In this accessible overview, a team of expert editors and authors describe experimental approaches that are beginning to shed light on some of the hitherto unknown features of the various states of human consciousness. These include the waking state, different states of sleep and dreaming, and meditation. The chapters discuss and interpret the authors latest research studies from contributing authors in the scientific areas of neuroscience, neurology, biomedical engineering, clinical psychology and psychophysiology, psychosocial medicine and anthropology. The major aim of this volume is to explore how different states of consciousness can be defined, experimentally measured, and systematically analysed. In addition to the intrinsic interest in these results, they also aid the development of corrective treatments for many disorders and pathological problems of consciousness.

Preface

Introduction to States of Consciousness
Disorders of Consciousness: Coma, Vegetative State and Minimally Conscious States
2 Codons of Consciousness: Neurological Characteristics of Ordinary and Pathological States of Consciousness
Dream Consciousness and Sleep Physiology
Dream Therapy: Correlation of Dream Contents with Encephalographic and Cardiovascular Activations
The Substrate That Dreams Are Made On: An Evaluation of Current Neurobiological Theories of Dreaming; J.L. Dawson, R. Conduit.-Sleep Onset Process as an Altered State of Consciousness
Brain Rate as an Indicator of the Level of Consciousness
On Physiological Bases of States of Expanded Consciousness
States of Consciousness Beyond Waking, Dreaming and Sleeping: Perspectives from Research on Meditation Experiences.-Ethno Therapy, Music and Trance - An Investigation into a Sound-Trance Induction
States of Consciousness Redefines as Patterns of Phenomenal Properties: An Experimental Application.-