Heightened state of consciousness: what it is and how it affects the brain

Consciousness is an abstract concept that is difficult to define, which is easier to understand in its absence. That is, it can be delimited with absolute clarity that non-living entities are not self-conscious, just like the dead matter that previously presented life is not able to recognize the surrounding reality or its own condition.

But what about the animals? Do other living things have a sense of identity? Are they aware of themselves? Many scientists recognize that most species with a central nervous system (CNS) have certain brain capacities to perceive suffering and enjoyment in a more or less conscious way, so this ability cannot be ruled out in the realm animal. In invertebrates and other taxa, the question remains open.

The state of consciousness is complicated even beyond the animal species that present it, since it turns out that difference on several levels, some of them only achievable (so far) by using psychedelics. Do you dare to dissect the human mind with us? In this opportunity, we tell you what is heightened state of consciousness and what causes it.

• Related article: "The 6 levels of loss of consciousness and associated disorders"

What is consciousness?

As we have said previously, it is easier to define what consciousness is not than what it actually means. Still, we will make an effort to circumscribe this very abstract term in a series of words. According to the Royal Academy of the Spanish language (RAE), consciousness could be defined as follows way: “it is the ability of the human being to recognize the surrounding reality and to relate to her; the coma consists of the total loss of consciousness ”.

Things get complicated from here, as it turns out that consciousness and consciousness are not the same, at least not from a strict point of view. A single letter differentiates them phonetically, but, if we get technical, we will discover that their indistinct use is usually wrong. Consciousness is always synonymous with consciousness, but consciousness cannot be exchanged for consciousness.

Returning to the initial definition, the consciousness of the human being is the capacity of our species to recognize the surrounding reality, respond to it and, in addition, be capable of immediate knowledge of the subject itself, his actions and his reflections. On the other hand, conscience tends to have a much more ethical and moral component, since based on what is distinguished in the environment or in one's own, certain components are attributed. Let's see these differences with an example:

• I fell to the ground and passed out, but regained consciousness shortly thereafter. The subject was able to self-recognize himself and locate himself in the environment.
• I always act according to my conscience. The subject attributes a moral charge to his way of seeing things and his environment, and decides the mechanisms of action based on it.

Surely with both examples things have become a little clearer, right? Once this linguistic conflict is delimited, we are ready to know everything about the heightened state of consciousness. Do not miss it.

What is the heightened state of consciousness?

The elevated state of consciousness is an exceptional type of consciousness, that is, it goes beyond wakefulness, sleep and dreaming and that it does not correspond to alterations in the normal level or structure of the brain. In other words, this event is characterized by being different from the state of beta waves (electromagnetic brain oscillations) typical of the circadian phase in which we are awake.

In general, 3 types of consciousness are distinguished within "normality". These are the following:

• Alertness level: someone responds to stimuli and experiences perceptions, but is not fully aware of them. Vegetative patients would fall here, for example.
• Level of self-awareness: when the subject pays attention to his own internal world and becomes a reflective observer of himself.
• Level of meta-self-awareness: a level consequence of the previous one. The subject is aware that he is aware: "I am aware that I am sad."

Thus, the state of elevated consciousness would go out of these 3 meanings, thus being considered an "elevation" of it. How is this state achieved?

Consciousness and LSD

Lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD is a semi-synthetic psychedelic substance that produces psychotropic effects. Post-use experiences include hallucinations, synesthesia, distorted ego perception, altered consciousness and visualization of entities and images that are perceived as totally real by those who consume it, despite not being observable by the environment.

After the consumption of this drug, a state known as "lysergic drunkenness" is reached.. In it, the everyday image of the world presents an extreme and sudden transformation, even generating a suppression of the “me / you” barrier. This is very useful in the medical field, since patients with an egocentric disorder detach from their fixation, isolation and are more receptive to the indications of a professional. In addition, this psychedelic allows to recover contents or experiences already forgotten or repressed, reliving memories of early childhood.

LSD and human consciousness have been studied multiple times, so there is already a extensive collection of bibliography on the interactions between the two in scientific libraries public. Even so, a new study catches our attention: in volume 227 of the journal Neuroimage, published in February 2021, research has been collected that shows that LSD causes a greater diversity of neuronal signals in the patient, or what is the same, greater brain activity or a “high state of consciousness ”.

LSD acts on the receptors of serotonin in the brain, a fundamental neurotransmitter in the human nervous system. Due to its temporary effects on the mind and brain, the serotonergic pathway of LSD is postulated to represent a powerful method of to connect physiological phenomena with their brain analogues, which would promote the understanding and understanding of both by the individual.

Based on 2 typical characteristics of the human mind (integration and segregation), it has been shown at the neurological level that the consumption of LSD produces a heightened state of consciousness atypical and impossible to achieve otherwiseas it promotes an abnormal increase in the functional complexity of the brain. During lysergic intoxication, the brain regions act in a less "tied" way than usual, due to the presence or absence of anatomical connections.

We know that we are moving in quite complex terms, but if we want you to keep an idea, this is the following: certain applications argue that the anatomical connections of the brain are, in part, a product of the individual's expectation of which sections of their brain they should exchange information. These "expectations" would be shaped by factors as intrinsic to the individual and the species as evolution and experience.

According to the cited research, during lysergic intoxication the expected structural-functional correlation is drastically reduced. Being less constrained by previous preconceptions (due to the effects of the drug), the brain is free to explore a series of connective patterns that go beyond those dictated by anatomy human. This could explain the formation of images and realities completely different from normal and the dissolution of the "I", or what is the same, would allow the individual to reach a high state of consciousness.

Resume

As complex as it may sound, the general message of the research and the article shown is the following: consciousness is based on the perception of what around us and ourselves, but, of course, this is circumscribed by our physiological limitations and what we expect from themselves. With the use of drugs like LSD, the brain "frees" itself from anatomical-functional ties and correlations and, therefore, he is capable of exploring terrain completely impossible to understand without the action of the psychedelic.

With this we do not intend to encourage anyone to start using illegal substances to experience altered states of consciousness. It is necessary to bear in mind that the possession and consumption of drugs such as LSD are still punishable by the law and contain numerous dangers, so that only the individual is responsible for his actions if he decides consume them.

Bibliographic references:

• Cohen, S. (1967). The beyond within: The LSD story. New York: Atheneum.
• Halberstadt, A. L., Klein, L. M., Chatha, M., Valenzuela, L. B., Stratford, A., Wallach, J.,... & Brandt, S. D. (2019). Pharmacological characterization of the LSD analog N-ethyl-N-cyclopropyl lysergamide (ECPLA). Psychopharmacology, 236 (2), 799-808.
• Luppi, A. I., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Roseman, L., Pappas, I., Menon, D. K., & Stamatakis, E. TO. (2021). LSD alters dynamic integration and segregation in the human brain. NeuroImage, 227, 117653.
• Nichols, D. AND. (2018). Dark classics in chemical neuroscience: lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). ACS chemical neuroscience, 9 (10), 2331-2343.
• Pinto Meneses, J. TO. (2019). Resilience factors in adolescents exposed to the use and abuse of psychotropic substances, living in El Sanitary landfill of zone three of Guatemala City (Doctoral dissertation, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala).
• States of consciousness, NOVA. Picked up on February 10 at https://nobaproject.com/modules/states-of-consciousness