Altered States: Crash Course Psychology #10

You may think you know all about hypnosis from the movies. Zoolander, The Manchurian Candidate, etc... but there's a whole lot more going on. In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, Hank tells us about some of the many altered states of consciousness, including hypnosis.

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Chapters:
Introduction: Hypnosis & Altered States of Consciousness 00:00
Facts & Fallacies About Hypnosis 2:00
How does hypnosis work? 3:05
Drug Tolerance & Neuroadaptation 4:49
Psychoactive Drugs 5:51
Depressants 6:28
Stimulants 7:35
Hallucinogens/Psychedelics 9:04
Non-Drug Induced Hallucinations 9:33
Review & Credits 10:32
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[Zombikilla]

you meed to do a whole episode on psychedelics, theres much more to them than just seeing centipedes crawl around

[MichaelWilliamBeck]

Psychedelics are not a synonym for Hallucinogens. Psychedelics are a class of Hallucinogens. There are Psychedelics, Dissociatives, and Deliriants. Psychedelics merely display mental processes in a new lens. Disassociatives make you hallucinate by bringing you out of touch with reality. Deliriants make you hallucinate by intoxicaticating and harming your perception of reality. It's very important to differentiate. Psychedelics are definitely the most innocent of the three. They don't cause mental illness. They just temporarily let the mind see things through a whole new set of eyes. Sometimes a change of perception can be very beneficial.

[AneTorine]

I just need to point one thing out: Hallucinogens like LSD, magic mushrooms and peyote doesn't actually makes you see things that aren't there. They rather just distort the way you perceive sensory input to explain it that way. I felt as if I had a moral assignment to clear this up on behalf of all the users of psychedelics out there in this worlds of ours, and I am tired of the stigma that comes with misinformation.

[jaridkeen]

I take Shrooms every 4 months to help with Depression and Anxiety. Its like a Day of Meditation and relaxation.

[josephellison]

I've pretty much just started watching these for fun at this point and the pursuit of knowledge. they are so well animated and narrated I cant get enough and I never get bored. I think the best way to convey info now is through audible and visual stimulation

[veritasium]

Nice shirt! If anyone wants one... you can't get one right now because we're working on new designs. But stay tuned - they'll be released soon...

[TeaAndGrapefruits]

I feel like there's a huge misconception about what hallucinogens do. The vast majority of psychedelics aren't going to cause the type of hallucinations most people think of when taken at a normal dose (e.g. petting a baby dolphin, having centipedes crawling under your skin, etc.) Classical psychedelics such as LSD, or psilocybin containing mushrooms generally just alter your perception of the things that are already around you, causing light to be brighter, colours to be more vivid, and an effect that's referred to as "breathing" wherein still objects appear to move and breath, almost like they're alive. This isn't to say that classical psychedelics CAN'T cause more vivid hallucinations in some people, it's just not as common as one would think.

[dominic]

I really wish we legalize hallucinogens soon, so that we can study and experiment with them freely... They have an enormous ammount of potential in a variety of domains, and unlike what most think, there's more to it than "hallucinating that you're petting a dolphin". Many report intense mystical or spiritual experiences under them; They might hold into them a very important piece of the puzzle that we could be ignoring, and it's a bit silly that society is currently banning them.

[NotaCamelReallyImHuman]

Seems like you got your information on psychedelics from the DEA's website.

[martinlapan]

I’m glad everyone here is addressing the problems in this video with its depiction of hallucinogens. This does, however, seem to align with what kids are taught to answer on a test on psychology, especially AP psychology or a high school level course where all drugs are typically demonized. Buying into the cultural conception of these compounds is the exact reason so many people completely overlook them or consider them dangerous, while the people who have questioned the established western culture enough to have these experiences will tell you how incredible these compounds can be as a way of expanding consciousness and other beneficial effects like mushrooms neurogenesis. I know he didn’t mean to demonize this class of drug, but as it’s pretty clear he hasn’t actually had these experiences he just comes across as unaware as to what they actually do. The worst part is how many people are going to be shown this video in class or something and just take all of it at face value, meanwhile if they were willing to expose themselves to a psychedelic experience they would almost certainly change for the better

[erwineichmann]

As a recovering drug addict, I must say this is a v well done video. If you can talk about drugs and NOT trigger an addict to use or desire them, you did a good job.

PS: loved the Fear and Loathing and Trainspotting references.

[Toscalily]

I feel like the one thing these crash courses lessons have taught me is that Freud was an utterly redonkulous dude permanently living on cloud nine.
I wonder if he assessed his own oral fixation to cigars as his inner child mourning the loss of his mother not returning his sexual feelings. I mean, this dude was wack.

[djmanteen]

The explanation on psychedelics is misleading. This is especially prominent within the examples given in reference to a "good" and "bad" trip. Rather, these examples (centipedes crawling under the skin) seem to align with the Deliriant class in which those under effect percieve objects, people and scenarios which are completely non-existent which is very different to psychedelics despite the similarity in distortion to conscious awareness. Those affected by psychadelic drugs, such as the ones presented in the video, are more likely to see a shift in colour, breathing walls, patterns overlaying vision and on surfaces. However, unlike those who have ingested deliriants, people under the affect on hallucinogens are aware of that the changes to perception are due to the drug effects.

[Culturedthug]

I can't believe you didn't talk about psychology's relationship with lsd mushrooms etc, bit disappointed

[kassandrahinton]

I'm going for my psychology degree and the only thing we are assigned are to watch this series so thank you professor lol

[yinvara]

Can u please please please do an episode about lucid dreaming?

[crashcourse]

You may think you know all about hypnosis from the movies. Zoolander, The Manchurian Candidate, etc... but there's a whole lot more going on. In this episode of Crash Course Psychology, tells us about some of the many altered states of consciousness, including hypnosis.

Altered States - Crash Course Psychology #10

[jessw]

I have to study for my AP Psych final... and these videos are gonna be a life saver. 

Hank Green, you are a life saver. 

[PatrickStarthnxroxrock]

I remember my first time doing LSD. It was fucking insane...but cool as shit!

[stykn]

oh my god, finally I can correct Hank on something that he overgeneralised.
Hallucinogens aren't 'also known as' psychedelics; hallucinogens are the class, and psychedelics are effectively a branch of drugs within that class. LSD is classified as a psychedelic and with this also considered a hallucinogen (although the term 'hallucinogen' is a slight case of false advertisement by definition), whereas a drug like Salvia Divinorum is a hallucinogen and sometimes called a dissociative, but isn't a psychedelic.