A common driving experience is "highway hypnosis," in which one's consciousness seems to be divided between the driving itself and one's conscious train of thought. This phenomenon is consistent with the idea that hypnosis is: A. an exercise in role playing. B. a dissociated state of consciousness. C. a goal-directed fantasy. D. not an altered state of consciousness.

Highway hypnosis is a mental state where a person can drive a vehicle safely and efficiently while their conscious awareness is focused on other thoughts or daydreams. The driver appears to be in a kind of "autopilot" state and may not be fully aware of the details of the driving process.

Go through each option and understand its meaning: A. An exercise in role playing: This refers to the idea that a person is pretending or acting out a part, like an actor playing a role in a play or movie. B. A dissociated state of consciousness: This involves a separation of thoughts, feelings, and actions from conscious awareness, meaning that the person is not fully present or aware of what they are experiencing. C. A goal-directed fantasy: This refers to an imagined scenario or situation related to a goal or desire that a person has. It usually involves daydreaming or visualization. D. Not an altered state of consciousness: This suggests that there is no change in one's mental state or awareness during the experience.

Consider which option best describes the phenomenon of highway hypnosis: A. An exercise in role playing: This is not applicable to highway hypnosis, as the driver is not pretending or acting out a part while driving. B. A dissociated state of consciousness: This could be a likely explanation for highway hypnosis, as the driver's conscious awareness seems to be divided between the driving process and another thought process or daydream. C. A goal-directed fantasy: Although it is possible that the driver may be daydreaming, this option does not fully explain the driving process operating on "autopilot." D. Not an altered state of consciousness: This is not accurate, as highway hypnosis implies that the driver's level of conscious awareness has changed during the experience.

Based on the above analysis, the best explanation for the phenomenon of highway hypnosis is: B. A dissociated state of consciousness.