And states of consciousness

Passie T, Karst M, Wiese B, Emrich HM, Schneider U. 2005. Effects of different subanesthetic doses of (S)-ketamine on neuropsychology, psychopathology, and state of consciousness in man. Neuropsychobiology 51 226-233. 

J. his book is about enlightenment and states of consciousness, about methods for pursuing an important aspect of enlightenment, and, particularly, about the obstacles that keep us in an unenlightened, ignorant state. 

Yet this second transition is unfinished. At the moment I am optimistic that a science of consciousness and states of conscious-... 

If the patient is receiving one of these dru for daytime sedation, the nurse assesses die patient s general mental state and level of consciousness. If the patient appears sedated and difficult to awaken, the nurse withholds the drug and contacts the primary health care provider as soon as possible. 

Specific predictive factors for outcome after surgical intervention have not been well defined in the literature. In one prospective, multicenter observational study of 95 patients, the state of consciousness was the only predictive factor retained in a logistic regression analysis." In this study, there was a 2.8-fold increased risk for poor outcome for each increase on a three-step scale (awake/drowsy, somnolent/ stuporous, and comatose), and good outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score <2) were achieved in 86%, 76%, and 47% of patients within each group, respectively. 

Reflection will show the potential pitfalls of either of these approaches. Neither is higher or better than the other. Direct doesn t mean quicker, nor does indirect mean that you reach the Goal incidentally. It comes down, in the end, to personal temperament and environment. Very, very few individuals are exclusively suited to one path or the other. Practitioners walking the direct path often use liturgical (ceremonial) devotions as part of their daily routine. Practitioners treading the indirect path find that states of consciousness, at first attained in ceremonial settings, later no longer need a ritual impetus to be experienced and that they can now enjoy these states by the direct path. 

Every power in the universe, every archangel, every god, every ar-chon, every demon, is both out there, as a cosmic function and within us. Every state of consciousness is reflected in us. Our dreams and nightmares are the frontiers of heaven and hell. Consequently, each and every human being has the innate capacity to be a Buddha or a Hitler. 

We understand many aspects of the anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry of the human nervous system. The central points are the subjects of this chapter. As we come to understand them, much of great interest will be revealed to us. We will get important insights into how the nervous system functions and, in disease, malfunctions. We will also begin to understand why many molecules are effective in treatment of mental health disorders or induce abnormal states of consciousness in people. 

A state of consciousness depends on the intact function of the complex neural networks that underlie alertness, learning and memory. General anesthetics appear to interrupt synaptic transmission within these systems. Multiple ion channels and receptors that mediate and modulate synaptic transmission are putative targets for general anesthetics. All general anesthetics are not alike in the way they alter consciousness. For example, ketamine induces a state of... 

The state of conscious awareness, with orientation of self in time and space, depends on hnely tuned and accurately co-ordinated activity in multiple neuronal networks in the brain (Park Young, 1994). Such activity involves parallel processing in many cortical and subcortical pathways including arousal and memory systems (Chapters 3 and 4) and systems involved in mood (Chapters 5 and 18) and utilises an orchestra of many neurotransmitters. The whole ensemble appears to be synchronised by high frequency (40+ Hz) oscillatory electrical activity which binds the component parts together (Llinas et ah, 1998 Tallon-Baudry Bertrand, 1999). 

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