States of Consciousness

Essay by Shoity2004University, Bachelor'sA, March 2004

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Consciousness is our awareness of ourselves and all the things we think, feel, and do. We spend much of our lives in what is called walking consciousness, that is a state of clear, and organized alertness.

A.What is Consciousness: Having a feeling or knowledge of your sensations, feelings or of external things. Knowing or feeling that something is or was happening or existing. Aware of oneself as a thinking being. (Webster's Unabridged Dictionary)

1. Self awareness: Self awareness is both subjective and objective. In subjective consciousness people are motivated by emotions of subjection. Some people are influenced into this state. Objective consciousness is the state of awareness. It's the power of understanding and reasoning both inductive and deductive also self choice.

B. Altered States of Consciousness: There are many ways to alter states of consciousness these are just a few.

1. Dissociative Identity Disorder: A mental process that makes a lack of connections in a person's thoughts and feelings.

When this happens a person has a lost of certain information that they normally would posses. Some of this is caused through trauma, resulting in a temporary mental escape from pain and fear of trauma.

2. Drug-Altered Consciousness: Drugs affect the neurological bases of various psychological structures and substructures activating these structures and

slowing activity of other structures.

One example of this would be marijuana use which has been known to affect your memory, attention and coordination. A psychoactive drug is a substance capable of altering attention, judgment, memory, time, self control or perception. Drugs fall into two categories, physical dependence (Addiction) which has withdrawal systems a physical illness that follows the end of the drug use period. Psychological dependence which is based on emotional or psychological needs.

C. Sleep: sleep is another altered state of consciousness, necessary for good...