Alterations of Consciousness: An Empirical Analysis for Social Scientists [Hardcover]

Imants Baruss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2003

Alterations of Consciousness is a refreshing and richly analytic investigation into the nature of cognitive reality. Imants Baruss explores various manifestations of consciousness with rational and empirical rigor beginning with more ordinary states such as thinking, sleeping, dreaming and continuing on into hypnosis, trance, psychedelic experiences, transcendence, and experiences related to death. This comprehensive overview of altered states examines consciousness from the physiological, cognitive, and experiential points of view. Readers will gain from this engaging text an enriched understanding of consciousness, reality, and the scientific endeavor.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book is a user-friendly map of states of awareness as they are scientifically and experientially understood. This book would be a useful text to aid students of psychology. -Perspective A splendid overview of this topic, this volume covers its bases in a way that is both comprehensive and entertaining. Highly recommended. -CHOICE Magazine --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 291 pages
• Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA); 1 edition (January 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557989931
• ISBN-13: 978-1557989932
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #893,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good., December 2, 2009

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A. HATTON (Kentucky, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Alterations of Consciousness: An Empirical Analysis for Social Scientists (Hardcover)

This book is the only one of its kind, which is why it's highly recommended. Not only is it hard to find books regarding altered states of consciousness, but it's hard to find ANY books so thoroughly researched that treat many altered states of consciousness as phenomena to be dealt with on their own terms. What I mean is, without endless attempts at "debunking" or showing them to be false. Baruss never assumes materialism is true. He offers explanations of altered states of consciousness, but seems open to the possibility that many anomalous states reported by people are exactly what they say they are. This even-handed approach is useful when dealing with humans who have experienced these things, even if it's an unpopular position in the world of Materialistic Psychology.