiness before
  deities, training to become a religious
  specialist
• Ex Moses 40 days/nights, 10 Commandments and
  communion w/ God.
• Ex Yom Kippur Day of Atonement No food or
  water from sunset to sunset for all healthy
  adults. One of the holiest and solemn Jewish
  holidays. Purity/reconciliation with God is
  stressed.
• Ex Ramadan (9th month of the Islamic calendar
  when the Quran was revealed). One of the 5
  pillars of Islam. Every day from sun-up to
  sun-down, no food or water for healthy men and
  women. Purity of both thought and action is
  stressed. Become more generous/humane and closer
  to God.
• Ex http//video.nationalgeographic.com/video/play
  er/places/culture-places/beliefs-and-traditions/us
  _ramadanindenver.html

7
Altered States of Consciousness and Religion

• Sacred Pain
• Revered, respected pain seen variously as
  purifying, an enemy to be overcome, a weapon, a
  transformative agent, a source of supernatural
  power.
• As purifying
• Papua New Guinea (Blood initiation)
  http//video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/p
  laces/regions-places/australia-and-oceania/newguin
  ea-bloodinitiation-pp.html
• Opus Dei and mortification
• Offering up pain for God in repentance of sins.
  Can take the form of fasting/sleeping on the
  ground/remaining silent for certain periods or
  wearing a cillice around the upper left thigh.
• Possession/Exorcism (later chapter)
• Pain as transformative
• Ex Rites of Passage ceremonies
• Fulani of Northern Benin West Africa (whipping
  contest and tatooing) http//video.nationalgeogra
  phic.com/video/player/places/countries-places/beni
  n/benin_fulaniinitiation.html
• Amazonian initiation with ants
  http//video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/p
  laces/index.html
• As a sacrifice to God
• Ex Ancient Maya (book). Strings through the
  tongue (p. 110).
• Hindu New Year in Nepal (Tongue boring)
  http//video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/p
  laces/regions-places/asia-southern/nepal_tonguebor
  ing.html
• Hindu festival Thaipusam in Malaysia
  http//video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/p
  laces/culture-places/festivals-celebrations/malays
  ia-thaipusam-pp.html
• Bali (self-stabbing) http//video.nationalgeograp
  hic.com/video/player/places/culture-places/beliefs
  -and-traditions/indonesia_selfstabbing.html
• In imitation of a Gods/religious figures
  suffering
• Ex Stigmata Imitating Christs wounds on the
  cross (sometimes seen as appearing
  spontaneously).
• Catholic Crucifixion in the Phillipines
  http//video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/p
  laces/culture-places/beliefs-and-traditions/philip
  pines_crucifixion.html

8
Altered States of Consciousness and Religion

• Drug-Induced Altered States
• Adaptive vs. maladaptive in a cultural context.
• Adaptive Usually within a controlled
  environment, definite end and beginning points.
  Only at a certain time/place/period. Includes
  prescription drugs to help rehabilitate/alleviate
  symptoms (ex. Vicodin, Sudafed?). In a ritual
  setting, promotes cohesion, elevation/reinforcemen
  t of position in religion/culture. Allows
  individual to thrive and be accepted.
• Ex Peruvian cactus drug (San Pedro)
  http//video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/p
  laces/culture-places/beliefs-and-traditions/peru_c
  actusdrug.html
• Huichols use of Peyote http//video.nationalgeog
  raphic.com/video/player/places/culture-places/beli
  efs-and-traditions/mexico_peyote.html
• Maladaptive Usually associated with secular drug
  use when taken to extremes, leads to addiction,
  inability to function in society. No set
  beginning/end points, non-ritual, no one/thing to
  say stop. Also can relate to religious drugs
  taken outside of the ritual setting. Ex
  cautions against Peyote/Wine used outside of
  their roles as sacraments.
• Ex Misuse of Ecstasy http//video.nationalgeogra
  phic.com/video/player/places/countries-places/unit
  ed-states/us_ecstasy.html
• Yanomamö of Venezuela.
• ebene (hallucinogenic snuff). Snorted through the
  nose. Used to entice hekura or tiny, humanlike
  spirits into ones chest.
• Rastafarians
• Afro-Caribbean religion, w/ roots in Christianity
  that venerates the former emperor of Ethiopia,
  Haile Selassie (Jah Rastafari) as the messiah.
• Bob Marley (1945-1981) took reggae (music that
  came from the Rastafarian movement and Jamaica)
  to a worldwide scene.
• Concept of Ital levity which emphasizes eating
  natural/vegetarian foods, rejecting Western
  consumerism and focusing on living in harmony
  with nature.
• Ganga (Cannabis) The Wisdom Weed or Holy
  Herb. A religious sacrament taken to become
  closer to God, gain new understandings of the
  Universe/the Self.

9
Terms/Groups to know

• 2 main religious interpretations of an Altered
  State of Consciousness
• 1. Spirit Possession
• A supernatural force (a spirit/god) enters a
  persons body.
• An individual may be able to control the spirit,
  to heal/divine or the spirit may control the body
  and heal/divine without the hosts knowledge.
• Spirit possession may also be negative or
  unwanted. In this case exorcism rituals may be
  needed.
• 2. Trance state in which the Soul has left the
  body. Interpretations of the Altered State are
  based around the Souls experience out of body.
• Holiness Churches (Appalachian mountains, West
  Virginia)
• Long periods of intense prayer and loud music
  with a repetitive beat, ecstatic dancing, trance.
  Brings members into a Unitary State with God, a
  state in which the individual experiences a
  feeling of becoming one with the supernatural.