Consciousness is the awareness of the sensations, thoughts and feelings being experienced at a given moment.
States of consciousness
Waking
Sleeping
Hypnotic Altered State of Consciousness
Drug induced
Waking consciousness, we are awake and aware of our thoughts, emotions, and perceptions.
Hypnosis – trancelike state heightened susceptibility to the suggestions of others. It appears they are asleep. People do not lose all will of their own when hypnotized. They will not perform antisocial behaviours, and they will not carry out self-destructive acts. People will not reveal hidden truths about themselves, and they are capable of lying. Moreover, people cannot be hypnotized against their will – despite popular misconceptions.
Meditation – is a learned technique of the ancient Eastern religion of Zen Buddhism to achieve greater spiritual insight. It is a technique for refocusing attentions that brings about an altered state of consciousness. It typically consists of the repetition of a mantra – a sound, word or syllable – over and over. In other forms, the focus is on a picture, flame, or specific part of the body.
Levels of Altered Consciousness
Level of consciousness (LOC) is a measurement of a person's arousability and responsiveness to stimuli from the environment. A mildly depressed level of consciousness may be classed as lethargy; someone in this state can be aroused with little difficulty. People who do not respond quickly with information about their name, location, and the time are considered "obtuse" or "confused". Some scales have "delirious" below this level, in which a person may be restless or agitated and exhibit a marked deficit in attention. A somnolent person shows excessive drowsiness and responds to stimuli only with incoherent mumbles or disorganized movements. People who are obtunded have a more depressed level of consciousness and cannot be fully aroused. Those who are not able to be aroused from a sleep-like