Transcript States of Conciousness PP

States of Consciousness
Chapter 7
Consciousness

Conscious processing
- awareness of self & your surroundings
- what you pay attention to
- newer tasks & slower
- altered states (daydreaming, sleeping, hypnosis,
meditation, drug use…)

Unconscious processing
- outside awareness (sub)
- automatic
- routine tasks & faster
Biological Rhythms
- controlled by internal “biological clocks”

Annual Cycles
-
birds & animals migrate and hibernate & humans
experience seasonal variations in appetite, sleep
& mood (SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder)
28-day Cycle – female menstrual cycle
 24-hour Cycle (Circadian Rhythm)

-

humans experience varying alertness, body
temperature & growth hormone secretion
90-minute Cycle – stages of sleep
Circadian Rhythm
– daily cycle or biological clock
Light triggers the
Suprachiasmatic nucleus
(in hypothalamus) to
decrease melatonin
from the Pineal gland
in the morning & increase
it in the evening.
Jet lag disrupts this
rhythm.
Why Do We Spend 1/3 Our Lives Sleeping?
Protection, Energy Conservation, Healing, Growth,
Information Processing…
Stages of Sleep
(90 minute cycle / ~4-5 each night)

Awake (beta waves) & Relaxed (alpha waves)
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Stage 1
- lasts about 10 minutes
- falling asleep (theta waves = irregular – also
exhibited during daydreams)
- slowed breathing & heartbeat
- easily awakened
- hypnagogic sensations (floating,
hallucinations, twitching, etc.)
Stages of Sleep

Stage 2
- lasts about 20 minutes
- sleep spindles (sigma waves = bursts of rapid
brain activity)
you can still be awakened
- sleep talking &
snoring are possible
* spend the largest
amount of time here
-
Stages of Sleep

Stage 3
- lasts about 20-30 minutes (becomes
shorter as the night goes on)
- delta waves (long & slow) appear
- slower breathing & heart rate
- sleep walking is possible
at the end
Stages of Sleep

Stage 4
- lasts about 30 minutes (becomes shorter as the night
goes on)
- delta waves (long & slow)
- hard to awaken but still react to stimuli
▪ move around in bed but don’t fall out
▪ wake to certain noises
- night terrors, periods of intense fear with
physiological reaction & often no
recollection, are possible 2-3 hours in
(mostly children - scream is possible & often the hallmark)
* go back through the Non-REM stages
in reverse and then….

REM Sleep (Rapid Eye Movement)
- lasts about 10 minutes (becomes longer as the night
goes on)
- also known as paradoxical sleep (externally calm, but
internally aroused – deepest sleep, but brain
waves are those of awake)
- beta waves (rapid, irregular heartbeat
and breathing, sexual arousal…)
- remember dreams if awakened
- REM sleep decreases with age
Deep sleepers get to or spend more time in Stage 4. Light sleepers may not go
all the way to Stage 4 and spend more time in Stages 1 or 2 (hereditary?).
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Dreams
- spend about 2 hours a night dreaming
- lots of theories on why (unconscious wishes, problem solving,
information processing, cognitive development, physiological
function – stimulation helps creates neural pathways…)
- 1st REM dream usually connects to daily events & the rest
usually connect to first
- 8 out of 10 dreams have a negative theme
▪ falling, chases, attacks, rejection & nudity
- manifest content (storyline/narrative) v.
latent content (symbolic/hidden? meaning)
- lucid dreams (aware that you are dreaming)
Quick Note…
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Sleep scientists recently suggested that there isn’t
much difference between Stages 3 & 4. You may find
contemporary discussions or sleep charts referencing
3 stages & REM.

Some people dream in the early stages. Most
movement occurs in earlier stages, but we remember
it later & tend to associate it with our dreams.
http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/how-long-to-nap-for-the-biggest-brain-benefits/
Sleep Disorders
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Insomnia – recurring problems in falling or
staying asleep
• relax, avoid caffeine, exercise regularly & have a regular sleep schedule
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Narcolepsy – uncontrollable sleep attacks
• 1/2000 – lapse into REM for 5 minutes or so
• due to lack of neurotransmitter Hypocretin (“numbness – seizure”)
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Sleep Apnea – temporary cessations of
breathing during sleep & repeated awakenings
• 1/20 – mostly overweight men (“with no breath”)
• decreased blood flow awakens sleeper (400 times or more)
Extra Sensory Perception (ESP)
1000’s of experiments and NO scientific evidence!
Hypnosis - A social interaction in which one person
suggests to another that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts,
or behaviors will spontaneously occur (Anton Mesmer).
Can…
Won’t…
Cause people to be relaxed, have a
narrowed focus of attention, and be
highly engaged in fantasies
Work equally effectively for everyone
(best for those who are have active
imaginations, etc.)
Produce anesthesia (for pain) and
treat a range of psychological and
medical problems
Force people to do things against
their will (they are suggestions)
Cause hallucinations and distortions
in sensory perception
Make people act in ways that would
normally be beyond their physical or
mental abilities
Reduce inhibitions
Reliably increase the accuracy of
memories
Cause changes in behavior after the
hypnosis has ended
Allow people to actually reexperience past events or lives
Hypnosis is a special
state of dissociated
(divided)
consciousness
Hypnotic subjects
may simply be
imaginative actors
playing a social role.
Psychoactive Drugs
- alter perception & mood
Agonists (mimic) & Antagonists (block)

Researchers usually classify drugs into
anywhere from four to six categories:
Stimulants
 Depressants
 Hallucinogens
 Narcotics
 Inhalants
 Cannabis
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http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/drugs/mouse.html
Stimulants
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Drugs that stimulate the
nervous system
Drug Type
Stimulants
Examples
Nicotine, caffeine,
cocaine,
amphetamines,
crystal meth,
Ecstasy
Effects
Negative effects
Increased
alertness and
energy, excitation,
euphoria,
confidence
Anxiety,
restlessness,
irritability,
sleeplessness,
paranoia,
increased
aggressiveness,
feelings of panic
Increase the release & decrease the removal of norepinephrine &
dopamine at synapse causing increased activity at the receptor.
They also reduce the activity of GABA.
Depressants

Also called sedatives; drugs that
slow down the central nervous
system
Drug Type
Depressants
Examples
Effects
Euphoria,
Alcohol, Valium,
relaxation, less
Xanax, barbiturates
anxiety
Negative effects
Impaired
coordination,
depression,
lethargy,
drowsiness, mood
swings
Increase the availability of GABA which reduces the
activity of many neural circuits.
Hallucinogens
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Drugs that cause sensory
and perceptual distortions
Drug Type
Examples
Hallucinogens
LSD, PCP,
Special K
(Ketamine),
mushrooms
(mescaline &
psilocybin),
Ecstasy
Effects
Negative effects
Euphoria, changed
perception,
hallucinations,
insightful moments
Nausea, paranoia,
anxiety, feelings of
panic, mood
swings, impaired
judgment, jumbled
thoughts
Narcotics
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Also called opiates
(depressants); drugs that
can relieve pain
Drug Type
Narcotics
Examples
Effects
Negative effects
Morphine, heroin,
opium, codeine,
hydrocodone
Euphoria,
relaxation, less
anxiety, less
sensitivity to pain
Lethargy,
drowsiness,
nausea, impaired
coordination,
constipation
Agonist for endorphins. Highly addictive because they
stimulate Glutamate receptors and physically change
the neuron – has to acquire more to function properly.
Inhalants
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Drugs that are breathed into
the lungs
Drug Type
Examples
Effects
Negative effects
Inhalants
cleaning solutions,
nail polish
removers,
gasoline, room
fresheners, glue,
and ether
Euphoria, changed
perception
Impaired brain
functioning
Cannabis
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Drugs derived from the
cannabis plant; have
features of more than one of
the other drugs types
Drug Type
Cannabis
(Mild
Hallucinogen)
Examples
Effects
Negative effects
Marijuana, hashish
Euphoria,
relaxation,
increased
awareness,
changed
perception
Sluggishness,
anxiety, impaired
memory
Drug-related terms

Tolerance/Neuroadaptation
- with repeated exposure to a drug its effect
lessens - thus it takes greater quantities to get
the desired effect

Addiction
- a craving for a chemical
substance, despite its
adverse consequences
(physical & psychological)
Drug-related terms

Withdrawal
- upon stopping use of a drug (after addiction),
users may experience the undesirable effects of
withdrawal
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Dependence
- absence of a drug may lead to a feeling of
physical pain, intense cravings (physical
dependence) and negative emotions
(psychological dependence)