Transcript Chapter 5 States of Consciousness Levels of Consciousness

Chapter 5
States of
Consciousness
Levels of Consciousness
Conscious
Preconscious
Unconscious
Levels of Consciousness
• Conscious –
Brain process of which we are aware.
– Subjective and illusive.
• Nonconscious –
Brain process that does not involve
conscious processing.
– Heart rate, breathing, control of internal
organs.
The Nonconscious Mind
• Preconscious –
Information that is not currently in
consciousness, but can be brought into
consciousness if attention is called to it.
• Unconscious –
Many levels of processing that occur
without awareness.
Consciousness
• Cognitive Neuroscience –
– An interdisciplinary field involving cognitive
psychology, neurology, biology, computer
science, linguistics, and specialists from other
fields who are interested in the connection
between mental processes and the brain.
•
•
•
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Sleeping
Dreaming
Hypnosis
Drug-altered consciousness
Views of Consciousness
• Structuralists- used introspection, which
asked people to reflect and report on their own
conscious experience.
• Behaviorists- John Watson, stated that mental
processes were little more than a by-product of
our actions.
• Functionalists- William James, consciousness
is a flowing stream of ever-changing sensations,
perceptions, thoughts, memories, feelings,
motives, and desires.
Views of Consciousness
• Freud:
– Psychoanalytic theory – powerful
unconscious forces actively work to block (or
repress) sexual desires and traumatic
memories.
– We chose mates who are,
on an unconscious level,
just substitutes for our
fathers and mothers.
– “Freudian slip”
Sleep and Dreaming
• Circadian rhythms –
Psychological patterns that repeat
approximately every 24 hours.
• Jet lag – a period of discomfort and
inefficiency while your internal
clock is out of phase with
your surroundings.
The Sleep Cycle
Stages of Sleep
• Rapid Eye
Movement (REM)
sleep
– A stage of sleep
that occurs
approximately
every 90 minutes,
marked by bursts
of rapid eye
movements.
REM Sleep
• Sleep paralysis – a
condition in which a
sleeper is unable to
move any of the
voluntary muscles,
except those controlling
the eyes.
• REM rebound – a
condition of increased
REM sleep caused by
REM deprivation.
WHY DO WE SLEEP???
– With someone seated near you, brainstorm 3
different reasons.
1.
2.
3.
The Function of Sleep
• Possible functions of sleep include:
1. Restorative; “allows us to charge our
batteries.”
2. Type of primitive hibernation; we sleep to
conserve energy.
3. Adaptive process; sleep keeps us out of
harms way.
4. Sleep helps us clear our minds
of useless information.
5. We sleep to dream.
The Need for Sleep
Over the years, the need for REM sleep
decreases considerably, while the need for
NREM sleep diminishes less sharply.
What Cycles Occur
in Everyday
Consciousness?
• Daydreaming –
A common variation of consciousness in
which attention shifts to memories,
expectations, desires, or fantasies and
away from the immediate situation.
Sleep Cycles During the Night
• Electroencephalograph (EEG)
– Measures and amplifies slight electrical
changes on the scalp that reflect brain
activity.
These lines represent the EEG which shows a record of
brain activity; the EMG shows muscle activity; the EOG
shows eye movements. Look at the differences in the EEG,
EMG and EOG during waking, REM sleep, and NREM
sleep.
The Need for Sleep
• Sleep debt –
Deficiency caused by not getting the amount
of sleep that one requires for optimal
functioning.
A big sleep debt “makes you stupid.”
Why We Dream
• Sleep Scientists:
– Dreams may be necessary for healthy brain
functioning.
– Dreams are meaningful mental events.
– Dreams are the brains random activity
during sleep.
Dreams as Meaningful Events
• Freud:
“Dreams represent the royal road to the unconscious.”
Believed dreams served 2 purposes:
1. To guard sleep
2. To serve as sources of wish fulfillment.
Freud’s Approach
• Manifest Content – the content that
appears on the surface; taken at face
value.
• Latent Content – the symbolic meaning of
objects and events in a dream.
Dreams as Random
Brain Activity
• Activation-synthesis theory –
Theory that dreams begin with random
electrical activation coming from brain
stem; dreams are brain’s attempt to make
sense of this random activity.
Flying dreams?
Motionless dreams?
Sleep
Disorders
Sleep Disorders
• INSOMNIA – failure
to get enough sleep
at night in order to
feel well rested the
next day.
– 1/3 of adults suffer
from this condition
Sleep Disorders
• SLEEP APNEA – a respiratory disorder
in which the person intermittently stops
breathing many times while asleep.
Abnormalities of Sleep
Nightmare
• An unpleasant dream.
– Occurs during REM
Night Terror
• The screaming of a child in deep sleep who
once awakened, has no memory of what
mental events might have caused the fear.
– More common in young children.
– Occurs during Stage 4
Sleep Disorders
• NARCOLEPSY – a condition
characterized by suddenly falling
asleep, or at least feeling very sleepy,
during the day
Cataplexy –
Sudden loss of muscle
control that occurs
before a narcoleptic
sleep attack.
Hypnosis
Hypnosis
• An induced state of altered awareness,
characterized by heightened suggestibility,
deep relaxation, and highly focused
attention.
Hypnosis can…
–Produce relaxation
–Increase concentration
–Promote temporary changes in
behavior
Uses for Hypnosis
• Hypnosis can have practical uses for:
– Psychological treatment
– Medical and dental treatment
• Hypnotic analgesia –
Diminished sensitivity to
pain while under hypnosis.
Hypnosis
• Posthypnotic Suggestion –
A suggestion to do or
experience something particular
after coming out of hypnosis.
• Posthypnotic Amnesia Therapist can induce the patient
to forget events that occurred
during or before the hypnotic
session.
Meditation
• Meditation –
Form of consciousness
change induced by
focusing on a repetitive
behavior, assuming
certain body positions
and minimizing external
stimulation.
“Empty one’s mind.”
Meditation
• Transcendental Meditation
– Mental repetition of a mantra
• Mindfulness Meditation
– Focuses on the present moment
• Breath Meditation
– Concentration on one’s respiration (process of
inhaling and exhaling)
Psychoactive
Drugs
Psychoactive Drug States
• Psychoactive drugs –
– Chemicals that affect mental processes and
behavior by their effects on the central
nervous system.
Hallucinogens
Opiates
Depressants
Stimulants
Hallucinogens
• Alter perceptions of the external
environment and inner awareness.
• Also called psychedelics.
• Mescaline
• Psilocybin (“shrooms”)
• LSD (“acid”)
• PCP (“angel dust”)
• Cannabis (“weed”)
Opiates
• Highly addictive; produce a sense of
well-being and have strong painrelieving properties.
• Morphine (analgesic)
• Codeine (painkiller)
• Heroin (most addictive)
• Methadone (anti-addictive)
Depressants
• Slow down mental and physical
activity by inhibiting transmission of
nerve impulses in the central nervous
system.
• Barbiturates (sedative)
• Benzodiazepines
(anti-anxiety)
• Alcohol
(1st psychoactive drug)
Alcohol
• Excessive use can
damage the liver and
other organs, prolong
medical conditions,
and impair memory
and motor control.
• About 15 million
Americans struggle
with alcohol abuse.
Stimulants
• Arouse the central nervous system,
speeding up mental and physical
responses.
• Cocaine
• Crack
• Amphetamines (speed)
• MDMA (ecstasy)
• Caffeine
• Nicotine
Dependence and Addiction
• Tolerance – the reduced effectiveness a
drug has after repeated use.
• Physical dependence – A process by
which the body adjusts to, and comes to
need, a drug for its everyday functioning.
Dependence and Addiction
• Addiction– a condition in which a person
continues to use a drug despite its
aversive effects.
– physical or psychological dependence
• Withdrawal – a pattern of uncomfortable
or painful symptoms experienced by the
user when the level of a drug is decreased
or eliminated.