Very near to the clearly defined boundaries of human consciousness is the area, concealing a lot of unknown and unusual.Altered states of consciousness are the sanctuary area of human mental activity, which even at the present stage of development of the science of psychology is an uncultivated virgin soil.The functions and the nature of this phenomenon, despite the abundance of clinical and experimental data are still not thoroughly understood.Dreams and dreams, sleep and drowsiness, hypnosis and hypnotic state, sensory deprivation and historical state of dissociation, depersonalization, pharmacologically induced mental disorders, and others., With a clear natural origin, presented not as embodiments of manifestation of something in common, but as a separate phenomenon.In each case the processing of the material yielded findings that have application value and practical application.
Attempts to systematize and organize in a clear system of all the accumulated material was done over the years is so small that all of the research in this area bordering of discovery.
Before proceeding to the study of the concept of "altered states of consciousness" is to understand what is for us the most important thing as philosophy and psychology - consciousness.First of all, it means the ability to perfectly reproduce reality, using specific forms and mechanisms at different levels of reflection.Consciousness can manifest as an individual (private) and public phenomenon.An attempt to systematize the knowledge of the mind carried Sigmund Freud.It is a clear hierarchical system has played an important role in the development of human knowledge in this area, but at the present stage, even it shows inconsistency in many areas and requires radical improvement.
state of consciousness is clearly fixed, but nevertheless it may undergo a number of changes are at different levels of states.The most familiar and commonplace - it's waking consciousness, to accompany us in everyday affairs, concerns, and even on vacation.What follows is a dream.This is the only natural state of altered consciousness, which not only accompanies an important physiological process of the body's recovery, but also puts a person into the world of dreams.
special form snovidnogo a hypnotic state, there can be in the consciousness of the subjective imagination.Artificially induced hypnotic altered states of consciousness are forced to be human poluprobuzhdennom state, which is accompanied by flashes of intensification of consciousness.
strong shock, stress, mental crisis, emergencies, and even anger or fear can trigger the occurrence of the state when the mind is subject to a certain power.The advent of changes in the nature of sensations, feelings and behaviors may signal that changes the state of consciousness.
As a result, some have managed to produce some systematization of the typology of these phenomena.Altered states of consciousness are the first group to evoke.For their appearance is necessary to substance use (eg, psychedelics) contained in hallucinogenic mushrooms, dope, marijuana, and so on. They can also appear under the influence of certain procedures (touch deprivatsiyay, holotropic breathing).The next group were merged due to psycho conditions arising during religious ceremonies, autogenous training, lucid dreaming, hypnotic trance, meditative action.There is also a group of spontaneously occurring in normal conditions.The reason can serve as a significant stress, listening to music, sports game.
study of this issue is essential for anthropology, psychiatry, clinical, and Transpersonal Psychology.
