Altered States of Consciousness

November 14, 2016 - No comments

There are many different currents on the Internet that tell how to achieve the divine state. For example, pranoedia: on the way to altered states of consciousness, ardent pranoeders engage in starvation to such an extent that their hair begins to fall out and bones break down, many die of exhaustion. Fastings are supplemented by various breathing practices, which, if not performed correctly at home, can have an irreparable effect on the state of health, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. It is natural to ask the question: what is the purpose of these people, exposing their lives to such a risk?

They seek to change something in their minds. But what is consciousness? What does it mean to change the state of consciousness? How to do it? What will this change consist of, and what will it give me? And why do it? Who is asking these questions and why?

A change in consciousness becomes a fixed idea for people born with a sound vector, which determines their psychological properties and aspirations, and even in many respects their life scenario. It is these people who are interested in questions of the state of consciousness, cognition and awareness.

In a state of perpetual search

"Who am I? Where did I come from and where am I going? What is life? Is there a god? What is the sense of life?" - in fact, it is these questions that the sound engineer consciously or unconsciously asks himself throughout his life. He's looking, looking, looking. He is in constant search for the truth. And for this, he strives to expand his consciousness in order to cover as much information as possible and fill his spiritual shortcomings.

In the process of life, a sound engineer is attracted by areas of activity related to cognition. He learns languages ​​​​with ease and interest, is engaged in physics and mathematics. He searches, unconsciously searches for answers. Answers to the eternal questions of the universe. He aspires to a state of altered consciousness, is interested in this topic everywhere.

He seeks to find inner peace. In search of silence and escape from the bustle of the outside world, which is deeply alien and incomprehensible to him in all its material orientation, the sound engineer can plunge into religion or meditation. He meditates for hours and days, goes to the mountains or to a monastery for this, seeks silence and a state of peace in order to connect with eternity and experience a change in the state of consciousness.

A sound child from childhood may wonder “Where did I come from? What is space? Who is a god? What will happen after death? As the years go by, when the sound guy grows into an adult, these questions become more and more acute. The desire to change consciousness in order to cognize new meanings is getting stronger. Already in adolescence, the sound engineer is occupied with books. Books about science fiction, religion, meditation, discoveries in physics, discoveries in the physiology of the brain.

Why is he interested in all this: questions of knowing oneself and the world, and universal consciousness? The answer is simple: he was born for this, for the knowledge of truths. To understand the nature of being. But, not knowing the right way, the sound engineer tries to achieve altered states of consciousness in search of answers in all possible ways, except for one, the only possible one: focusing outward, focusing on other people.

He is trying to reach a new state of consciousness by focusing on himself in a direct and indirect way. He tries to influence the brain through meditation, diet and fasting, through yoga and tantric sex. He tries in any way to achieve a change in his internal states.

Sometimes he is so carried away by his inner search that he stops contacting people, refuses to go to work, start relationships with the opposite sex. He locks himself in the shell of his consciousness and stays in this state for years. These states of emptiness haunt him wherever he is. The state of a silent black abyss in the soul, the state of depression.

Altered states of consciousness. Search for "I don't know what"

The inner search often leads the sound engineer to drugs. By influencing the brain with chemical substances, sound engineers achieve various states of consciousness up to hallucinations. It may even seem to them that they have become enlightened and have reached the desired state of consciousness - the state when they can connect with the First Cause.

However, an increasing amount of drugs leads them into a psychological impasse of the impossibility of obtaining answers and adds drug addiction to the problem of a soul exhausted by searches. Most sound engineers die of overdose in yet another attempt to change their state of mind.

Among other attempts to change their minds, sound people also find healthier ways. For example, they may attempt (often unconsciously) to achieve an enlightened state of consciousness through a thorough detoxification of the body through a raw food diet or fasting. Basically, these are skin sounders. At the same time, they are trying to improve their health status.

Where to direct the feet of a modern sound person, burdened with a difficult task - to find the meaning of life? The system-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan gives a person with a sound vector answers to these and many other questions: the meaning of existence, life and death, consciousness and the unconscious.

At the training in system-vector psychology by Yuri Burlan, the meanings that have long tormented the soul of a sound engineer are revealed. As the training progresses, he begins to realize the whole community of the universe and his place in this community. It acquires meaning, the black hole in the soul gradually closes, the state of consciousness changes. The heart is filled with the joy of understanding life.

He begins to realize: who he is, where he came from and where he went all his unconscious life. The altered state of consciousness he desired also receives a new reading: what he did wrong and what mistakes he made. He is aware of himself!

He no longer needs meditation, affirmations, yoga, or religion. He knows who he is, he stops looking for answers on the Internet at night, because he has realized his nature, his true desires and shortcomings. And now it works consciously in the direction given to it by nature!

“…Today, thanks to Yuri Burlan's training, I don't use drugs at all. It's been eight months since the desire to do so has disappeared. I didn't force myself to refuse. The desire for drugs is gone. I found more interesting things that fill me up a lot deeper. Yes, there are also difficult conditions, but I already know how to cope with them without resorting to drugs.

If you study well and understand the subject, then a new worldview opens up, where you fit into this general system. I learned to focus on the psyche of another person - this work of the brain gives a change in consciousness. Its effect is incomparable to any other drug I have ever taken. If we talk about the pleasure of knowing yourself and others, then it is deeper and much longer and, most importantly, without side effects ... "
Evgeny V., Yekaterinburg

“... The system-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan opened this door for me, which I always wanted to look behind. I know the definition of this - the mental unconscious, that which controls us. I used to have some guesses about this, which did not have a definite form, but now they have been voiced, moreover, a whole system, a perfect cubic matrix, has opened up before me. And, finally, it became easier, calmer at heart. My sound emptiness began to be filled with great meanings, and desires rushed to new comprehensions ... "

The study of an altered state of consciousness is itself a science,because she studies data on the state of altered perception.

An altered state of consciousness is any state that differs significantly from the normal waking state of the beta brain wave rhythm. The expression was coined by Carlos Castanedo and describes induced changes in mental state, almost always temporary.

An altered state of consciousness can occur accidentally through indigestion, fever, sleep deprivation, starvation, lack of oxygen, nitrogen narcosis (deep diving) or a traumatic accident.
Sometimes it can be achieved intentionally, using sensory deprivation or mind control techniques, through meditation, prayers or disciplines (eg meditation, Sufism or Surat Shabda Yoga). Sometimes achieved through consumption.

Naturally occurring altered states of consciousness include dreams, lucid dreams, euphoria Yu, ecstasy, psychosis, as well as implied premonitions, out-of-body experiences, and channeling.

The question is, is it desirable to have such altered states of consciousness?

In modern psychology, one can find many discussions and discussions regarding the altered state of consciousness caused by meditation and contemplation. Significant research work, both in Eastern and Western scientific circles, is being carried out in this area.

The Western science of psychology defines altered states of consciousness (ASC) as states in which a person feels a qualitative (and probably also quantitative) shift in the structure of his mental functioning - both cognition and expression. Such a pattern can be clearly and clearly observed in his/her daily life by his/her close associates or in experimental conditions.
In fact, modern psychologists have documented hundreds of altered states of consciousness in addition to the three obvious ones: waking, sleeping, and dreaming.

There are hundreds of theories put forward to define consciousness, but none of them fully explain it, because it is not something physical, even if it manifests through the brain. In fact, the motor/sensory impressions of an infant, the first consciousness that humans understand, arises through the brain and nervous system. Modern science has begun to understand altered states of consciousness as a structured arrangement of brain cells and biochemical processes in the brain.

Can consciousness be measured in the brain?

Medical science has been able to measure consciousness as a product of brain activity. There are four levels of brain wave activity with the corresponding Greek letters for each: beta, alpha, theta and delta. An electroencephalogram (EEG) machine measures the activity of these brain waves.

Beta Level
The Beta Level defines our normal waking consciousness. Now 75% of the waking consciousness is consumed with the control of the physical functions of the body. The remaining 25% of beta states deal with the thinking and planning state of the mind. Brain waves ranging from 14 to 27 cycles per second.

Alpha Level
The alpha state is the “resting state” of the brain. This is a passive state when someone is not critical or analytical. Listening to music and relaxing is a reflex of this state. The person is aware of the irritant/excitatory factor. Mystical states of consciousness occur in the alpha state and they tend to occur before and immediately after sleep. The alpha state also occurs on a voluntary basis during light hypnosis, meditation, biofeedback, daydreaming, hypnagogic and hypnopompic states. Brain Waves Activity ranges from 8 to 13 cycles per second.

“If you feel like we live in a purely physical universe, you will see meditation as a good way to get consistent alpha brain wave structure.”

Richard Foster
A celebration of discipline

Theta level
Theta state is the "sleep state" of the conscious, which is open to intuition and inspiration. Now stimuli are often ignored in this state. Theta occurs during light sleep. It is available during biofeedback and meditation. During this level, the person is not aware of his surroundings. Wave activity of the brain ranges from 4 to 8 cycles per second.

“…almost every person has the potential, to some degree or another, to develop shamanistic abilities if he or she wishes to do so. Researchers ... found that the increase in brain waves to alpha and theta rhythms ... causes similar trances and visions.
Sara Belle Dougherty
(Music and art of healing)

Delta level
The lowest level of brain activity is the Delta state. In this state, a person is immune to any stimuli. The delta state usually occurs during deep sleep.
These four levels of brain wave activity enable science to understand the various components of consciousness.

LEFT BRAIN Logical - responsible for logical functions such as mathematics, calculations, inference Analyst - looks at things piece by piece and relates to small details Computational - uses sums and calculations to arrive at estimates Sequential - does everything one at a time factual - deals with details, elements, particulars, features of things Limited - works within the parameters of the individual's existing data

RIGHT BRAIN Figurative - responsible for imagination, visualization and unlimited creative thinking. Synthetic - organizes parts to form a whole; can perceive the whole Intuitive - uses intuition to feel or get a sense of a situation, (including guesswork) Holistic - performs various tasks at the same time things Visual / visual-spatial - uses images, colors; perceives shape and size unlimited - in contact with, and can connect to the unlimited "collective consciousness"

How does the brain work?

States of mind

When connected to an exposed electroencephalograph (EEG), brain waves can be measured in cycles per second (CPS). It is not so much a quantitative measure of mental activity as a state of mind. There are essentially four states - beta, alpha, theta and delta. Although these states were scientifically studied only with the advent of modern equipment, I was intrigued to unearth the mention of these four states in ancient oriental texts. It seems that some ancient societies have long known how to use the unlimited potential of the mind. But while in the past such knowledge was held by a privileged minority, today it has become more accessible and modernized by modern scientific knowledge.

At an average of 20 Hz, the beta state is the normal, everyday state of wakefulness. In this state, we are mainly involved in left brain activity. Lowering the brainwave frequency to about 15 cps brings us into the alpha state, and this is where the right brain activity comes into play. Even lower, theta and delta, but they do not concern us, since they are only available during sleep. Reducing frequency simply means reducing unnecessary stress and brain chatter. In addition to attracting creativity, it makes a person more alert, promotes clearer thinking, and gives mental abilities that beta levels do not provide. Although we are talking about lowering the frequency, the effect is greater in the altered state.

We are especially interested in the alpha state, since it is in this state that the right brain activity can take an active part. This state brings into our creative and creative abilities as well as our intuitive mind. This is the state in which ideas will flow more easily. In everyday life, we go through alpha at least twice a day - in the evening when we go to sleep and in the morning when we wake up. This explains why many of the best inventions were made early in the morning, or during a state of relaxation. Einstein came up with the theory of relativity not in his laboratory, but while sunbathing on a hillside. Although mathematics is predominantly a left brain activity, he took time to relax his mind and advised his students to do the same. Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Wolfgang Mozart, Einstein and other successful thinkers and geniuses use similar methods. Our goal, of course, is to receive alpha frequencies while in a state of absolute alertness. The alpha state does not put a person to sleep, on the contrary, it provides a whole range of benefits.

BENEFIT

The following are some of the main benefits of right brain activity in relation to personal human resource effectiveness:

1. Expanding creativity and imagination
The right brain can be thought to connect directly to the source of creativity, and the alpha state is therefore more conducive to innovative thinking and the generation of new ideas.

2. Troubleshooting and Troubleshooting
With a more relaxed mind and access to its vast creative resources, he is naturally better placed to deal with crisis and solve problems constructively.

3. Less stress
The alpha state has a built-in added benefit in that it actually releases accumulated stress and tension in both body and mind. In our hectic lives, it brings more harmonious working conditions at both micro and macro levels, with the resulting improvement in teamwork, reduced absenteeism, improved well-being and other long-term benefits.

4. Heightened intuition
Harvard research has shown that most presidents and CEOs of multinational companies attribute up to 80% of their success to intuition. Intuition - the legendary hunches and instincts of a seasoned businessman - can actually be a very important element in business. However, because it defies tangible description, intuition is almost never mentioned in conventional curricula, except in a few systems of mental dynamics. Open, correct thinking of the brain is very conducive to intuition, especially in deep alpha states.

5. Facilitated implementation of personality changes
Striving for personal effectiveness often involves making changes in tendencies/character or behavior, enhancing constructive traits and eliminating non-constructive traits, as previously described. Alpha - the state greatly facilitates these processes. During powerful workshops that promote change, I often find it helpful to induce alpha states to catalyze new awareness into deeper subconscious levels of synthesis.

6. Expanding the study / learning ability, as well as storing data in memory.
Another important advantage of correct brain models is that they greatly facilitate the process of learning and learning, as well as storing data in memory. This explains the effectiveness of accelerated learning methods.

7. Improve rapport and negotiation skills
Establishing relationships with others through meetings and negotiations can mean the difference between an agreement or no agreement, a deal or no deal. Even the most powerful NLP skills work better when the alpha state is available. The subject can then "lead and set the pace" by following suit, creating a resonant state of mind that is suited to better bilateral agreement.

8. Other Mind Skills
Perhaps the most prominent applications of right brain methodology lie in the use of special techniques that present new, often surprising possibilities. testing" concepts. Here are some of the applications reportedly being experienced around the world by light and sound users. The advantage of these light and sound tools is that they provide the practice of accessing a state of maximum performance at will, a state that is then gradually integrated into everyday life.

(Visited 3 581 times, 1 visits today)

ALTERED CONSCIOUSNESS

ALTERED CONSCIOUSNESS - a special state of consciousness, significantly different from the state that is considered normal for a person. All or almost all aspects of normal consciousness can be subjected to more or less profound changes, for example, the sensory image of the "I" typical of it as a set of ordinary sensations of one's own body, together with the boundaries of the body and its scheme. The “I-concept” of a person, the usual image of the perceived world, the ratio of the world perceived and represented, orientation in time and space, the ability to give self-report in what is happening, to exercise self-control and self-regulation of behavior may change inadequately. There is an impressive variety of I.S. states, including hallucinations and pseudohallucinations, phenomena of derealization and depersonalization, multiple personality, sensory delusions, various mental automatisms, I.S. during sleep (normal or hypnotic), with somnambulism, and many others. A significant number of factors are known that cause I.S. For example, sleep as a special state of the body, as well as prolonged sleep deprivation, sensory deprivation, drugs, alcohol, increased or decreased pressure, mental trauma, etc. Not always the states of I.S. are a consequence, a manifestation of psychopathology. One can speak of psychopathology only when these states are not controlled by the individual, are persistent and do not disappear without special therapeutic intervention. In many cases, the state of I.S. are short-term and disappear without a trace along with the disappearance of the factor that caused them. Moreover, various methods are known that allow you to consciously, purposefully cause certain states of I.S. (yoga, autogenic training, S. Grof's method, based on the use of hyperventilation in combination with a certain musical effect). Found in the states of I.S. intellectual experience can be so unique that it has a strong impact on the person and her subsequent life (for example, prophetic dreams). The range of emotions experienced during IS is huge - from horror to ecstasy. For this reason, the known methods of calling I.S. they often try to make the individual a source of new creative abilities (Sri Auro-bindo and others). It is indisputable that I.S. - a sphere almost unexplored and mysterious. According to some researchers (S. Grof), accumulated in the process of studying I.S. facts are often completely inexplicable from the standpoint of established ideas about the consciousness of the individual, the forms of his interaction with the world, and may eventually lead to their radical changes.

The latest philosophical dictionary. - Minsk: Book House. A. A. Gritsanov. 1999

See what "ALTERED CONSCIOUSNESS" is in other dictionaries:

ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS- En.: Altered state of consciousness A simple, at first glance, concept. The rather simple definition of altered states of consciousness, proposed by Arnold Ludwig (Arnold Ludwig, 1969), to which Weitzenhoffer refers, does not pose any ... ... The New Hypnosis: Glossary, Principles and Method. Introduction to Ericksonian Hypnotherapy

The hero of N.V. Gogol's story "Notes of a Madman" (1834). The real source of the image of P. to a certain extent is Gogol himself. While studying at the Nizhyn Gymnasium, Gogol skillfully staged madness: according to N. Kukolnik, the reason for pretense ... ... literary heroes

AFFECT- (from lat. affectus state of mind), a term used to refer to phenomena in the field of feeling. The most ancient explanation of the word A. is found in Augustine, who equates it with the Latin perturbatio. So, in this sense, ... ... Big Medical Encyclopedia

I Dysphoria (dysphoria, Greek dysphoreō hard to endure, to be irritated) is a mood disorder with a predominance of sadly angry, gloomy dissatisfied, combined with irritability, aggressiveness, often fears. Occurs more frequently when... Medical Encyclopedia

The term K. R." refers to psychology. violations, the prevalence of which is limited to representatives of certain ethno-cultural groups and traditions. Both this term and the concept behind it are highly controversial and have been the subject of extensive discussions, since ... ... Psychological Encyclopedia

Nipah virus causes a severe illness characterized by inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or respiratory problems. The natural carrier of the virus are fruit bats from the Pteropodidae family. Contents 1 Disease outbreaks 2 ... Wikipedia

"F05" Delirium not caused by alcohol or other psychoactive substances- An etiologically non-specific syndrome characterized by a combined disorder of consciousness and attention, perception, thinking, memory, psychomotor behavior, emotions and sleep-wake rhythm. It can occur at any age, but more often after ... ... Classification of mental disorders ICD-10. Clinical descriptions and diagnostic instructions. Research Diagnostic Criteria

One of the most powerful areas of modern psychoanalysis, synthesizing the ideas of Otto Rank (birth trauma), the analytical psychology of Carl Gustav Jung, and the philosophical ideas of non-classical modern physics (see the ADDITIONAL PRINCIPLE) of Werner ... ... Encyclopedia of cultural studies

The possibilities of the human brain are not limited. Changing the state of consciousness can help in solving a variety of problems and get out of difficult situations!

In this article, you will find the experience of our reader, who uses a change in the state of consciousness to solve his problems¹.

“Earlier, when the Internet was not so accessible, I knew nothing about techniques, magic and other possibilities of the human psyche that affect self-development and can solve a variety of everyday and global tasks. I even suspected myself of mental abnormalities until, years later, I found an explanation for my abilities.

Now I understand how wishes come true. Vivid imagination, strong desire, lack of doubts and expectations, and some other points that you will learn about below - these are the main signs that the desire will be fulfilled.

How I got a camera at the age of eleven!

“I got a toy - a shiny metal box, the size and shape of a match. In my imagination, it was a camera, a through hole on the wide side served as a viewfinder, and a lever with a spring served as a shutter.

The imagination was so strong that I took pictures of everything for days on end and did not part with it for a minute! Then somehow I suddenly saw how my uncle came to visit us and brought me a gift - a camera!

Within a couple of days, my vision was exactly fulfilled.

The altered state of consciousness (this is exactly what happened to me) subsequently gave me exhaustive answers to my questions more than once!”

How changing the state of consciousness helped me in family life!

“My family life began to develop not quite successfully. One day, it seemed to me, there was an occasion to follow my wife, but since this case is unworthy and humiliating, a discussion flared up in my soul.

"Reason" pushed, and the mind held. This went on for several days, until one day I was transferred from the “here and now” state to another reality in which I was sneaking along some alleys and suddenly met my wife face to face around the corner!

I realized that she guessed why I was here.

I was seized with a sense of shame and disgrace, I was ready to fall through the ground! Returning back to the "here and now" with a feeling as if I had plunged into indecent mud, I said to myself: "I will never follow!" And as soon as I said this, an unknown force again took me to another reality.

There were no lanes there anymore, I found my wife with another, and my mind was clouded, in a blind rage I did what they give a life sentence for. Having recovered a little, I was horrified, not from what I saw, but from what I had become.

Returning to the “here and now” state, I again said to myself: “I will never follow!” With this, my internal discussion on this topic ended forever.

The altered state of consciousness brilliantly solved my problem!

After that, our family life suddenly improved, my wife gave birth to three children for me, and we really began to live happily.”

How did changing the state of consciousness help me solve an important problem?

“My sons were already in high school, we had to think about further education, the time has come when higher education became paid. Considering that I supported my family alone and was not very successful financially², the task was not solvable.

But in the soul there was hope, which gave rise to a firm belief in the solution of the problem.

The eldest son managed to finish college according to the Soviet system, and after serving in the army, working in production, he continued his studies by correspondence. The middle son entered the university, and all his meager savings went to his education, and relatives also helped.

The youngest son by that time was in the ninth grade. The boy was organized, in addition to the general education school, he attended an art school, a swimming pool, and did everything without our "pressure"! The question arose about how to be? The “treasury” is empty, and not to educate a capable boy is an unforgivable sin!”

Amazing answer!

“Once I was visiting my sister in the regional center, she worked as a head teacher in primary school. During the conversation, she remembered her friend, also the head of the educational department, but at the lyceum at the university.

Her acquaintance spoke with admiration about the idyll at the lessons, that the children were engaged from the first to the last minute of the lesson, and no one interfered with anyone. The teachers just “rested”!

I remembered my school years, when the poor teachers calmed us down for about ten minutes before starting the lesson. And during the lesson, someone was sure to launch something at someone or distract the diligent ones with shouts ...

Returning home, I was haunted by visions of a lyceum idyll for several days, until the thought suddenly flashed: “Why not try it?”

And again I found myself in a different reality, without a physical body, my spirit, my consciousness were present at the classes, I saw my son and his peers engaged in enthusiastic work, I saw how my son, after graduating from the lyceum, passed the unified national test with high scores, I saw how he was "automatically" enrolled in the university.

I was overwhelmed with a feeling of joy for my son, it became easy from the fact that the problem was solved.

Returning to the “here and now” state, still not calming down, I immediately called my sister asking if it was possible to enroll my son in this lyceum? A couple of weeks later, the head teacher of the lyceum decided to see my son, conduct an interview, and determine his potential.

More than once in my life I had to move from the “here and now” state to another reality, where I found solutions and answers. For me, this happened spontaneously and not consciously, but, as I learned later, this quality can be easily learned.

Vladimir Temirzhanov

Get your short and most important diagnosis in life for free! In it, you will learn about your destiny, your unique abilities and the business of your luck that will make you rich. To do this, just follow the link >>>

Notes and feature articles for a deeper understanding of the material

¹ Learn a simple and effective way to solve problems

I am glad to welcome the curious readers of our project, who, like me, are cramped within the framework of their usual thinking and want to further develop their personality. I propose to study the issue together: an altered state of consciousness - what it is, and what additional opportunities it reveals for a person. Since ancient times, magicians, alchemists, healers, astrologers have been interested in an altered state of consciousness. Nowadays, the topic has not lost its relevance: psychotherapists, hypnologists, and esotericists use it in their practice. As Albert Einstein wrote:

“No difficult situation can be overcome at the level of consciousness at which it arose.”

To begin with, I want to tell you a real story on behalf of the esoteric Sergey:

At the age of 11, I fell in a gym class and hit my head painfully. Subsequently, I was haunted by severe headaches, dizziness, nausea, and sleep disturbances. Doctors diagnosed a concussion and prescribed a large number of medications. Over time, the pains periodically recurred, I didn’t want to “sit on pills”, I just had to endure. At the age of 18, when I became interested in esoteric and spiritual practices, I was lucky to meet an experienced mentor. He taught me the technique of reviewing past events in a state of meditation in order to identify and eliminate the cause of what happened.

In a meditative state, I began to remember and, as it were, replay the events of 7 years ago in reverse. I saw that during the fall, not only did my leg unfortunately twist, but also another phenomenon. At that moment, something like an energy cord extended to my head from above. I would not be able to recognize this in the usual state of consciousness. Being in meditation, I managed to break the connection with the source of pain by an effort of will and imagination. It turns out that in a state of altered consciousness, I got rid of an illness that doctors could not cope with in 7 years.

The concept of an altered state of consciousness

To understand what an altered state of consciousness is, we first turn to authoritative scientific sources. Let's open the all-knowing Wikipedia and treatises on psychology. An altered state of consciousness (ASC) is a qualitative transformation of the subjective experiences and psychological functioning of an individual in comparison with certain norms of behavior, fixed by him or by outside observers. Subjective experiences are unique individual features of thinking and perception of the surrounding world by each person.

Altered states of consciousness, which are of a short-term nature and arise naturally, are inherent in the psyche of healthy people. ASC in sleep is a physiological need of the human body. And now I propose to do without abstruse terms and formulate a more accessible definition. Altered consciousness is a state in which there are significant changes in the thinking and worldview of a person, in his physical and emotional sensations, in behavior and intellectual abilities. In my opinion, it sounds simpler and clearer. Altered states of consciousness are divided into:

• spontaneously occurring as a result of physical activity, listening to monotonous speech or music, experiencing stress or feeling acute pain;
• artificially induced by taking psychotropic drugs or by changing the respiratory rhythm;
• psychotechnically conditioned accompany hypnotic trance, meditation, religious rituals.

Trance state of consciousness: how to enter

One of the types of ASC is a trance state of consciousness. It is generally accepted that trance refers to the area of ​​supernatural manifestations of the human psyche. In fact, you and I experience a state of light trance almost daily, without even noticing it. Recall how you felt when you:

• passionate about an interesting book or movie;
• listening to your favorite music;
• “automatically” follow a familiar route or drive a car along an empty road, while mentally immersed in yourself;
• are in a state of emotional or mental stress;
• doing art or other favorite thing;
• experience euphoria from traveling to other cities and countries, from contemplating works of art;
• go in for sports, dance.

In all these cases, our consciousness concentrates on a single sensation or thought and is disconnected from the "insignificant" surrounding reality. The state of deep trance, otherwise called "the highest degree of awareness" is achieved through meditation or hypnotic exposure.

Varieties of an altered state of consciousness

Learning theory is great! But I believe that any phenomenon is easier to comprehend if we consider specific thematic examples and delve into their essence. Forms of altered states of consciousness:

1. Hypnotic influence - ASC that occurs as a result of the purposeful influence of a hypnotist or through self-hypnosis. It has an intermediate position between wakefulness and sleep. In a state of hypnotic trance, a person is able to remember and rethink the events of past years, get rid of psychological trauma, gain control and get rid of addictions.
2. Sleep as an altered state of consciousness is the only natural way provided by human physiology. In the process of sleep, all organs and resources of the body are restored. In a dream, a person can literally see the solution to his problem.
3. Meditation is the process of gradual relaxation of the physical body with concentration of attention on the sensations of one's body, one's own breathing, or on a specific object. As a result, the “unloading” of the mind from negative experiences, an uncontrolled flow of abstract thoughts, irritants of the surrounding world takes place. In a state of meditation, a person is able to mentally ask a question in the surrounding space and get an answer to it.
4. The impact of psychotropic substances. It's no secret that alcohol, nicotine, narcotic substances in the most detrimental way affect the human body. First of all, brain cells are destroyed, therefore, a person's consciousness does not just change - it degrades to hallucinations and mental disorders.
5. Coma is one of the varieties of impaired consciousness, in which a person has no connection with the surrounding reality, mental activity stops. It occurs as a result of severe brain damage due to injuries, inflammatory processes, poisoning.
6. "Shaman's Journey" is an ancient way to comprehend parallel levels of reality, located beyond the limits of perception of physical senses. It implies moving to a different energy spectrum. The experience and knowledge accumulated in an altered state of consciousness contribute to new and unusual insights in the spiritual search and help in solving the problems of a person's daily life.
7. Pathological state of a person. The state of altered consciousness is observed due to prolonged starvation, dehydration, lack of sleep or complete lack of sleep, elevated body temperature.

Positive and negative aspects of entering the ASC

Altered states of consciousness and ways of entering them have a beneficial effect on a person only if they occur naturally and have a positive effect on physical and mental health. The state of light trance from sports, creativity or connection with nature allows you to get rid of negative experiences and stress. Thus, attention is switched from adverse circumstances to another area of ​​perception, where the human psyche relaxes.

The state of altered consciousness through deep sleep, meditation or hypnosis allows people to draw information from their subconscious. And you and I know that the human subconscious interacts directly with the energy-informational field of our universe. Thus, you yourself can get the information you are interested in, program the events of your life, and even get rid of ailments. In the event that a person tries to change his consciousness with the help of alcoholic or narcotic substances, the result of such experiments will be tragic. At first, a person will feel an incredible expansion of consciousness and see the versatility of the universe in the brightest colors. It will seem to him that he has risen above the "gray routine", that the level of his intellect is many times higher than the level of "primitive people".

All this is temporary and ends with the complete decomposition of the individual. I humbly apologize for such a comparison, but to expand your consciousness and comprehend the secrets of the universe through the use of "drugs" is the same as trying to keep warm in the cold by pissing in your pants. It will be warm for a couple of minutes, but then ... The use of narcotic substances is justified only in the case of drug anesthesia of the patient during surgery.

How to enter an altered state of consciousness

Well, let's get down to practice! In order to master the ways of entering an altered state of consciousness, it is necessary to learn how to change the wave vibrations of the brain. Brain rhythms are directly related to the processes in our mind. There are 4 levels of brain radiation:

1. Beta Wave is the natural state of waking consciousness. The frequency range of brain radiation ranges from 14 to 37 rhythms per second. The respiratory rate is 12 to 18 breaths per minute.
2. Alpha Wave - a passive state of rest of the brain. Rhythm, commensurate with meditative and hypnotic trance, day dream. The frequency of brain radiation is from 8 to 13 oscillations. The respiratory rate is 7 to 11 breaths per minute.
3. Theta Wave - a state of REM sleep: mental images rise above the level of our subconscious. Access to supernatural experiences and visual perception of images outside of everyday reality is opened. The level of "Shaman Journey", the feeling of unity with the universe. The frequency of brain radiation - from 5 to 7 rhythms, breathing - from 5 to 6 breaths.
4. Delta Wave - a state of deep sleep when a person is under general anesthesia or unconscious. It is characterized by immunity to any irritants. The frequency of brain radiation is from 0.6 to 5 oscillations. The respiratory rate is extremely low - from 2 to 5 breaths per minute.

And now - the most interesting!

Ways to enter an altered state of consciousness:

1. Feel a deeper level of inner silence when you are in a quiet, private environment and close your eyes. You move away from the sounds and phenomena of the world around you. Feel the relaxation of the muscles of the body, focus on pleasant images. Do not try to abruptly stop the flow of thoughts: this can cause a reaction that is the opposite of relaxation. Take the position of an observer of your thoughts, do not try to evaluate them. Create a stream of smoothly flowing consciousness in your head. Now you are ready to move from the harsh everyday materiality to a more subtle worldview.
2. From the entire thought flow, choose the image that is most attractive and interesting to you. After making sure that the chosen image is the most harmonious for you at the moment, start wrapping it in layers of thought forms. The finally formulated thought-form will give you the feeling of a complete internal merging of images and feelings with the information field of the universe. (A thought-form is an independent living structure created by a person's thoughts. It already exists in the astral world, but has not yet been embodied on the material level. A person generates it with his imagination and feeds it with personal energy).
3. Now look around and feel the psychological area that you have created. Under the condition of the highest concentration on the selected object, you will feel how your concentration smoothly moves into a kind of “parallel” space. Don't try to catch the details. Calmly follow the flow. In case you have a feeling of fear or discomfort, loosen your psychological concentration. Get distracted by the details of the physical world. Gradually and carefully adjust to the changes that are taking place.

In conclusion, I express my sincere gratitude to like-minded readers for your interest and desire for self-improvement. I am glad that together we are on the way to knowing the secrets of the universe and the amazing possibilities of man. An altered state of consciousness can provide answers to pressing questions regarding everyday problems, spiritual search, and also teach a person to materialize his desires. Mahatma Gandhi said a simple but brilliant phrase:

“If you want to change the world around you, first change yourself.”

In our project you will find a large number of fascinating and informative articles for the development of thinking, mental and creative abilities. The most important thing on the way to yourself is to meet yourself. Good luck!