Altered state of consciousness
What is Altered state of consciousness?
Any situation that differs considerably from a typical waking state is known as an altered state of consciousness (ASC), also known as altered state of mind or mind alteration. By 1892, the term was being used to refer to hypnosis, however whether hypnosis should be classified as an ASC according to its present definition is still up for contention. The following example, from Dr. Max Mailhouse’s 1904 conference presentation, is unmistakably labelled as such, since it was in connection to epilepsy, and is still in use today. In academia, the phrase was first used in 1966 by Arnold M. Ludwig and was popularised in 1969 by Charles Tart. It refers to induced, usually often transient alterations in one’s mental state. “Altered state of consciousness” is another term for it.