Chapter 5

States of Consciousness

States of Consciousness

Consciousnessour awareness of ourselves and our

environment

States of Consciousness

Consciousnessour awareness of ourselves and

our environmentSelective Attention

the narrowing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

Meanings of Consciousness

Consciousness as Sensory AwarenessConsciousness of the senses around you

NAME SOME?

Consciousness as Direct Inner Awareness Thinking about feelings, and abstract concepts

NAME SOME?

Consciousness as Sense of SelfAwareness of ourselves and our surroundings

NAMES SOME?

Consciousness & Sleep

Sleep

Circadian rhythm

the biological clock cyclical bodily rhythms

Examples: wakefulness, body temperature, etc.

Sleep

Brain Waves and Sleep Stages

Alpha Wavesslow brain waves of a relaxed,

awake stateDelta Waves

large, slow waves of deep sleep

Brain Waves and Sleep Stages

Typical Nightly Sleep Stages

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4

3

2

1

Sleepstages

Awake

Hours of sleep

REM

Sleep DeprivationEffects of Sleep Loss

fatigueimpaired concentrationimmune suppressionirritabilityslowed performance

accidentsplanesautos and trucks

Sleep Deprivation

2,400

2,700

2,600

2,500

2,800

Spring time change(hour sleep loss)

3,600

4,200

4000

3,800

Fall time change(hour sleep gained)

Less sleep,more accidents

More sleep,fewer accidents

Monday before time change Monday after time change

Accident frequency

Sleep Deprivation

Are You Sleep Deprived?1. Need an alarm clock in order to wake up at the appropriate time.2. It’s a struggle for me to get out of bed in the morning.3. Weekday mornings I hit the snooze bar several times to get more sleep.4. I feel tired, irritable, and stressed out during the week.5. I have trouble concentrating and remembering.6. I feel slow with critical thinking, problem solving, and being creative.7. I often fall asleep watching TV.8. I often fall asleep in boring meetings or lectures or in warm rooms.9. I often fall asleep after heavy meals or after a low dose of alcohol. 10. I often fall asleep while relaxing after dinner.11. I often fall asleep within five minutes of getting into bed.12. I often feel drowsy while driving.13. I often sleep extra hours on weekend mornings.14. I often need a nap to get through the day.15. I have dark circles around my eyes.

Sleep Disorders

Insomniarecurring problems in falling or

staying asleepNarcolepsy

uncontrollable sleep attacks

Sleep Disorders

Sleep Apneatemporary cessation of breathing during

sleep and then reawakeningNight Terrors

appearance of being terrifiedusually in Stage 4, within 2-3 hours of

falling asleep

Sleep and Dreams

sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind

Sleep and Dreams

REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep

vivid dreams commonly occur

also known as paradoxical sleep

muscles relaxed; brain active!

Rapid Eye Movements

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4

3

2

1

Sleepstages

Awake

Hours of sleep

REM

Typical Nightly Sleep Stages

Hours of sleep

Minutesof Stage 4 and REM

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 80

10

15

20

25

5

Decreasing Stage 4

Increasing REM

REM Rebound

When deprived of REM sleep, we make it up!

Why We Dream: Two Hypotheses

1. Wish Fulfillment2. Activation Synthesis

Why We Dream: Two Hypotheses

The Interpretation of Dreams (Sigmund Freud, 1900)

Hypothesis 1: dreams are “wish fulfillment” allows discharge of unacceptable feelings!

Dreams-Freud

Manifest Contentremembered story line of a dream

Latent Contentunderlying, censored meaning of

a dream

Dreams Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis

Two partsrandom nerve cell firingscortical interpretation of random firings

Hypnosis

A social interaction in which one person (the hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts or behaviors will occur.

Hypnosis

Can anyone experience hypnosis?

Can hypnosis enhance the recall of forgotten events?

Does personality have anything to do with hypnosis?

Hypnosis

Can hypnosis force people to act against their will?

Can hypnosis be therapeutic?Can hypnosis alleviate pain?

Hypnosis

Unhypnotized persons can

also do this

Hypnosis

Posthypnotic Amnesiasupposed inability to recall

what one experienced during hypnosis

Hypnosis

Posthypnotic Suggestion suggestion to be carried out after the

subject is no longer hypnotizedused by some clinicians to control

undesired symptoms and behaviorscan be effective for headaches, asthma,

etc!

HypnosisDivided Consciousness or Social

Phenomenon?

Social Influencetheory:

the subject is so caughtup in the hypnotized role that she ignores

the odor

Attention is divertedfrom an aversive odor.

How?

Divided-consciousnesstheory:

hypnosis has caused asplit in awareness

Drugs and Consciousness

Psychological Dependencea psychological need for a drugfor example, to relieve negative emotions

Physical Dependence a physiological need for a drug marked by (1) withdrawal symptoms (2) tolerance

Drug Tolerance

Withdrawalphysical discomfort

that follows discontinued use of an addictive drug

Tolerancediminishing effect

with regular use of the same dose of a drug

After repeatedexposure, moredrug is needed to produce same effect

Drug dose

Drug effect

Response tofirst exposure

Drugs and Consciousness

Psychoactive Drug: a chemical substance that alters perceptions and alters mood

1. Depressants 2. Stimulants 3. Hallucinogens

Psychoactive Drugs

Depressantsdrugs that reduce neural activity and

slow body functions alcohol, barbiturates, opiates

Stimulantsdrugs that excite neural activity

and speed up body functionscaffeine, nicotine, amphetamines

Psychoactive Drugs

Hallucinogensmind-altering

drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images (e.g., marijuana, LSD)

Psychoactive Drugs: Depressants

Barbituratesdrugs that depress the

activity of the central nervous system

reduce anxiety but impair memory and judgement

Psychoactive Drugs: Depressants

Opiatesopium and its derivatives

(morphine and heroin)depress neural activity,

temporarily lessening pain and anxiety

Psychoactive Drugs: Stimulants

Amphetaminesdrugs that stimulate neural

activity, causing accelerated body functions

increase energy and positive mood

Psychoactive Drugs: Stimulants

The physiological effects of nicotine

Psychoactive DrugsDrug Type Pleasurable Effects Adverse Effects

Alcohol Depressant Initial high followed by Depression, memory loss, organ relaxation and disinhibition damage, impaired reactions

Heroin Depressant Rush of euphoria, relief from Depressed physiology, pain agonizing withdrawal

Caffeine Stimulant Increased alertness and Anxiety, restlessness, and wakefulness insomnia in high doses;

uncomfortable withdrawal

Metham- Stimulant Euphoria, alertness, energy Irritability, insomnia, phetamine hypertension, seizures

Cocaine Stimulant Rush of euphoria, confidence, Cardiovascular stress, energy suspiciousness, depressive crash

Nicotine Stimulant Arousal and relaxation, sense Heart disease, cancer (from tars) of well-being

Marijuana Mild Enhanced sensation, pain relief Lowered sex hormones, disrupted hallucinogen distortion of time, relaxation memory, lung damage from smoke

Trends in Drug Use

1975 ‘77 ‘79 ‘81 ‘83 ‘85 ‘87 ‘89 ‘91 ‘93 ‘95 ‘97 ‘99Year

80%

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

High schoolseniors

reportingdrug use

Alcohol

Marijuana/hashish

Cocaine

Perceived Marijuana Risk and Actual Use

‘75 ‘77 ‘79 ‘81 ‘83 ‘85 ‘87 ‘89 ‘91 ‘93 ‘95 ‘97 ‘99Year

100%

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Percentof

twelfthgraders

Perceived “great risk ofharm” in marijuana use

Used marijuana