consciousness
TRANSCRIPT
CHAPTERCHAPTER 55ConsciousnessConsciousness
Choose 1 topic and write a Journal Entry about it
1. An article on Lucid Dreaming2. An article on Power Nap (“Siesta Time: Power Napping” written
for The Economist, 2002)3. Hypnosis as a part of Therapy Process4. Internet use brings you into an altered state of consciousness5. Unconscious Thought
Do you believe that the unconscious exists? Do you believe that the unconscious influences your behavior? Should the concept of the unconscious continue to be studied by psychologists?
Are you surprised by how much time you spend online each day? Are you surprised by how much time you spend online in one sitting? Does it feel like it is that much time as you are online? Do you want to decrease your daily time online? Why or why not? Do you think you are ever going with the flow when you are online? Do you think that Internet use can be considered an altered state of consciousness? Why or why not?
Learning Outcomes
Define consciousness.
Explain the nature of sleep and various sleep disorders.
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
Explain various uses of hypnosis, forms of medication, and biofeedback techniques in altering consciousness.
Explain the concepts of substance abuse; identify categories of drugs and how they alter consciousness.
Learning Outcomes
What is Consciousness?What is Consciousness?
Consciousness
Sensory AwarenessSelective AttentionDirect Inner AwarenessSense of SelfWaking State
ConsciousnessThe awareness of the
sensations, thoughts, and feelings being experienced
at a given momentWaking consciousness Altered states of
consciousness
Ryan McVay/Getty Images
Preconscious, Unconscious, Nonconscious PreconsciousNot currently in awareness, but readily available
UnconsciousUnavailable to awareness under most circumstances
NonconsciousBodily processes that can not be experienced through
sensory awareness
Sleep and Sleep and DreamsDreams
Biological and Circadian Rhythms
Circadian rhythm is a cycle that is connected with the 24-hour period of Earth’s rotationCycle of wakefulness and sleep
The Stages of SleepUsing EEG records, sleep stages are recorded
by different brain wavesNonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep
First four stages of sleepStage 1 is lightest; Stage 4 is deepest
Rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep
Stages of SleepStage 1
The stage of transition between wakefulness and sleep that is characterized by relatively rapid, low-voltage brain waves
The Stages of SleepStage 1
Slow down from alpha waves to theta waves
Hypnagogic state may be experienced
Stage 2– Characterized by a
slower, more regular wave pattern and momentary interruptions of sharply pointed spiky waves called sleep spindles
Stages of SleepStage 3
Brain waves become slower with an appearance of higher peaks and lower valleys in the wave pattern
Stage 4Deepest stage of
sleep where people are least responsive to outside stimuli and the wave patterns are more slower and regular
Delta waves
Sleep Cycles
90-100 minutes per cycleSleep patterns change during the night.Typical night
60% - Stages 1 & 2 sleep20% - Stages 3 & 4 sleep20% - REM sleep
Sleep Cycles
The Stages of Sleep
REM sleepRapid eye movementsParadoxical sleepWhen awakened in REM sleep, 80% report dreams
Typical Night of Sleep
Tend to undergo 5 cycles through the stages of sleep
First time in stage 4 sleep is usually the longest
Sleep becomes lighter as the night wears on
REM sleep becomes longer as night wears onLast REM period may be about 30 minutes
Sleep Cycles
Functions of SleepRejuvenates the bodyHelps us recover from stressHelps us consolidate learning and
memoriesProblem-solving
May promote development of infants’ brains
Amount of Sleep
Amount of sleep needed may be partly genetically determined
Additional sleep is needed when you are under stress
As you age, you require less sleep
Sleep, Learning and Memory
Individuals deprived of REM sleepLearn more slowlyForget what they have learned quicker
Show REM rebound
DreamsCognitive activity that occurs while you are sleeping
Most vivid during REM sleepMay dream in color or black and white
Pleasant dream or nightmare
Do blind people dream?
Why Do We Dream What We Dream?
Memories of the day Traumatic events – NightmaresReflections of unconscious desires – Freud
What does PET Scan reveal limbic and paralimbic regions (associated with emotion & motivation)
-active during REM sleep
Association areas of prefrontal cortex (regions that control logical analysis & attention)inactive during REM
Source: Feldman
Activation-Synthesis Model of DreamingAcetylcholine and the pons stimulate responses that lead to dreamingReticular activation system stimulates parts of the cortex involved in memory
part of the brain involved in attention, sleep, and arousal
Cortex then synthesizes sources of stimulation into dreams (most likely dream of recent events
Sleep Disorders
InsomniaNarcolepsyApnea
Deep Sleep DisordersOccur in stage 3 or 4 sleepMore common in children
Sleep TerrorsBed-WettingSleepwalking
Altering Consciousness Altering Consciousness Through Hypnosis, Through Hypnosis, Meditation, and BiofeedbackMeditation, and Biofeedback
HypnosisAltered state of consciousness in which people
are suggestible and behave as though in a trance
Used in medical proceduresHypnotic tranceHypnotic suggestibility
Explaining the Effects of Hypnosis
Role theory explains hypnotic events in the terms of the person’s ability to act as though he or she were hypnotized
Response set theory views that response expectancies play a key role in the production of the experiences suggested by the hypnotistPositive response
VIDEO: Weight Loss Hypnosis
MeditationFocusing consciousness to alter relationship
between the self and the environmentTranscendental Meditation (TM)
Far Eastern MeditationUse of mantrasRelaxation response
Mindfulness Meditation (MM)Focus on the present momentDialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
BiofeedbackA system that provides information about a
bodily function in order to gain some control over it
Biofeedback training (BFT)helps combat stress, tension and anxiety
Electromyograph (EMG)Monitors muscle tension
Altering Altering ConsciousnessConsciousnessThrough DrugsThrough Drugs
Drug Use: The Highs and Lows of Consciousness
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Drug Use: The Highs And Lows of Consciousness
Psychoactive drugsInfluence a person’s emotions, perceptions, and behavior
Jack Star/PhotoLink/Getty Images
Addictive drugsProduce 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
Substance Abuse and Dependence
Substance abuse is repeated use of a substance despite impaired functioning
Substance dependence is characterized by loss of control over use of the substance
Tolerance - habituation to a drug, with the result that increasingly higher doses of the drug are needed to achieve similar effects
Withdrawal symptoms - a characteristic cluster of symptoms that results from sudden decrease in an addictive drug’s level of usage
Psychological dependence
signs include anxiety including shakiness, rapid pulse and sweating which can be mistaken for physiological dependence
Biological dependence
the body becomes so accustomed to functioning in the presence of a drug that it cannot function in its absence.
Delirium Tremens (DT’s)experienced by chronic alcoholics when they
suddenly lower their intake of alcohol. (physiological) Symptoms include:
heavy sweatingRestlessnessgeneral disorientation terrifying hallucinations
Causes of Substance Abuse and DependenceExperimentationReinforcement by peers or positive effects
Avoidance of withdrawal effectsGenetic predisposition toward physiological dependence
Stimulants: Drug HighsAffect the central nervous system by causing a rise in heart rate, blood pressure, and muscular tensionCaffeineNicotineCocaine “crack”Amphetamines “speed”
Jack Star/PhotoLink/Getty Images
Depressants: Drug LowsImpede the nervous system by
causing neurons to fire more slowly
Alcohol (pain relief)- Rohypnol
Tranquilizers (anxiety reduction)Ryan McVay/Getty Images
Barbiturates (sleeping pill)- produce a sense of relaxation- Deadly when combined with alcohol Nembutal Seconal Phenobarbital
Depressants: Drug Lows
Narcotics: Relieving Pain and Anxiety
Increase relaxation and relieve pain and anxietyHeroinMethadoneMorphine
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OpiatesGroup of narcotics derived from
the opium poppyLaboratory produced opioids
Morphine, heroin, codeine, Demerol
Major application is pain reliefProvides a strong euphoric “rush”
Hallucinogens: Psychedelic DrugsDrugs that are capable of producing hallucinations, or changes in the perceptual processMarijuana (THC active ingredient)MDMA (Ecstasy)LSD Royalty-Free/CORBIS
End of discussion
Psychoactive drugs influence a person’s perceptions, emotions, and behavior (Feldman, 2008)
Depressants
Stimulants
Tolerance habituation to a drug, with the result that increasingly higher doses of the drug are needed to achieve similar effects
AlcoholMost abused drug
Binge drinkingWhat about Filipino adolescents?Alcohol ads
AlcoholDepressant
Slows activity of central nervous system
EffectsLowers inhibitionsImpairs cognitive functioning and coordination
AlcoholMen more likely to become
alcoholic than womenAlcohol has stronger effect on women
Biological constraintsCan lead to physiological
dependence
OpiatesGroup of narcotics derived from
the opium poppyLaboratory produced opioids
Morphine, heroin, codeine, Demerol
Major application is pain reliefProvides a strong euphoric “rush”
Can lead to dependence: stops the production of endorphins
Heroin was once used as a cure for addiction to morphine
Methadone (slower) is used to treat dependence on heroin
BarbituratesDepressants with medical uses
Relaxation, pain management, treatment of epilepsy, high blood pressure and insomnia
Produces mild euphoriaRapidly lead to dependenceDangerous to mix barbiturates and
alcohol
StimulantsAmphetaminesTaken in high doses produces
euphoric feelingMay cause insomnia, restlessness, psychotic symptoms and a “crash” upon withdrawal
StimulantsTolerance develops quickly and
users may become dependentRitalin
Common treatment for hyperactive children (immature cerebral cortex)
Decrease aggression
StimulantsCocaine
Stimulant that produces euphoric feelings
Physical dangersSudden rises in blood pressure, decreased oxygen supply to the heart, quickened heart rate
OverdoseCan cause restlessness and insomnia, tremors, headaches, nausea, convulsions, hallucinations, delusions, cardiorespiratory collapse
How Cocaine Produces Euphoria and Why People “Crash”
LSDSynthetic hallucinogenProduces vivid, colorful hallucination