Week 1 - Introduction Flashcards
1
Q
Describe the example of altered states of consciousness
A
- Terence McKenna saw the clouds split into two parts
- Four lens-shaped clouds of the same size
- Heard high-pitched whine come drifting from the tree tops
- Saucer shaped machine rotating slowly with soft, blue and orange lights
2
Q
What are hallucinations?
A
- Perceptions that do not correspond to physical reality
- (Bentall, 2000)
3
Q
Describe the 3 perspectives on Consciousness
A
- Physiological
- physiological processes involved in consciousness
- neuroscience, biology
- how the neurons create consciousness
- Koch tried to map the brain cells
- quantum mind - Cognitive
- cognitive processes (perception, thinking, memory)
- psychology, philosophy - Experiential
- conscious experiences that a person has
- phenomenological
- examination of own experiences
- existential qualia - the way of which we experience things
4
Q
How do the 3 perspectives link?
A
- Not clear on how they connect, and how the interactions occur
5
Q
Define consciousness
A
- Consciousness 1
- registration of information and acting on it in a goal directed manner
- recognizing/distinguishing stimuli - Behavioural Consciousness 2
- explicit knowledge of one’s situation, mental states, and actions demonstrated behaviourally
- can you articulate actions/thoughts - Subjective Consciousness 2
- experiential stream of events that occurs subjectively for a person
- can I hear, see, feel things? - Consciousness
- the sense of existence of the subject of the experiential stream
- experiential quality that someone can feel
6
Q
Are all definitions of consciousness found in someone at any given time?
A
- No, having behavioural consciousness does not mean you have subjective consciousness
7
Q
Define altered states of consciousness
A
- A stable distinctive pattern of functioning different from the ordinary waking state along some dimensions of interest
8
Q
Define altered states of consciousness for whom it occurs to
A
- A qualitative alteration in the overall pattern of mental functioning, such that the experiencer feels his consciousness is radically different from the way it functions ordinarily
- Tart, 1972
9
Q
Describe the studies on how to identify consciousness
A
- Participants were asked how they identified a state of consciousness in which they found themselves
- concluded “experiential criteria for detecting an altered state of consciousness” into 10 categories (sensing the body, time sense, and interaction with environment)
- componential analysis of consciousness (Hobson, 1997) consisting of 10 components of phenomenological mapping where ASOC are compared along 12 dimensions (Walsh, 1995)
- measuring changes among consciousness along 12 dimensions (Pekala, 1991)
- a list of 14 dimensions of C (attention, perception, imagery, inner speech, memory, decision making, problem solving, emotions, arousal, self control, suggestibility, body image, personal identity, experience of time, meaning) (Farthing, 1992)
10
Q
What is the problem with the baseline for altered states?
A
- Everyone has a different waking state
- Hard to compare between people
11
Q
What is the “optimal” state?
A
- Western culture believed that the waking state is the optimal state and all other states except from sleep are a mental illness
- We no longer have an optimal state
12
Q
How do ASOC affect one’s life?
A
- Not all ASOC are detrimental to one’s life
- Near - death experience can cause a feeling of peace, spiritual beings, a loving light
- Can also cause anger and depression at having been brought back to life, career interruptions and divorce
13
Q
What are the 3 Beliefs about consciousness?
A
- Material
- Transcendent
- Extraordinary transcendent
14
Q
Define and describe the 3 beliefs of C
A
- Material (reductionist)
- reality is entirely physical
- World is essentially a machine that functions
- Consciousness results from a physical processes
- Need information (facts)
- C1 and BC2 - Transcendent
- C is ontologically primitive and the physical world is a by product of C
Consciousness gives meaning to reality
- Meaning is important in life
- subjective, experiential aspects of reality
- SC2 - Extraordinary transcendence
- have had an unusual experiences
- drugs, near death experience
- the key to growth is consciousness
(Baruss and Moore)
15
Q
Describe the Ganzfeld procedure
A
- Lasted 6.5 years
- Tried to demonstrate the existence of ESP (mental detection of a weak signal ordinarily masked by internal somatic and external sensory stimuli
- Study seeks to minimize the somatic and sensory noise (ping-pong balls on the eyes with a red flood light and headphones with white noise
- Begins with a 14 minute relaxation to lower internal somatic stimulation then the ganzfeld for 30 minutes
- 160 targets, 80 pictures, 80 videos (1 min long), 20 sets
- 240 receivers, (140 women) mean age 37 yrs, 329 sessions
- Hit rate should = 25% (82) but 32% was hit (106) dynamic targets27% and videos 37%
- Julliard students had 50% = relationship between creativity or artistic ability and performance on ESP
- Results show high probability of the presence of anomalous information transfer (ESP) when using Ganzfeld
(Bem & Honorton, 1994)
