Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1966 Ludwig ALtered States of Consciousness Haiti
1966 Ludwig ALtered States of Consciousness Haiti
lowing bilateral cataract operations17 or tions (ie, dreamy and dissociative possession
profound immobilization in a body cast or states), berzerk, latah, and whitico psy¬
by traction.18 They may also occur in patients choses,36 bewitchment and demoniacal pos¬
with poliomyelitis placed in a tank-type session states,34,37"39 and acute psychotic
respirator,19 in patients with polyneuritis states, such as schizophrenic reactions.
which is causing sensory anesthesias and C. Increased Alertness or Mental Involve¬
motor paralyses,18 and in elderly patients ment.—Included under this category are
with cataracts.20 Descriptions of more mental states which appear to result
esoteric forms of ASCs can be found in primarily from focused or selective hyper-
references to the healing and revelatory states alertness with resultant peripheral hypoalert-
during "incubation" or "temple sleep" as ness over a sustained period of time.
practiced by the early Egyptians and Such ASCs may arise from the following
Greeks 21 and "kayak disease," occurring in activities : prolonged vigilance during sentry
Greenlanders forced to spend several days ; prolonged observation
in a kayak while hunting seals.22
duty or crow's watch 40·41
of a radar screen 13 ; fervent praying ;
B. Increase of Exteroceptive Stimulation intense mental absorption in a task, such
and/or Motor Activity and/or Emotion.— as reading, writing, or problem solving ;
Under this category are included excitatory total mental involvement in listening to a
mental states resulting primarily from dynamic or charismatic speaker 42 ; and even
sensory overload or bombardment, which from attending to one's amplified breath
may or may not be accompanied by stren¬ sounds,43 or the prolonged watching of a
uous physicial activity or exertion. Profound revolving drum, metronome, or stroboscope.
more aware of the importance of the sub¬ With all these factors operating, a mono-
jective state to account for many of the motivational or "supramotivational" state is
phenomena observed in hypnotized persons. achieved in which the person strives to
Orne, for example, stated that "an impor¬ realize in behavior the thoughts or ideas
tant attribute of hypnosis is a potentiality for which he experiences as subjective reality.
the subject to experience as subjectively real The subjective reality may be determined
suggested alterations in his environment by a number of influences working individual¬
that do not conform with reality." 5(p 237) ly or in concert, such as the expectations
Sutcliffe adds that "the distinguishing fea¬ of the authority figure, the group, culture.
ture of this state is the hypnotized subject's or even by the "silent inner voice" (eg, dur¬
emotional conviction that the world is as ing autohypnotic states, prayer, auditory
suggested by the hypnotist, rather than hallucinations, guiding spirits) expressing
a pseudoperception of the suggested the person's own wishes or fears.
world." 73<p 200> When a person lapses into certain other
In attempting to account for the dramatic ASCs, such as panic, acute psychosis, toxic
feature of hypersuggestibility, I believe that delirium, etc, where external direction or
a better understanding of this phenomenon structure is ambiguous and ill-defined, the
can be gained through an analysis of some person's internal mental productions tend
of the subjective features associated with to become his major guide for reality and
ASCs in general. With the recession of a play a large role in determining behavior.
person's critical faculties there is an at¬ In these instances, he is much more suscep¬
tendant decrease in his capacity for reality tible to the dictates of his emotions and the
testing or his ability to distinguish between fantasies and thoughts associated with them
subjective and objective reality. This, in than to the direction of others.
turn, would tend to create the compensatory
need to bolster up his failing faculties by Functions of ASCs
seeking out certain props, support, or Now that we have considered certain
guidance in an effort to relieve some of the characteristics associated with ASCs, we
anxiety associated with the loss of control. might raise the question whether they serve
In his attempt to compensate for his failing
any useful biological, psychological, or social
critical faculties, the person comes to rely functions for man. It is my thesis that the
more on the suggestions of the hypnotist,
very presence and prevalence of these states
shaman, demagogue, interrogator, religious in man 71 attests to their importance in his
healer, preacher, or doctor, all representing everyday functioning. I find it difficult to
omnipotent authoritative figures. With the accept, for example, that man's ability to
resolution of emotional conflict (eg, fugues, the healing through prayer and meditation,
cures by the "healing touch," the laying on
amnesias, traumatic neuroses, depersonaliza-
tion, and dissociation) ; (b) defensive func¬ of hands, encounters with religious relics,
tions in certain threatening situations spiritual healing, spirit possession cures,
conducive to the arousal of anxiety (eg, exorcism, mesmeric or magnetic treatment,
and modern day hypnotherapy are all ob¬
lapsing into hypnoidal states during psycho¬
therapy 7e) ; (c) a breakthrough of forbidden vious instances of the role of ASCs in treat¬
impulses (eg, acute psychotic and panic re¬ ment.21
actions) ; (d) escape from responsibilities Pharmacologically induced ASCs have al¬
and inner tensions (eg, narcotics, marihuana, so played a major role in the
healing arts.
alcohol) ; (e) the symbolic acting-out of Abreactive or cathartic techniques, employ¬
unconscious conflicts (eg, demoniacal pos¬ ing peyote, ether, COo amytal, methamphet-
session, bewitchment 37"39) ; (/) the manifes¬ amine, and LSD-25 have all had wide use
tation of self-destructive tendencies (eg, rage in psychiatry.23·78 Kubie and Margolin 79·80
reactions on the battlefield, instances of voo¬ have also commented on the therapeutic
doo death"); (g) the manifestation of value of certain drugs to induce temporary
organic lesions or neurophysiological dis¬ dissociation and relieve repression.
turbances (eg, auras, toxic conditions) ; and Perhaps unrelated to the specific effects
(h) an inadvertent and potentially dangerous of ASCs in treatment are the nonspecific
response to certain stimuli (eg, highway effects of certain other alterations in con¬
hypnosis, radar screen and sentry duty sciousness which aid in maintaining psychic
trance). equilibrium and health. For example, sleep,
B. Adaptive Expressions.—Man has em- traditionally regarded as The Great Healer,
logical and psychological functions for vantage point, possession by one of the
man.81 The ASC associated with sexual tribal or local deities or Holy Spirit during
orgasm might be considered as another bene¬ a religious ceremony would allow him to
ficial mental alteration which not only has attain high status through fulfilling his cult
biological survival value as a positive rein¬ role, gain a temporary freedom of responsi¬
forcement for the sexual drive but also bility for his actions and pronouncements,
serves as an outlet for numerous human de¬ or enable him to act out in a socially sanc¬
sires and frustrations. tioned way his aggressive and sexual con¬
2. Avenues of New Knowledge or Experi¬ flicts or desires.82 Tensions and fears are
ence : Man often has sought to induce ASCs dissipated, and a new sense of spiritual
in an effort to gain new knowledge, inspira¬ security and confidence may supplant the
tion, or experience. In the realm of religion, despair and hopelessness of a marginal
intense prayer, passive meditation, revelatory existence.83
and prophetic states, mystical and trans¬ From society's standpoint, the needs of
cendental experiences, religious conversion, the tribe or group are met through its
and divination states have served man in vicarious identification with the entranced
opening new realms of experience, reaffirm¬ person who not only derives individual satis¬
ing moral values, resolving emotional con¬ faction from divine possession but also acts
flicts, and often enabling him to cope better out certain ritualized group conflicts and
with his human predicament and the world aspirations, such as the theme of death and
about him. It is also interesting to note that resurrection, cultural taboos, and so
among many primitive groups, spirit posses¬ on 24,28-30,83,84 Moreover, the dramatic be¬
sion is believed to impart a superhuman havioral manifestations of spirit possession
knowledge which could not possibly be serve to convince the participants of the
gained during waking consciousness. Such continued personal interest of their gods,
paranormal faculties as superlative wisdom, reaffirm their local beliefs, allow them to
the "gift of tongues," and clairvoyance are exert some control over the unknown, en¬
supposedly demonstrated during the pos¬ hance group cohesion and identification, and
session fit.29 endow the utterances of the entranced per¬
ASCs appear to enrich man's experiences son, shaman, or priest with an importance
in many other areas of life. The intense they might otherwise not have if spoken in
esthetic experience gained while absorbed an ordinary setting. In general, the existence
sleep, passive meditation or drug intoxica¬ these states may serve as adaptive or mal-
tion.46 adaptive outlets for the expression of a
3. Social Function: ASCs occurring in multitude of man's passions, needs and de¬
a group setting seem to serve many in¬ sires. Moreover, there is little question that
dividual and social needs. Although a brief we have hardly scratched the surface in
discussion cannot do justice to the wide understanding fully the facets and functions
variety of functions which ASCs serve for of ASCs. As a final note, I should like to
various cultures, we can at least mention quote the very pertinent remarks of William
James. 67(pp 378"379>
a few.
If we may employ spirit possession as a Our normal waking consciousness
. ... is but
special type of consciousness, whilst all about it,
paradigm for the potential value of ASCs, one
. .