Product DescriptionNow available from Waveland Press, this leading text presents an enlightened departure from the traditional study of psychology and behavior. Wallace and Fisher view consciousness as ''the processing of information at various levels of awareness'': wakefulness (unaltered state of awareness); differentiated waking states (altered states of awareness, e.g., drug-induced); and sleep. People can easily compare experiences that occur during their wakeful level of consciousness. However, when consciousness shifts to one of the other levels, communication may break down. Each person may experience these levels of consciousness in a different way, making it difficult for researchers to develop adequate scientific procedures for assessing and describing levels of consciousness. In this fascinating study, the authors survey general theories of consciousness and provide an overview of physiology and the associated research technology in the study of consciousness. The topics covered include controversial yet popular areas of psychology that are typically neglected or given little if any attention in traditional course offerings. Readers are not required to have prerequisite knowledge of psychology to benefit from the insights presented in this timely, versatile text.
