Discrete state of consciousness,

Consider, for example, the kind of OOBEs that Miss Z and Robert Monroe have had. These are what I call full-scale or classical or discrete OOBEs (d-OOBEs). During the OOBEs, neither Miss Z nor Mr. Monroe felt any contact with the physical body. In terms of conscious experience, there is what I call a full-scale disconnect. During the OOBE, all perceptions and actions performed are relevant to the OOBE location. In order to reexperience sensations from the physical body or to control it, both Miss Z and Mr. Monroe must terminate the OOBE and go through a transition back to ordinary being. Because this is an all-or-none transition between two quite different patterns of experience, I call it a d-OOBE [169] just as I distinguish discrete states of consciousness [173]. 

Conversion is a powerful psychological process that we do not understand well, it bears some similarity to the concept of a discrete state of consciousness (introduced later) but more basically refers to a psychological process of focusing, of giving great energy to selected structures, that may take place in any state of consciousness. 

To rescue the concepts of state of consciousness and altered state of consciousness for more precise scientific use, I introduce the terms and abbreviation discrete state of consciousness (d-SoC) and discrete state of consciousness (d-ASC). I discuss in Chapter 2 the basic theoretical concepts for defining these crucial terms. Here, I first describe certain kinds of experiential data that led to the concepts of discrete states and then go on to a formal definition of d-SoC and d-ASC. 

The first thing that strikes us about this individual is that his experiences seem to fall in three distinct clusters and that there are large gaps between these three distinct clusters, within each cluster this individual shows a certain amount of variability, but he has not had any experiences at all at points outside the defined clusters. This kind of clustering in the plot of an individual s locations at various times in experiential space is what I mean by discrete states of consciousness. Put another way, it means that you can be in a certain region of experiential space and show some degree of movement or variation within that space, but to... 

Definition of a Discrete State of Consciousness pattern and an altered selection of potentials. The... 

We defined a discrete state of consciousness for a given individual as a unique configuration or system of psychological structures. The parts or aspects of the mind we can distinguish are arranged in a certain kind of pattern or system. There is always some variation in the exact way our mind functions at any moment, but one of these overall patterns can persist for some time and remain recognizably the same. There is an overall feel or taste to the pattern of a state. 

The structures operative within a discrete state of consciousness make up a system whose parts stabilize each other s functioning by means of feedback control, so that the state maintains its overall pattern of functioning in spite of some changes in the environment. Yet when certain key environmental stimuli come along, the pattern can break down and be replaced by another, as when some personal remark causes a transition from one identity state to another. 

In relation to subconscious control of movement, Gurdjieff 24 put forth an idea about body movement that is interesting because it parallels the idea of discrete states of consciousness on a body... 

In this book, I continue to use the terms discrete state of consciousness and discrete altered state of consciousness to refer to the rather radical alterations like hypnosis or drunkenness that gave rise to the concept in the first place. I use the phrase identity state to indicate the more subtle division. 

In relation to subconscious control of movement, Gurdjieff 24 put forth an idea about body movement that is interesting because it parallels the idea of discrete states of consciousness on a body level. He states that any person has only a set number of postures and gestures that he uses of his own will. The number varies from person to person, perhaps as low as fifty, perhaps as high as several hundred. A person moves rapidly, almost jerks, from one preferred posture to another. If he is forcibly stopped in between discrete postures, he is uncomfortable, even if it is not a physical strain. Since the functioning of consciousness seems to be strongly affected by body postures and strains, these "discrete states of posture" (d-SoPs) are important to study. 

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