States of Consciousness

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.