States of Consciousness: Models for Psychology and Psychotherapy (Emotions, Personality, and Psychotherapy)

Consciousness has always been a particularly elusive concept and one vigorously argued in the scientific community. This new volume takes on the task of defining normal and altered consciousness in their most relevant clinical terms. In **States of Consciousness, Andrzej Kokoszka expands on the pioneering work of J.H. Jackson, offering contemporary models for studying consciousness as it applies to both pathology and normal altered states, e.g., relaxation, sleep, meditation, and hypnosis. He makes clear distinctions between the neuroscientific and psychiatric components of consciousness; at the same time, his theories are rooted firmly in the biopsychosocial approach.** Highlights of the coverage: -Historical overview of studies of consciousness and its altered states -Evolutionary/dynamic model of consciousness and information processing, based on the structure and principles of cell behavior -Comparison of altered states of consciousness in healthy persons and patients with schizophrenia -New perspectives on the role of consciousness in pathology -Case illustration of altered states in a patient with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, integrating neurobiological, cognitive-behavioral, and psychodynamic data -Applications of the model in clinical practice **States of Consciousness lends itself to theoretical and practical, research and classroom use. It is relevant to a range of scientists and practitioners in cognition, clinical psychology, social psychology, and neuropsychology The book’s scope and the author’s attention to detail make it a work of great versatility, much like consciousness itself.** Cover Page......Page 1 States of Consciousness......Page 2 Title Page......Page 4 Preface......Page 7 Acknowledgments......Page 11 Permissions......Page 13 Contents......Page 15 Preface......Page 22 1. Philosophical Presumptions......Page 23 2. Consciousness, Self-Consciousness, and Awareness......Page 25 3.1. Altered States of Consciousness......Page 26 3.3. Mystical-Like States......Page 27 3.6. Current Meaning of the Term “Altered States of Consciousness”......Page 28 4.2. Superficially Altered States of Consciousness......Page 29 Preface......Page 31 1.1. Introduction......Page 32 1.2. History of Misperception of Jacksonian Theory by Psychiatry......Page 33 1.3. The Main Principles of the Neo-Jacksonian Theory of Mazurkiewicz......Page 34 1.4. Conclusions......Page 39 2.1. Introduction......Page 41 2.2. Metabolism of Information......Page 42 2.3. The Axiological Approach To Psychiatry According to Antoni Kepinski......Page 49 2.4. To Understand in Order to “Raise the Spirit”......Page 51 3. Constructivism......Page 53 4. Mindfulness......Page 55 5. Neuroimaging of States of Consciousness......Page 56 1. Altered States of Consciousness Are Common......Page 59 1.1. Hallucination Occurrence......Page 60 1.2. Mystical-Like States and Peak Experiences......Page 61 1.3. Hypnotic-Like Experiences......Page 62 1.5. The Altered States of Consciousness Occurrence......Page 63 2. Phenomenology of Altered States of Consciousness......Page 66 2.2. Superficially Altered States of Consciousness......Page 68 2.3. The Comparison of the Experiences Accompanying SASC and PASC......Page 75 3. The Contents of Experience Is Not Specific for Mental Disorders: Altered States of Consciousness Among Persons with Schizophrenia and Healthy Controls......Page 78 Preface......Page 82 1.1. Historical Background of ASC Investigations......Page 83 1.2. Conclusions from Researchers Investigating Altered States of Consciousness Mechanisms......Page 85 2.1. Classical Theories of Consciousness......Page 89 2.2. Contemporary Theories and Models of Consciousness......Page 94 3.1. The Common Views......Page 101 1.1. Introduction......Page 103 2.1. The Current Version of the Model of Information Metabolism......Page 107 3. Model of the Main Everyday States of Consciousness......Page 112 3.1. The Basic Rest–Activity Cycle......Page 113 3.2. An Integrated Model of the Main Everyday States of Consciousness......Page 121 4. An Evolutionary Leveled Model of the Main States of Consciousness......Page 123 4.1. The Main Levels of Psychical Organization......Page 124 4.2. Conception of Permanent Evolution and Dissolution According to the Metabolism of Information......Page 128 5.1. Main Ideas of the Psychodynamic Approach......Page 130 5.2. Structural Relations of Mental Personality in Model of Psychical Apparatus......Page 139 5.3. An Integrated Evolutionary-Psychodynamic Model of the Main States of Consciousness......Page 141 5.4. An Evolutionary-Psychodynamic Model of Information Metabolism......Page 145 5.5. Hypothesis of Mindfulness/Hypofrontality as the Means for the Achievement of the Higher States of Consciousness......Page 146 6.1. Contemporary Approaches in Clinical Psychopathology......Page 147 6.2. Personality: Its Features and Disorders......Page 150 6.3. Acute Mental Disorders......Page 153 7. Cognitive Extensions of the Model of States of Consciousness to the Main Psychopathological Conditions......Page 161 7.1. Outline of Rationale for the Diagnosis of Cognitive Structures in Clinical Disorders......Page 162 1.1. Introduction......Page 164 1.2. Relaxation as a Cultural Protective Mechanism of the BRAC and Information Metabolism......Page 165 1.3. Classification of the Relaxation Phenomena......Page 166 1.5. A Rationale for a Multileveled Model of Relaxation States......Page 169 1.6. Application of the Evolutionary Model in Relaxation......Page 170 1.7. Conclusions......Page 172 2.1. Introduction......Page 173 2.2. Philosophical Description of Value Experience......Page 174 2.3. Psychological Description of Value Experience......Page 176 2.4. The Characteristics of the Experience of Values According to the Evolutionary-Level Model of Mental Processes Organization and the Main Forms of Interpersonal Relations......Page 177 2.5. Threatening Simplifications......Page 181 2.7. Concept of Corrective Experience of Values in Psychotherapy and Results of Preliminary Research......Page 182 3.1. Introduction......Page 187 3.2. Psychodynamic-Cognitive Model of Information Metabolism......Page 188 3.3. The Strategy of Understanding the Experiences of the Other Person According to the Model of Information Metabolism......Page 190 Preface......Page 191 1. Introduction......Page 192 2. Mathematical, Computer Science, and Cybernetic Models......Page 194 3. Possibility of Modeling the Higher Mental Functions— a “Top-Down” Approach......Page 198 3.1. Physical and Topological Aspects of the Information Metabolism Theory......Page 199 3.2. Dynamics of Psyche in the Light of the Dynamical Systems Theory......Page 205 4. Neuronal System for Consciousness Dynamics......Page 212 5. Information Metabolism Structures......Page 216 6. Integrated Model of Mental Organization......Page 226 7. Summary......Page 227 References......Page 232 1. Introduction: Lack of Widely Useful Model for Psychotherapy......Page 237 1.1. Self-Organizing and Dynamically Changing Structure of Mental Processes......Page 238 1.3. Schema for Multiaxial Diagnosis for Psychotherapy According to Information Metabolism......Page 240 1.4. Assessment of Information Metabolism as a Potential Psychotherapeutic Diagnostic Supplement to DSM-IV......Page 242 2.1. Definitions of Trauma......Page 243 2.2. Current Knowledge on Mechanisms of Pathological Responses to Traumatic Events......Page 244 2.3. An Application of the Information Metabolism Model to a Comprehensive Synthesis of the Data on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder......Page 245 2.4. An Application of the Information Metabolism Model to a Multiaxial Psychotherapeutic Diagnosis—Case Study......Page 247 2.5. A Case Illustration of the Current Findings Dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder......Page 250 3. Conclusions......Page 251 Afterwords - Ineffable Features of States of Consciousness Modalities......Page 252 References......Page 254 Index......Page 276 Consciousness Has Always Been An Elusive Concept. This Work Takes On The Task Of Defining Normal And Altered Consciousness In Their Most Relevant Clinical Terms. It Offers Contemporary Models For Studying Consciousness As It Applies To Pathology And Normal Altered States. General Presumptions And Concepts Referring To Consciousness And Its Altered States -- Theoretical Inspirations -- The Variety Of Subjective Experience -- Research On Altered States Of Consciousness : Main Results And General Theories -- Models Of The States Of Consciousness And Information Metabolism -- Applications And Extensions Of The Models -- Information Metabolism In The Framework Of Exact Sciences / By Andrzej Bielecki -- Metabolisms Of Information As A Model For Multiaxial Psychotherapeutic Diagnosis -- Afterwords : Ineffable Features Of States Of Consciousness Modalities. By Andrzej Kokoszka ; With Chapter By Andrzej Bielecki. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. States of Consciousness expands on the pioneering work of J.H. Jackson, offering contemporary models for studying consciousness in both pathology and normal altered states, including relaxation, sleep, meditation, and hypnosis. The author clarifies distinctions between the neuroscientific and psychiatric components of consciousness; at the same time, his theories are rooted firmly in the biopsychosocial approach. The books scope and the authors attention to detail make it a work of great versatility. "In States of Consciousness, Andrzej Kokoszka expands on the pioneering work of J.H. Jackson, offering contemporary models for studying consciousness as it applies to both pathology and normal altered states, e.g., relaxation, sleep, meditation, and hypnosis. He makes clear distinctions between the neuroscientific and psychiatric components of consciousness; at the same time, his theories are rooted firmly in the biopsychosocial approach."--Jacket