10 Consciousness

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What causes us to sleep, dream, or even become hypnotized?

HOW DO DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS FUNCTION?

During minimal consciousness, we only dimly perceive the environment and might respond to a stimulus without full awareness of it (for example, during sleep).
During full consciousness, we are aware of our environment and of our own thoughts and mental state.
Self-consciousness is the highest level of consciousness; it enables us to reflect on our own identity.

The body’s circadian rhythm controls sleep patterns.
The sleep cycle consists of several stages. Stage one is a very short period characterized by slow breathing and irregular brainwaves, stage two is a brief period characterized by bursts of brain activity, and stages three and four are longer periods of deep sleep.
After we complete stage four sleep, we cycle back through stages three and two sleep and enter REM sleep, in which heart rate and breathing increase and brainwaves become fast and irregular.
This cycle occurs every 90 minutes throughout the night. Stages three and four sleep periods decrease in length and eventually disappear, while REM sleep periods lengthen over the course of the night.

Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness achieved through social interaction. It may cause dissociation, a split in consciousness that allows some simultaneous thoughts and behaviours to occur separately from others.
Meditation is a process by which people can achieve a state of deep mental calm through concentration or mindfulness.