14 DAY TRIAL // Altered states of consciousness, such as those seen in dissociative and identity disorders, are partially promoted by lack of sleep, insufficient sleep, or insomnia. In these conditions, people's normal conscious or psychological functioning is disrupted to various extents.
Those who suffer from such conditions describe feeling as if their consciousness is literally detached from their bodies, their emotions, or their surroundings (home, workplace), PsychCentral reports.
In the latest issue of the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science, the team behind this study suggests that sleep problems may contribute to developing these conditions. This line of thought runs contrary to the “mainstream” explanation for such conditions, which is that past traumas caused them.
In an experiment, experts learned that people who were kept awake for as little as 24 hours tended to report a much higher number of dissociative experiences than normal. The group believes that traumas cause these conditions indirectly, through disturbing sleep patterns.