Consciousness

1. Altering Consciousness Through Drugs

1.1. Types of drugs:

1.1.1. Hallucinogens: LSD, Mescaline, Psilocybin, PCP, Marijuana

1.1.2. Stimulants: Amphetamine, Cocaine, Nicotine, Caffeine

1.1.3. Depressants: Alcohol, Barbiturates, Tranquilizers, Opioids

1.2. Factors in Drug Use & Abuse

1.2.1. Social: Alienation, Unemployment, Cultural Norms, Acculturation

1.2.2. Biological: Genetic Influences, Effects on Neurotransmitters in the brain

1.2.3. Psychological: Feelings of Hopelessness, Sensation Seeking, Desire to escape troubling Emotions

2. States of Consciousness

2.1. Divided Consciousness- Dividing consciousness between two or more tasks

2.2. Walking States of Altered Consciousness- Changes in usual states of awareness during wakefulness

2.3. Sleeping and Dreaming- Dimmed consciousness during sleep

2.4. Focused Awareness- Fully Alert and Absorbed

2.5. Drifting Consciousness- Meandering Thoughts

3. Altering Consciousness through Meditation

3.1. Types of Meditation:

3.1.1. Transcendental Meditation: Repeating a mantra to induce a meditative state

3.1.2. Mindfulness Meditation: Passively attending to the flow of thoughts

3.2. Theories of Hypnosis

3.2.1. Role-Playing Theory: Hypnosis as a Social Interaction

3.2.2. Neodissociation Theory: Hypnosis as splitting of consciousness