Identity alteration: Difference between revisions

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'''Identity''' can be defined as ~~an essential or at least near universal component of human perception that provides people~~ the experience of ~~feeling as if they are a separate system that is differentiated from that which is around them. This is commonly referred to as~~ one's ~~identity, ego or~~ sense of self. ~~In general conversation~~, ~~it is referred to through the use of pronouns such as~~ "I", ~~"me"~~, ~~"mine" and "myself"~~ as ~~a tool for contrasting one's~~ self ~~from other people or any other system~~ which is ~~not felt~~ to ~~be them~~.

'''Identity alteration''' can be defined as the experience of one's sense of self becoming temporarily changed to feel as if it encompasses different concepts than that which it previously did. For example, if one usually feels that they are exclusively their body or "ego", this may suddenly change to feel as if their sense of identity now includes the external environment or an object they are interacting with. Alternatively, they could feel as if their sense of self no longer identifies with anything at all which is an experience commonly referred to as [[depersonalisation]].

However, it is ~~important to note~~ that one's identity is not a static, unmoving or objective concept and it can be experienced in many different ways. There is no component of the human brain or body which can be singled out as the part of ~~them~~ which is inherently where they as an individual are located. The self is thus ~~likely~~ a learned and constructed concept that arises through a combination of experience, language and social interactions with other people. This notion is in stark contrast to the common cultural conception that human beings each contain a separate physical identity that is a real and separate system from that which resides around it.

The concept of '''Identity''' itself can be defined as an essential or at least near universal component of human perception that provides people the experience of feeling as if they are a separate system that is intrinsically differentiated from that which is around them. This feeling is commonly referred to as one's sense of identity, ego or selfhood. In general conversation, it is referred to through the use of pronouns such as "I", "me", "mine" and "myself" as a tool for contrasting one's self from other people or any other system which is not felt to be them.

However, it is worth noting that one's identity is not a static, unmoving or objective concept and that it can be experienced in many different ways. There is no component of the human brain or body which can be singled out as the part of a person which is inherently where they as an individual are located. The self is thus speculated to be a learned and constructed concept that arises through a combination of experience, the structure of language and social interactions with other people. This notion is in stark contrast to the common cultural conception that human beings each contain a separate physical identity that is a real and separate system from that which resides around it.

Within traditional religions, the intrinsic nature of human identity differs depending on its specific doctrine. For example, Abrahamic religions such as Christianity and Islam use an inherently dualist approach which claims that the self is a soul which resides within the body and is inherently separate from its external environment.<ref>The Oxford Handbook of the Abrahamic Religions (Dualism) | https://books.google.com/books?id=IR6DCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA416&lpg=PA416&dq=abrahamic+religions+dualism&source=bl&ots=QbSwQ9NwFL&sig=DbBYFrrpk9MYJG7RDNNmu3h3dtY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwik9K3HkvnOAhWJyyYKHZOnBWMQ6AEILTAC#v=onepage&q=abrahamic%20religions%20dualism&f=false</ref> In contrast, eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism take an approach known as nondualism which generally speaking, assumes that the separate self is illusory and that there is no difference between one's identity or soul and the "external" universe which it resides in.<ref>Hindu and Buddhist Nonduality: Conflict in the New Church Mind? | http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/isi-news-nonduality.html</ref>

'''Identity alteration''' can be defined as the experience of one's sense of self becoming temporarily changed to feel as if it encompasses different concepts than that which it previously did. For example, if one usually feels that they are exclusively their body or "ego", this may change to ~~feel as if their sense of~~ identity ~~now includes the external environment or an object they are interacting with. Alternatively~~, ~~they could feel as if their sense of self no longer identifies with anything at all which is an experience commonly referred to as [[depersonalisation]].~~

In regards to identity alteration, there are a total of 5 distinct levels of identity which a person can experience during this state. These various specific alterations have been arranged into a levelling system that orders its different states from least amount of concepts one's identity is attributed to, to most amount of concepts one's identity is attributed to. These levels are described and documented below:

~~There~~ are a total of 5 distinct levels of identity which a person can experience during this state. These various specific alterations have been arranged into a ~~formalized descriptive leveling~~ system below:

====1. Total absence of attributed identity====

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 [[File:Self-concept.jpg|thumb|right|upright|238px|One's self-concept is made up of self-schemas, and their past, present, and future selves.]]
-'''Identity''' can be defined as an essential or at least near universal component of human perception that provides people the experience of feeling as if they are a separate system that is differentiated from that which is around them. This is commonly referred to as one's identity, ego or sense of self. In general conversation, it is referred to through the use of pronouns such as "I", "me", "mine" and "myself" as a tool for contrasting one's self from other people or any other system which is not felt to be them.
+'''Identity alteration''' can be defined as the experience of one's sense of self becoming temporarily changed to feel as if it encompasses different concepts than that which it previously did. For example, if one usually feels that they are exclusively their body or "ego", this may suddenly change to feel as if their sense of identity now includes the external environment or an object they are interacting with. Alternatively, they could feel as if their sense of self no longer identifies with anything at all which is an experience commonly referred to as [[depersonalisation]].
-However, it is important to note that one's identity is not a static, unmoving or objective concept and it can be experienced in many different ways. There is no component of the human brain or body which can be singled out as the part of them which is inherently where they as an individual are located. The self is thus likely a learned and constructed concept that arises through a combination of experience, language and social interactions with other people. This notion is in stark contrast to the common cultural conception that human beings each contain a separate physical identity that is a real and separate system from that which resides around it.
+The concept of '''Identity''' itself can be defined as an essential or at least near universal component of human perception that provides people the experience of feeling as if they are a separate system that is intrinsically differentiated from that which is around them. This feeling is commonly referred to as one's sense of identity, ego or selfhood. In general conversation, it is referred to through the use of pronouns such as "I", "me", "mine" and "myself" as a tool for contrasting one's self from other people or any other system which is not felt to be them.
+However, it is worth noting that one's identity is not a static, unmoving or objective concept and that it can be experienced in many different ways. There is no component of the human brain or body which can be singled out as the part of a person which is inherently where they as an individual are located. The self is thus speculated to be a learned and constructed concept that arises through a combination of experience, the structure of language and social interactions with other people. This notion is in stark contrast to the common cultural conception that human beings each contain a separate physical identity that is a real and separate system from that which resides around it.
 Within traditional religions, the intrinsic nature of human identity differs depending on its specific doctrine. For example, Abrahamic religions such as Christianity and Islam use an inherently dualist approach which claims that the self is a soul which resides within the body and is inherently separate from its external environment.<ref>The Oxford Handbook of the Abrahamic Religions (Dualism) | https://books.google.com/books?id=IR6DCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA416&lpg=PA416&dq=abrahamic+religions+dualism&source=bl&ots=QbSwQ9NwFL&sig=DbBYFrrpk9MYJG7RDNNmu3h3dtY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwik9K3HkvnOAhWJyyYKHZOnBWMQ6AEILTAC#v=onepage&q=abrahamic%20religions%20dualism&f=false</ref> In contrast, eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism take an approach known as nondualism which generally speaking, assumes that the separate self is illusory and that there is no difference between one's identity or soul and the "external" universe which it resides in.<ref>Hindu and Buddhist Nonduality: Conflict in the New Church Mind? | http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/isi-news-nonduality.html</ref>
-'''Identity alteration''' can be defined as the experience of one's sense of self becoming temporarily changed to feel as if it encompasses different concepts than that which it previously did. For example, if one usually feels that they are exclusively their body or "ego", this may change to feel as if their sense of identity now includes the external environment or an object they are interacting with. Alternatively, they could feel as if their sense of self no longer identifies with anything at all which is an experience commonly referred to as [[depersonalisation]].
+In regards to identity alteration, there are a total of 5 distinct levels of identity which a person can experience during this state. These various specific alterations have been arranged into a levelling system that orders its different states from least amount of concepts one's identity is attributed to, to most amount of concepts one's identity is attributed to. These levels are described and documented below:
-There are a total of 5 distinct levels of identity which a person can experience during this state. These various specific alterations have been arranged into a formalized descriptive leveling system below:
 ====1. Total absence of attributed identity====