Altered States of Consciousness

One of the fundamental ideas which underlies almost all of self-development is state control - the frame of mind you are in to do something. For example, you might have a creative state of mind when you need to think of solutions to a problem, a relaxed state of mind, an analytical state of mind and so forth.

The state you are in has been shown to be a function if the frequency at which the neurons in the brain fire electrically. There are four major groupings of frequency as described below. How that is interpreted is also a function of the types of neurotransmitter chemicals in between the neurons. The hormones of the Endocrine System transmit signals chemically to parts of the body not directly connected to nerves. The amounts of the chemicals in the system can affect the way that nervous responses are interpreted.

The most frequently referred to states of consciousness are:

Name	Frequency (Hz - Cycles/Second)	Good for:
Beta	30-14	Concentration on intense mental tasks - logical analysis, calculations
Alpha	13-9	Guided imagery, daydreaming
Theta	8-4	Creativity, deep unconscious imagery
Delta	3-1	Very deep relaxation - restorative sleep

Each state requires greater and greater levels of relaxation, except for Beta, which is our aroused, normal working state.

There are a number of approaches to move from one mental state to another. Some change in state can be achieved easily with suggestive words and using approaches like Neuro-Linguistic Programming™. For example, as you read these words remember a time you were truly happy, see exactly what you saw, feel exactly what you felt and hear what you heard, and make these bigger and bigger you will experience an altered state. Repeat this now and see how good the way you feel changes. More fundamental changes take longer and have been achieved using the following methods. The classical approach is Meditation which has been used, in one form or another, by all of the major spiritual traditions. Sometimes it takes the form of pure meditation, sometimes prayer, and sometimes hypnotic dance or chanting. A second, more recent approach is hypnosis. This approach uses guided imagery, confusion and suggestions of relaxation to change state. It can be done either with a hypnotist facilitating, or through the easily learned technique of self-hypnosis. Sensory deprivation tanks, also known as flotation therapy, provided another way of altering state. States of consciousness can be changed by pharmacological methods, such as the drug LSD and some natural substances which have traditionally been used in ancient practices like Shamanism. We recommend these are avoided. Mind machines, also known as sound and light devices (and the more expensive EEG machines used in EEG Biofeedback), are designed to accelerate the change of state. There are also some proprietary approaches, for example the Silva Mind Control Method, which views itself as an alternative to meditation. Once you have achieved a particular state, you can use techniques like the Neuro-Linguistic Programming™ technique of 'Anchoring' to re-access the state more easily.

  Ian Gregory, 2003