Tart, Chapter 6; Altered States, Chapters 1 and 3

One question that arose while I was reading this chapter was about medications that are a part of your daily life, like antidepressants and antipsychotics. Antidepressants add serotonin and other chemicals to the brain and antipsychotics modify neurotransmitters in the brain. These drugs are obviously used to treat patients' mental health, but since people take these drugs that change the chemical make-up in their brain, does that mean they are in an altered state of consciousness while on medicine? Or, after being on medication for a long period of time, does that "altered" state become their conscious state? And were they to stop taking medication, would their natural state (sans medication) become an altered state of consciousness?

Another point brought to my attention while reading was one of my own altered states of consciousness that could probably be considered some type of dissociation. Whenever I have an assignment like this, where I have to read about something and then write about it, I normally don't immediately delve into writing about what I just read. Generally, I lie down, make myself think about the subject, and relax. Sometimes I lie there for 20 minutes, sometimes an hour or two. My mom accuses me of sleeping, but I'm not because I am aware of what's going on around me, but I am much less concerned about it as if I were sleeping. When I "wake-up", I always have a clear understanding of what I was pondering. I always thought this process was weird, but now I understand I am putting myself into an altered state of consciousness to sort out my thoughts on what I am studying.

One altered state discussed caught my attention because a Tai Chi class I am also taking this semester. This altered state comes from the right and left brain hemispheres either working together or shifting more use to the right hemisphere. My Tai Chi teacher constantly talks about how Tai Chi forces both hemispheres to work together, which is why it can be so difficult. When Tai Chi is done properly, you supposedly reach an altered state of consciousness. I just began the class so I'm obviously not there yet, but I think these two classes are probably good to take in conjunction with one another!