Altered States of Consciousness Flashcards
Psychoactive drug
A chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods - wide variety
Types of Psychoactive Drugs
Stimulants, Depressants, and Hallucinogens
Psychoactive drugs work by altering
synaptic transmission (stimulating, inhibiting, and or mimicking neurotransmitters)
Stimulants…
excite neural activity - speed up body functions
(Heart rate, breathing, pupil dilation, increase energy) can lead to “crash” after use
Caffeine, Nicotine, Cocaine, Ecstasy and Methamphetamines are …
stimulants.
Alcohol, Opioids, and Barbituates are…
depressants.
Depressants…
reduce neural activity and slow body functions
Hallucinogens…
distort perceptions - may generate sensory images in the absence of sensory input
Cannabis…
slows down reaction time, messes with time perception, more senseitive to colors and sounds - Marijuana is a spanish word and was used to associate the plant with Mexican immigrants
LSD…
Chemically similar to a form of serotonin - can generate intense emotional experiences that can be either positive or negative
DMT…
naturally occuring psychoactive chemical - can be extracted from certain plants - subjective effects
Psychological Dependence
absence of drug causes negative emotions
(but not physical symptoms)
Physical Dependence
absence of drug causes physical pain, intense
cravings, sign of physical illness
Dependency (Addiction)
Physical and or Psychological
Tolerance
The drugs effect lessens as the brain adapts - takes larger doses to produce same effect
Withdrawal
The discomfort of drug leaving the system, occur even without addiction
Operant Conditioning
Behaviors that are positively reinforced are repeated
Addictive drugs act on reward system in the brain
Rewards system is tricked by drugs - body gets rewarded even if effects are detrimental
Wanting system in the brain
Cravings - motivation and pursuit of a reward
Liking system in the brain
Hedonic pleasure from a reward
Different neural systems for liking versus wanting
Addictive drugs hyper-sensitize “wanting” centers of brain, but de-sensitize the
”liking” centers)
* Leads to chronic cravings for the drug, but the drug no longer feels good
Drug abuse is a…
modern disease
Common causes of hallucinations
hallucinogenic drugs, mental illness, extreme duress (sleep deprivation, starvation, illness), ritualized behavior (chanting, deep meditation), sensory deprivation
Hallucinations
sensory experiences not caused by environmental stimuli - may involved any of the senses,
Form Constant Hallucinations
Common types of visual hallucinations
- Vivid colors
- Geometric shapes
- Tunnels
- Spirals
- Grids
- Cobwebs
NDE
Experiences where people feel like they had died or were close to dying - may feel like they have returned from the grave - intense emotions are usually positive - emotionally powerful
“Dying Brain” theory
Decreased activity of visual cortex
* Produced “light at the end of tunnel” visions
* Decreased activity at temporal-parietal junction
* Sensory association areas
* Produces sensory hallucinations and feeling of disembodiment
* Feelings of euphoria due to release of natural endorphins
Terror Management Theory
Humans only animal aware of own mortality - awareness of mortality creates unique anxiety - want to leave a “legacy”
Effects of Mortality Awareness
- Defense of cultural worldview
- Patriotism, religion, family values
- Greater love and tolerance for others you recognize connections with
- Greater support of harsh tactics used against enemies
- Greater dislike of abstract art
The God Helmet
a helmet that disrupts activity of temporal (and parietal) lobes with
electromagnetic waves
- 80% of subjects report feeling of a sensed presence, out-of-body, or other
dissociative state
Temporal-Parietal Junction
Where the temporal and parietal lobes meet - adjacent with multiple “association areas”
