Altered State
(2023)
altered state; plural noun: altered states 1. a state of mind that differs from the normal state of consciousness, typically produced by drugs, physical or mental illness, or hypnosis.
Arnold M. Ludwig attempted a first definition in 1966.
“An altered state is any mental state(s), induced by various physiological, psychological, or pharmacological maneuvers or agents, which can be recognized subjectively by the individual himself (or by an objective observer of the individual) as representing a sufficient deviation in subjective experience of psychological functioning from certain general norms for that individual during alert, waking consciousness.
