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Chapter 5: States of Consciousness

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Consciousness

• The awareness of sensations, thoughts, and feelings being experienced at a given moment– Waking consciousness– Altered states of consciousness

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Stages of Sleep

• Stage 1– The stage of transition

between wakefulness and sleep that is characterized by relatively rapid, low voltage brain waves

• Stage 2– Characterized by a slower,

more regular wave pattern and momentary interruptions of sharply pointed spiky waves called sleep spindles

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Stages of Sleep

• Stage 3– Waves become slower,

with higher peaks and lower valleys in the wave pattern

• Stage 4– Waves are even slower

and more regular, and people are least responsive to outside stimulation

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The Sleep Cycle

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REM Sleep: The Paradox of Sleep

• Sleep that occupies a little over 20% of adult’s sleeping time and is characterized by

• Rapid eye movement

• Increased and irregular heart rate

• Increase in blood pressure

• Increase in breathing rate

• Erections in males• Usually

accompanied by dreams

• Person’s body is typically “paralyzed”

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REM Sleep: The Paradox of Sleep

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The Function and Meaning of Dreaming

• Unconscious wish fulfillment theory (Freud 1900)– Proposed that dreams represented

unconscious wishes that dreamers desire to see fulfilled

• Latent content refers to the “disguised” meaning of the dream

• Manifest content refers to the actual story line of the dream

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The Function and Meaning of Dreaming

• Dreams-for-survival theory– Dreams permit

information that is critical for our daily survival to be reconsidered and reprocessed during sleep

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The Function and Meaning of Dreaming

• Activations-synthesis theory– The brain produces random

electrical energy during REM sleep that stimulates memories lodged in various portions of the brain which are put together to make a logical story line

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Sleep Disturbances

• Insomnia

• Sleep apnea

• Sudden infant death syndrome

• Narcolepsy

• Sleepwalking

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Therapy For Insomnia

• Exercise during the day• Choose a regular bedtime• Don’t use your bed as an all purpose area• Avoid caffeine after lunch• Drink a glass of warm milk at bedtime• Avoid sleeping pills• Try not to sleep• Talk yourself into sleeping

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Circadian Rhythms: Life Cycles

• Biological processes that occur repeatedly on a 24-hour cycle– Seasonal

affective disorder

– Jet lag

• Daydreams

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Hypnosis

• Hypnosis– Originated by Franz Mesmer in the 18th

century, it is described as being in a trance-like state of heightened susceptibility to the suggestion of others

• Applications– Control pain, reduce smoking, treating

psychological disorders, assisting law enforcement, improving athletic performance

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Meditation

• Meditation – A learned technique for

refocusing attention that brings about an altered state of consciousness

• Mantra– Repetition of a word, a

sound, or a syllable

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Drug Use: The Highs and Lows of Consciousness

• Psychoactive drugs– Influences a person’s emotions,

perceptions, and behavior

• Addictive drugs– Produce a biological or psychological

dependence in the user, and withdrawal from them leads to a craving for the drug that, in some cases, may be nearly irresistible

– Biologically and psychological based

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Stimulants: Drug Highs

• Affect the central nervous system by causing a rise in heart rate, blood pressure, and muscular tension– Caffeine – Nicotine– cocaine– Amphetamines

• Methamphetamine– most dangerous street drug

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Stimulants: Drug Highs

• How much caffeine do you consume?

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Depressants: Drug Lows

• Impede the nervous system by causing neurons to fire more slowly– Alcohol

• Rohypnol• Binge drinking

– Barbiturates• Nembutal• Seconal• Phenobarbital

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Depressants: Drug Lows

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Narcotics: Relieving Pain and Anxiety

• Increase relaxation and relieve pain and anxiety

• Heroin– Methadone treatment

• Morphine

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Hallucinogens: Psychedelic Drugs

• Drugs that are capable of producing hallucinations, or changes in the perceptual process– Marijuana– MDMA (Ecstasy)– LSD