Transcript States of Consciousness

CHAPTER 5
States of
Consciousness
PowerPoint  Lecture Notes Presentation
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Understanding Consciousness

Consciousness: an organism’s
awareness of its own self & surroundings

Alternate States of Consciousness
(ASCs): mental states, other than
ordinary waking consciousness, found
during sleep, dreaming, psychoactive
drug use, hypnosis, etc.
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Understanding Consciousness
 Controlled
Processes: Mental
activities requiring focused
attention
 Automatic
Processes: Mental
activities requiring minimal
attention
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Daydreams
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Effortless shifts in attention
Come in waves
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About every 90 minutes
Peak between noon and 2 p.m.
Average person spends half their waking hours
fantasizing
Momentary escape
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Waking Consciousness
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Awareness is a small part of consciousness
Competing stimuli
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External (sounds, etc)
Internal (pressure, pain)
Select important stimuli; ignore everything
else
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Sleep & Dreams: Circadian Rhythms
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Circadian Rhythms: Biological changes
occurring on a 24-hour cycle
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Our energy level, mood, learning, & alertness
all vary throughout the day.
Sections of the hypothalamus called the
suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) & the pineal
gland regulate these changes.
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Sleep & Dreams:
Disrupted Circadian Rhythms
 Disrupted
circadian rhythms from
shift work, jet lag, & sleep deprivation
may cause alterations in mood,
concentration, motivation, attention,
& motor skills.
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Sleep & Dreams: Stages of Sleep
(NREM Sleep)

NREM sleep
(Non-Rapid-Eye-Movement):
 includes Stages 1 through 4
 involves lower-frequency brain waves,
decreased pulse & breathing,&
occasional, simple dreams
 serves a biological need (NREM needs
met before REM needs)
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Sleep & Dreams: Stages of Sleep
(REM Sleep)
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REM (Rapid-Eye-Movement) Sleep:
 light sleep (also called paradoxical sleep)
 involves high-frequency brain waves,
increased pulse & breathing, large muscles
 serves a biological need
 may play a role in learning & consolidating
new memories
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Sleep & Dreams:
Stages of Sleep in a Typical Night
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Pause & Reflect:
Assessment

Judging by the
cat’s posture,
which cat is in
NREM sleep
and which is in
REM sleep?
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Sleep & Dreams: Research
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The EEG,
EOG, &
EMG are
common
tools for
sleep
research.
Sleep & Dreams:
Stages of Sleep & Brain Waves
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Sleep & Dreams: Over the Life Span
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Sleep & Dreams: Average Daily Hours of
Sleep for Different Mammals
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Sleep & Dreams: Why Do We Sleep?
 Repair/Restoration
Theory: sleep
helps us recuperate from daily
activities
 Evolutionary/Circadian Theory:
sleep evolved to conserve energy &
as protection from predators
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Sleep & Dreams: Why Do We Dream?
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Psychoanalytic Theory: dreams
are disguised symbols (manifest versus latent
content) of repressed desires & anxieties
Biological View (activation-synthesis
hypothesis): dreams are simple by-products of
random stimulation of brain cells
Cognitive View: dreams are a type of information
processing
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Sleep & Dreams: Sleep Disorders
Two major categories:
1.
Dyssomnias: problems in amount,
timing, & quality of sleep
2.
Parasomnias: abnormal
disturbances during sleep
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Sleep & Dreams:
Three Forms of Dyssomnias
Insomnia: persistent
problems in falling
asleep, staying asleep,
or awakening too early
 Sleep Apnea: repeated interruption of
breathing during sleep
 Narcolepsy: sudden & irresistible onsets
of sleep during normal waking hours
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Insomnia
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Difficulty falling asleep
35 million Americans
Most grow out of stress and are temporary
Medication
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May cause anxiety, memory loss, hallucinations,
and violent behavior
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Sleep Apnea
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Affects 10 to 12 million people
Breathing difficulties
Snoring
Victim stops breathing after falling asleep
Carbon dioxide rises, person aroused just
short of waking consciousness
May occur 100s of times per night
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Narcolepsy
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Hereditary
Sudden nodding off
Loss of muscle tone after excitement
Enter REM sleep immediately
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Results in frightening hallucinations
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Dream while still partly awake
May arise due to a defect in the CNS
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Sleep & Dreams: Narcolepsy in Dogs
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Sleep & Dreams: Two Forms of
Parasomnias
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Nightmares: anxiety-arousing dreams
occurring near the end of sleep, during
REM sleep
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Night Terrors: abrupt awakenings from
NREM sleep accompanied by intense
physiological arousal & feelings of panic
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Night Terrors (cont’d)
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In adults
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Personality disorders
Drug/alcohol abusers
Brain injuries (epilepsy)
Nightmares and night terrors diminish with
age
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Sleepwalking/talking
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Sleeptalking/walking occurs in stage 4
More common among children
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About 20%
Boys sleepwalk more than girls
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Psychoactive Drugs
 Psychoactive
Drugs: chemicals that
change conscious awareness, mood,
or perception
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Psychoactive Drugs:
Important Terms

Drug Abuse: Drug taking that causes
emotional or physical harm to the
individual or others
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Addiction: Compulsion to use a specific
drug or to engage in a certain activity
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Psychoactive Drugs:
Important Terms (Continued)
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Psychological Dependence: Desire or
craving to achieve effects produced
by drug
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Physical Dependence: Changes in
bodily processes that make a drug
necessary for minimal functioning
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Psychoactive Drugs:
Important Terms (Continued)
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Withdrawal: Discomfort & distress
experienced after stopping the use
of addictive drugs
Tolerance: Bodily adjustment to
higher & higher levels of a drug
leading to decreased sensitivity
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Psychoactive Drugs: How Drugs Work
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Agonist Drug: Mimics a
neurotransmitter’s effect
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Antagonist Drug: Blocks normal
neurotransmitter functioning
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How Psychoactive Drugs Work
(Agonists vs. Antagonists)
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Psychoactive Drugs: Four Categories
1.
Depressants:
Act on the CNS
to suppress
bodily processes
(e.g., alcohol,
valium)
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Psychoactive Drugs:
Depressants (Continued)
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Psychoactive Drugs: Stimulants
2. Stimulants:
Act on the
CNS to
increase bodily
processes
(e.g., caffeine,
nicotine,
cocaine)
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Pause & Reflect:
Psychology at Work

Studying
psychology helps
explain why and
how the stimulant
methamphetamine
destroys the teeth
& gums of chronic
users.
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Psychoactive Drugs: Opiates
3. Opiates:
Act as an
analgesic or pain
reliever (e.g.,
morphine, heroin)
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How Cocaine Mimics Endorphins
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Psychoactive Drugs: Hallucinogens
4. Hallucinogens:
Produce sensory
or perceptual
distortions called
hallucinations
(e.g., LSD,
marijuana)
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Psychology at Work: Club Drug Alert!
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Popular “Club Drugs”:
 Date Rape Drug (Rohypnol)
 MDMA (Ecstasy)
 GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate)
 Special K (Ketamine)
 Crystal Meth (Methamphetamine)
 LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide)
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Healthier Ways to Alter Consciousness
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Meditation: group of
techniques designed
to refocus attention,
block out all
distractions, &
produce an ASC
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Healthier Ways to Alter Consciousness
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Hypnosis:
Trancelike state
of heightened
suggestibility,
deep relaxation,
& intense focus
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Healthier Ways to Alter Consciousness
 Hypnosis
is used to treat chronic
pain, severe burns, dentistry,
childbirth, psychotherapy.
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Pause & Reflect:
Assessment
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Do you recognize the following
myths about hypnosis?
Forced hypnosis
Unethical behavior
Exceptional memory
Superhuman strength
Fakery
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End of CHAPTER 5
States of
Consciousness
PowerPoint  Lecture Notes Presentation
© John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2010