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| Towards Unconsciousness |
Towards Unconsciousness
An examination of unconscious states can help to provide a clearer understanding of consciousness.
To be conscious is to be aware of your surroundings, capable of thought, able to exert your reasoning powers, and capable of experiencing physical and emotional sensations. In contrast, when you are fully unconscious you are no longer aware of yourself or your surroundings, and you are unable to respond to environmental stimuli.
A loss of consciousness is often a symptom of a serious condition such as restricted flow of blood to the brain, or physical brain damage. Some common causes of unconsciousness include poisoning, hypothermia (too cold), hyperthermia (too hot), stroke, shock, epilepsy, electric shock, diabetic coma, drug overdose, heart problems, and a blow to the head.
A period of unconsciousness can vary from just a few seconds after a fainting spell, to a permanent coma after a traumatic head injury. On arousal, an unconscious person passes through a period of confusion before becoming fully conscious. The longer a victim has been unconscious, the longer the period of confusion tends to last.
States of reduced consciousness
There are a number of intermediate conditions in which a person, while not unconscious, is in a reduced state of consciousness. Here is a list of some conditions that are associated with a state of reduced consciousness:
1. Drowsiness – A person is awake but has lost any sense of focus and is about to fall asleep.
2. Meditation – A person deliberately puts his/her brain in a state somewhere between consciousness and sleep. The brain is trained to ignore normal sensations from the environment.
3. Confusion – A person is awake but disoriented. Responses to environmental stimuli are inappropriate. The person is bewildered, perplexed, and disoriented.
4. Amnesia – A person is unable to recall, part or all, of past experiences. Amnesia can result from a physical brain injury, emotional shock, or chemical damage to the brain.
5. Delirium – A person has diminished ability to pay attention; is confused, disoriented, and unable to think clearly. Delirium is not a disease but a set of symptoms that can result from a myriad of causes. The condition typically lasts from a few days to a few weeks.
6. Shock – A person experiences profound mental and physical depression resulting from a severe physical injury or emotional disturbance. Shock can reduce the flow of blood to the brain and cause fainting or prolonged unconsciousness.
7. Concussion – A concussion results from a minor blow to the head. The person may suffer a brief loss of consciousness, may be confused, headachy, abnormally sleepy, and forgetful. A concussion can affect memory, judgement, reflexes, speech, balance and co-ordination. These symptoms can last from a few hours to several days.
8. Dementia – A person experiences a gradual decline in mental ability in which memory, judgement, attention, and the ability to learn are impaired.
9. Amentia – A person is semi-conscious, disorientated, unable to speak, unable to move, and emotionally indifferent. Amentia is typically associated with reduced mental capacity.
10.Schizophrenia – Persons suffering from this disease often hear internal voices, are convinced that their opinions and beliefs are true despite evidence to the contrary, are easily distracted, and are unable to think in a logical fashion.
They are conscious but in many ways are disconnected from reality.
11.Drug overdose – A person can experience reduced consciousness due to an overdose of drugs or intoxicants. A variety of drugs can interrupt normal brain function and produce altered mental states. The effects may be temporary or permanent.
States of unconsciousness
There are also a variety of states in which a person is actually unconscious, for at least a brief period of time. Persons are unconscious when their consciousness is completely disabled. At least enough of their subconscious mind has to remain functioning in order to keep their bodies alive (managing blood circulation, breathing, and digestion) but they are not responsive to external stimuli.
Here is a list of some conditions that are associated with a state of unconsciousness:
1. Sleep – During normal sleep the body and mind are without ordinary consciousness. Sleeping individuals either awake spontaneously after a few hours, or can be aroused by physical stimulation. (Sleep will be considered in more detail in the next section.)
2. Hypersomnia – This is an excessively long or deep sleep. Awakening a person in hypersomnia requires energetic stimulation, but the person can still function normally when awake.
3. Stupor – Someone in a stupor is experiencing a very deep sleep and can only be temporarily aroused by energetic stimulation. When in a stupor, you are still sensitive to pain.
4. Catatonia – Catatonia is a syndrome characterized by periods of physical rigidity, negativism, and excitement, followed by stupor.
5. Anesthesia – Drugs, neurological disease, or paralysis can produce a state of anesthesia. While anesthetized, an individual is unresponsive to touch, cold, or pain. Under general anesthesia, there is a loss of feeling in the whole body and the person is unconscious.
6. Cerebral contusions (brain bruises) and lacerations (brain tearing) – A serious head injury has rendered the individual unconscious. This type of damage can be permanent and the victim may remain in a comatose state.
7. Coma – A person in a coma appears to be in a deep sleep. However, the person is completely unconscious, cannot be aroused, and is not sensitive to pain. A coma is usually associated with a serious medical condition.
There is a range of states between full consciousness and complete unconsciousness.
To be fully conscious you need to be healthy, wide-awake, attuned to your environment, and fully focused. For clear thinking, full consciousness is your obvious first choice, although there are some who advocate using meditation to assist with clear thinking under some conditions.
An examination of unconscious states can help to provide a clearer understanding of consciousness.
To be conscious is to be aware of your surroundings, capable of thought, able to exert your reasoning powers, and capable of experiencing physical and emotional sensations. In contrast, when you are fully unconscious you are no longer aware of yourself or your surroundings, and you are unable to respond to environmental stimuli.
A loss of consciousness is often a symptom of a serious condition such as restricted flow of blood to the brain, or physical brain damage. Some common causes of unconsciousness include poisoning, hypothermia (too cold), hyperthermia (too hot), stroke, shock, epilepsy, electric shock, diabetic coma, drug overdose, heart problems, and a blow to the head.
A period of unconsciousness can vary from just a few seconds after a fainting spell, to a permanent coma after a traumatic head injury. On arousal, an unconscious person passes through a period of confusion before becoming fully conscious. The longer a victim has been unconscious, the longer the period of confusion tends to last.
States of reduced consciousness
There are a number of intermediate conditions in which a person, while not unconscious, is in a reduced state of consciousness. Here is a list of some conditions that are associated with a state of reduced consciousness:
1. Drowsiness – A person is awake but has lost any sense of focus and is about to fall asleep.
2. Meditation – A person deliberately puts his/her brain in a state somewhere between consciousness and sleep. The brain is trained to ignore normal sensations from the environment.
3. Confusion – A person is awake but disoriented. Responses to environmental stimuli are inappropriate. The person is bewildered, perplexed, and disoriented.
4. Amnesia – A person is unable to recall, part or all, of past experiences. Amnesia can result from a physical brain injury, emotional shock, or chemical damage to the brain.
5. Delirium – A person has diminished ability to pay attention; is confused, disoriented, and unable to think clearly. Delirium is not a disease but a set of symptoms that can result from a myriad of causes. The condition typically lasts from a few days to a few weeks.
6. Shock – A person experiences profound mental and physical depression resulting from a severe physical injury or emotional disturbance. Shock can reduce the flow of blood to the brain and cause fainting or prolonged unconsciousness.
7. Concussion – A concussion results from a minor blow to the head. The person may suffer a brief loss of consciousness, may be confused, headachy, abnormally sleepy, and forgetful. A concussion can affect memory, judgement, reflexes, speech, balance and co-ordination. These symptoms can last from a few hours to several days.
8. Dementia – A person experiences a gradual decline in mental ability in which memory, judgement, attention, and the ability to learn are impaired.
9. Amentia – A person is semi-conscious, disorientated, unable to speak, unable to move, and emotionally indifferent. Amentia is typically associated with reduced mental capacity.
10.Schizophrenia – Persons suffering from this disease often hear internal voices, are convinced that their opinions and beliefs are true despite evidence to the contrary, are easily distracted, and are unable to think in a logical fashion.
They are conscious but in many ways are disconnected from reality.
11.Drug overdose – A person can experience reduced consciousness due to an overdose of drugs or intoxicants. A variety of drugs can interrupt normal brain function and produce altered mental states. The effects may be temporary or permanent.
States of unconsciousness
There are also a variety of states in which a person is actually unconscious, for at least a brief period of time. Persons are unconscious when their consciousness is completely disabled. At least enough of their subconscious mind has to remain functioning in order to keep their bodies alive (managing blood circulation, breathing, and digestion) but they are not responsive to external stimuli.
Here is a list of some conditions that are associated with a state of unconsciousness:
1. Sleep – During normal sleep the body and mind are without ordinary consciousness. Sleeping individuals either awake spontaneously after a few hours, or can be aroused by physical stimulation. (Sleep will be considered in more detail in the next section.)
2. Hypersomnia – This is an excessively long or deep sleep. Awakening a person in hypersomnia requires energetic stimulation, but the person can still function normally when awake.
3. Stupor – Someone in a stupor is experiencing a very deep sleep and can only be temporarily aroused by energetic stimulation. When in a stupor, you are still sensitive to pain.
4. Catatonia – Catatonia is a syndrome characterized by periods of physical rigidity, negativism, and excitement, followed by stupor.
5. Anesthesia – Drugs, neurological disease, or paralysis can produce a state of anesthesia. While anesthetized, an individual is unresponsive to touch, cold, or pain. Under general anesthesia, there is a loss of feeling in the whole body and the person is unconscious.
6. Cerebral contusions (brain bruises) and lacerations (brain tearing) – A serious head injury has rendered the individual unconscious. This type of damage can be permanent and the victim may remain in a comatose state.
7. Coma – A person in a coma appears to be in a deep sleep. However, the person is completely unconscious, cannot be aroused, and is not sensitive to pain. A coma is usually associated with a serious medical condition.
There is a range of states between full consciousness and complete unconsciousness.
To be fully conscious you need to be healthy, wide-awake, attuned to your environment, and fully focused. For clear thinking, full consciousness is your obvious first choice, although there are some who advocate using meditation to assist with clear thinking under some conditions.
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