Transcript Class 16 - Hypnosis and Drugs

Psychology 001
Introduction to Psychology
Christopher Gade, PhD
Office: 621 Heafey
Office hours: F 3-6 and by apt.
Email: [email protected]
Class WF 7:00-8:30 Heafey 650
On the Agenda
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Today, we’re going to discuss other forms of
altered consciousness outside of the world of
sleep. These forms of consciousness are…
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Hypnotic induced states of mind
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Self induced states of mind
We’re also going to discuss drugs and drug
induced states.
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Drug induced states
Hypnotism
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Hypnosis: a condition of increased suggestibility that
occurs in the context of a special hypnotist-subject
relationship.
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Hypnotized people are in a state of great suggestibility.
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Hypnotized individuals give off the perception of being in
a “sleep-like state”.
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Eyes often closed or only open a little
Slow, lethargic behavior
Brain waves of hypnotized individuals are reflective of
the brain waves of people in a normal state of
consciousness (less a few exceptions).
Franz Anton Mesmer
(1734-1815)
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First person to practice hypnotism.
In his work as a philosopher and physician, he found that,
when “mesmerized”, his patients were extremely open to
suggestion and could reduce their sense of pain.
Originally “mesmerized” people through the presentation of
a magnet that was waved back and forth in front of his
patients.
Mesmer later found that this same effect could be obtained
through the waving of his hand in a similar motion, which
led him to conclude that he was “magnetic”.
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Note: this is where we get the term “animal magnetism”.
Mesmer (cont.)
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Mesmer believed that this change in
consciousness was caused by unblocking
the flow of magnetic fluids.
Believed that only he, and other special individuals
were capable of “mesmerizing” (hypnotizing)
individuals.
Mesmer later went on to establish his own
“Magnetic Institute”.
He was eventually denounced as a fraud by the
French medical establishment.
What it takes to be hypnotized
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You need to believe that you can be
hypnotized
You need to be in a relaxed state, and in a
situation where there are no, or limited,
distractions
While the hypnotist is hypnotizing you, you
need to believe that you are being hypnotized
You’re more likely to be hypnotized, and the
effect will be much stronger if you are a
suggestible individual.
Let’s watch some examples of
hypnotism…
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11:50
What can hypnotism do?
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Reduce emotional reactions to situations, this will
result in a reduction in…
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Sense of pain
Tension
Lack of concentration
Small changes in stress related behaviors
Create posthypnotic suggestions
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A suggestion to do or experience something particular
after coming out of hypnosis.
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Note: Questions remain about how long the effects of these
posthypnotic suggestions last
Create hallucinations (while hypnotized)…maybe.
What can hypnotism not do?
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Improve our memories
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Repressed memories
Allow us to travel into our past to recover memories
Enhanced ability to learn information
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Cause us to have “supernatural” physical abilities.
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Note: hypnosis might be able to help increase our ability to
remember things a little if we struggle to recall/store information
due to emotional responses.
“stiff as a board”
“I command you to walk”
Do something that we wouldn’t do while in a normal
state of consciousness…. Maybe.
Other states of consciousness that
are similar to hypnotism
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Meditation
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Spiritual and social
separation from the body
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Calm, relaxed state that is
very similar to arousal level
of hypnotized individuals.
Trance dancing (raves)
Spiritual dance(s)
Drug induced states
Drug induced alterations in Consciousness
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Psychoactive drugs: chemicals that change perceptions and moods.
Psychoactive Drugs: Drugs that
Impact Levels of Consciousness
3 major categories
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Stimulants: drugs that excite neural activity & speed
up body functions, i.e. caffeine, nicotine,
amphetamines, and cocaine.
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Depressants: drugs that reduce neural activity arousal,
i.e. alcohol and tranquilizers.
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Hallucinogens: psychedelic drugs that distort
perceptions & evoke sensory images in the absence of
sensory input, i.e. LSD and MDMA.
Nicotine & Caffeine
Stimulants (Accelerate
• Cellular stimulants
our Consciousness)
• highly addictive, yet legal
• commercially endorsed and widely used on a daily basis
Amphetamine
• Enhances sensory nervous system (SNS) activity
• Prolonged stimulant effects in comparison to nicotine and caffeine
Cocaine
• This drug was originally as legal
as alcohol and caffeine
• Much, much stronger effects
• Also a local anesthetic
Depressants (Slow our
Consciousness)
Alcohol
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Relaxant: slows SNS activity upon
consumption
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Enhances the likelihood of any behavior,
(i.e. suppresses urges that may be inhibited
when not intoxicated)
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Disrupts laying down of recent memories
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Reduces self-consciousness and awareness
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A number of other side effects of alcohol
consumption are listed in the text
Tranquilizers (Benzodiazepines)
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Similar effects to alcohol, but much
stronger effects
Primarily used to as a relaxant
Depressants can be synergistic: the
sum of their effects is greater than
their individual effects, even lethal
Hallucinogens: LSD
(distorts our • Causes heightened awareness of sensory
stimuli, “internal stuff”, dreamlike
consciousness)
thoughts, distortions of perceptions,
perspective, hallucination, synesthesia
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Experience is highly susceptible to
effects of ‘set’ (one’s current mental
state) and ‘setting’ (external
environment)
MDMA (“ecstasy”)
Note: Hallucinogens might
provide an experience, but 1
use of some of these can
permanently kill off collections
of neurons, and repeated use
has been found to take out
entire brain regions.
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At lower doses, it increases physical
arousal (remember the Parkinson's
Disease patients)
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Produces hallucinations at higher doses
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Can destroy or damage axons
How do psychoactive drugs
impact neural functioning?
All of the drugs listed are typically associated with a release
of dopamine into the nervous system
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Note: This flood of dopamine into the nervous system is also
found in other addictive habits such as gambling, video
games, and any other “enjoyable” and addictive pleasure
In the long run, psychoactive drugs cause neuroadaptation:
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Tolerance – with regular use the brain starts making less of its
own endogenous version of the substance, which means that it
takes more of the drug to elicit the effects.
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Withdrawal – Sudden discontinuation of use results in a
dramatic deficit of the substance in the brain, which can cause
unpleasant sensations.
What did we learn today?
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We learned about a
number of altered states
of consciousness
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Hypnosis
Meditation and
spiritual/trance dances
Drugs and how they
change our consciousness
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This concludes our
coverage of the mind.
In the next class, we’ll
be having our second
exam.
So until then, enjoy
yourselves…
Preferably without
going into an altered
state of
consciousness.