Myers’ PSYCHOLOGY

(5th Ed)

Chapter 7

States of Consciousness

James A. McCubbin, PhDClemson University

Worth Publishers

States of Consciousness

Consciousness our awareness of ourselves and our

environments

Fantasy Prone Personality imagines and recalls experiences

with lifelike vividness spends considerable time fantasizing

Sleep and Dreams

Circadian rhythm the biological clock regular bodily rhythms that occur

on a 24 hour cycle wakefulness body temperature

Sleep and Dreams

REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep recurring sleep stage vivid dreams paradoxical sleep

muscles are generally relaxed, but other body systems are active

Brain Waves and Sleep Stages

Alpha Waves slow waves of a relaxed, awake

brainDelta Waves

large, slow waves of deep sleep Hallucinations

false sensory experiences

Typical Nightly Sleep Stages

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

Sleep Deprivation

Effects of Sleep Loss fatigue impaired concentration immune suppression irritability slowed performance

accidents• planes• autos 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 Disorders

Insomnia persistent problems in falling

or staying asleep

Narcolepsy uncontrollable sleep attacks

Sleep Disorders

Sleep Apnea cessation of breathing often associated with snoring repeatedly awakes sufferer

Night Terrors high arousal- appearance of being

terrified usually in Stage 4, within 2-3 hours of

falling asleep

Night Terrors and Nightmares

Night Terrors occur within 2 or

3 hours of falling asleep

during Stage 4

Nightmares occur toward

morning during REM sleep

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4

3

2

1

Sleepstages

Awake

Hours of sleep

REM

Dreams- FreudSigmund Freud- The Interpretation of

Dreams (1900) wish fulfillment discharge otherwise unacceptable

feelingsManifest Content

remembered story lineLatent Content

underlying, uncensored meaning

Dreams

Information Processing helps consolidate day’s memories stimulates neural development

REM Rebound REM sleep increases following REM

sleep deprivation

Hypnosis

Hypnosis a social interaction in which one

person (the hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts or behaviors will spontaneously occur

a relaxed state

HypnosisPosthypnotic Amnesia

supposed inability to recall what one experienced during hypnosis

induced by the hypnotist’s suggestionSuggestibility

related to subject’s openness to suggestion

ability to focus attention inwardly ability to become imaginatively absorbed

Hypnosis

Memory sometimes a relaxed, focused state can

improve recall “hypnotically refreshed” memories are

unreliable false memories or pseudomemories can

be implantedintentionallyunintentionally

Hypnosis

Unhypnotized persons can

also do this

HypnosisOrne & Evans (1965)

control group instructed to “pretend” unhypnotized subjects performed the

same acts as the hypnotized onesPosthypnotic Suggestion

suggestion to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized

used by some clinicians to control undesired symptoms and behaviors

Hypnosis and Pain

Dissociation a split in consciousness allows some thoughts and behaviors to

occur simultaneously with othersHidden Observer

Hilgard’s term describing a hypnotized subject’s awareness of experiences, such as pain, that go unreported during hypnosis

Drugs and ConsciousnessPsychoactive Drug

a chemical substance that alters perceptions and alters mood

Physical Dependence physiological need for a drug marked by unpleasant withdrawal

symptomsPsychological Dependence

a psychological need to use a drug for example, to relieve negative emotions

Dependence

Tolerance need for

progressively larger doses to achieve same effect

Withdrawal discomfort and

distress with discontinued use

After repeatedexposure, moredrug is needed to produce same effect

Drug dose

Drug effect

Response tofirst exposure

Psychoactive DrugsDepressants

drugs that reduce neural activity slow body function

alcohol, barbiturates, opiates

Stimulants drugs that excite neural activity speed up body function

caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines

Psychoactive Drugs

Hallucinogens psychedelic (mind-

manifesting) drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory inputLSD

Psychoactive DrugsBarbiturates

drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgement

Psychoactive Drugs

Opiates opium and its derivatives

(morphine and heroin) opiates depress neural

activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety

Psychoactive Drugs

Amphetamines drugs that stimulate neural

activity, causing accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes

Cocaine Euphoria and Crash

Psychoactive Drugs

LSD lysergic acid diethylamide a powerful hallucinogenic drug also known as acid

THC the major active ingredient in

marijuana triggers a variety of effects, including

mild hallucinations

Trends in Drug Use

‘76 ‘78 ‘80 ‘82 ‘84 ‘86 ‘88 ‘90 ‘92 ‘94 ‘960

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Year

Percentage of high schoolseniors reporting use

Alcohol

Marijuana/hashish

Cocaine

Near Death Experiences

Near Death Experience an altered state

of consciousness reported after a close brush with death

often similar to drug-induced hallucinations

Near Death Experiences

Dualism the presumption that mind and body

are two distinct entities that interact

Monism the presumption that mind and body

are different aspects of the same thing