PSYCHOLOGYSLEEP

Altered States of Consciousness

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Consciousness & Information Processing

The unconscious mind processes information simultaneously on multiple tracks, while the

conscious mind processes information sequentially.

Conscious mind

Unconscious mind

The Preconscious Level

• Preconscious thought is stored knowledge that is retrievable into conscious awareness.

The Nonconscious Level

• The nonconscious level refers to bodily processes, such as the growing of hair, of which we are not aware.

The Unconscious Level

• Information stored in the unconscious level is unavailable to awareness under most circumstances.

Altered States of Consciousness

• In altered states of consciousness, a person’s sense of self or sense of the world changes.

• Examples: sleep and hypnosis

Different Levels of Consciousness

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Sleep & Dreams

Sleep – the irresistible tempter to whom we inevitably succumb.

Mysteries about sleep and dreams have just startedunraveling in sleep laboratories around the world.

Sleep & Dreams

Disc Jockey – Peter Tripp Sleep is a state of altered consciousness Consciousness – a state of awareness,

including a person’s feelings, sensations, ideas and perceptions

Consciousness ranges from alertness to non-alertness

Sleep has been difficult to study until recently

EEG – electroencephalograph – records electrical activity in the brain

Why do we sleep?

Sleep is characterized by unresponsiveness to the environment and usually limited physical mobility.

Some people believe sleep is used to “recharge their batteries.”

Others believe sleep is a primitive hibernation to conserve energy.

Some believe we slept at night to stay out of harm’s way.

Some researchers believe we sleep to clear our minds and dream.

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Sleep Theories

1. Sleep Protects: Sleeping in the darkness when predators loomed about kept our ancestors out of harm’s way.

2. Sleep Recuperates: Sleep helps restore and repair brain tissue.

3. Sleep Helps Remembering: Sleep restores and rebuilds our fading memories.

4. Sleep and Growth: During sleep, the pituitary gland releases growth hormone. Older people release less of this hormone and sleep less.

• People need sleep to revive the tired body and build up resistance to infection.

• Sleep may help people recover from stress and consolidate memories.

• REM sleep seems to help animals and people learn, remember, and retain information.

• REM sleep is when we have the most vivid dreams.

• People dream in color and in black and white.

• People seem to dream in “real time.”

• People do not always remember their dreams.

Dreams

The Importance of Sleep and Dreams

• Sigmund Freud theorized that dreams reflect a person’s unconscious wishes and urges.

• He also believed people dream in symbols as a way to deal with painful material they cannot otherwise deal with consciously.

The Freudian View

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Measuring sleep: About every 90 minutes, we pass through a cycle of five distinct

sleep stages.

Sleep Stages

Hank Morgan/ Rainbow

Stages of Sleep

As you sleep several things happen:Body temperature decreasesPulse rate dropsEyes closeBody may twitch and eyes may rollBrief visual images flash across your

mindEEG shows alpha waves which are

associated with absence of concentrated thought & relaxation.

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During early, light sleep (stages 1-2) the brain enters a high-amplitude, slow, regular wave form called theta waves (5-8 cps). A person who is daydreaming shows theta

activity.

Sleep Stages 1-2

Theta Waves

Early Stages of Sleep

Stage 1Pulse slows more and muscles relaxBreathing becomes uneven and brain

waves grow irregular.Lasts up to 10 minutesIf awakened you would report that you

were just drifting

Early Stages of Sleep

Stage IIEyes roll slowly from side to sideLasts about 30 minutes

Stage IIILarge amplitude delta waves begin to sweep

your brain every second.

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During deepest sleep (stages 3-4), brain activity slows down. There are large-

amplitude, slow delta waves (1.5-4 cps).

Sleep Stages 3-4

Later Stages of Sleep

Stage IV is the deepest stage of all.Hard to wake and will be disoriented

if awakenedTalking, sleepwalking & bedwetting

occur during this stage with no memory

REM Sleep

Rapid Eye Movement (REM)- active sleepPulse & breathing become irregularAdrenal & sexual hormone levels riseFace & fingers twitch while large muscles are

paralyzedBrain waves similar to that of an awake personLasts 15-45 minutesEntire sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutesStage IV sleep decreases with each cycle while

REM sleep increases until you wake up

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Stage 5: REM Sleep

After reaching the deepest sleep stage (4), the sleep cycle starts moving backward

towards stage 1. Although still asleep, the brain engages in low- amplitude, fast and regular beta waves (15-40 cps) much like

awake-aroused state.

A person during this sleep exhibitsRapid Eye Movements (REM)

and reports vivid dreams.

Brain Waves During Sleep

Frequency of Sleep Stages

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90-Minute Cycles During Sleep

With each 90-minute cycle, stage 4 sleep decreases and the duration of REM sleep

increases.

How Much Sleep?

Amount needed varies considerablyNewborns sleep up to 16 hours while

70 years and older may sleep only 5 hours

Circadian rhythm – biological clock that is genetically programmed to regulate physiological responses during the day

Missing sleep disrupts this rhythm (jet lag)

Sleep Disorders

InsomniaSleep ApneaNarcolepsyNightmares & Night TerrorsSleepwalking & Sleep Talking

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Why do we sleep?

We spend one-third of our lives sleeping.

If an individual remains awake for several days, they

deteriorate in terms of immune function, concentration, and

accidents.

Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc./ C

orbis

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Sleep Deprivation

1. Fatigue and subsequent death.

2. Impaired concentration.

3. Emotional irritability.

4. Depressed immune system.

5. Greater vulnerability.

Insomnia

Insomnia – a prolonged and usually abnormal inability to obtain adequate sleep

Do not feel rested the next dayInsomnia has many causes including

anxiety, depression, alcohol and drug use

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Accidents

Frequency of accidents increase with loss of sleep

Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea – a sleep disorder in which a person has trouble breathing while sleeping

Identified by snoring that lasts 10-15 seconds then ends suddenly with a movement of the body

During this time the person is actually choking which triggers breathing reflexes

Affects 1% of population, especially older and obese persons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QcmK24ZNyQ

Sleep Labs

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy – a condition characterized by suddenly falling asleep or feeling very sleepy during the day

Feel like you are having dreamlike hallucinations and/or temporary paralysis

Sleep attacks occur accompanied by brief periods of REM sleep.

Victims have trouble with work, relationships, leisure and are prone to accidents.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN1_yS6_5T4

Nightmares & Night Terrors

Nightmares occur during the dream phase of REM sleep

Person usually wakes with a vivid movie-like memory of the dream.

Night terrors occur during Stage IV sleep and can last 5-20 minutes.

May involve sweating, screaming, confusion and a rapid heart rate.

May wake suddenly and usually have no memory of night terrors

Sleepwalking

Sleepwalking – walking or carrying out behaviors while sleeping.

Usually occurs among children who outgrow it.

Typically have no memory of event.Has been associated with stress,

fatigue and the use of sedativesUsually harmless unless a fall occursIt is not dangerous to wake

sleepwalkers

Sleep Talking

Common sleep disruptionMost people talk in their sleep and do

not remember doing soCan occur during various stages and

can be one word or several words.Can possibly engage them in

conversation

Dreams

Dreams – mental activity that takes place during sleep

Many dreams are not remembered. Sleep researchers wake people during the night

to record their dreams. Early dreams are brief and vague while later

dreams are more vivid and dramatic. The last dream is usually the longest and the one

people remember. People deprived of REM sleep will increase their

amount of time in REM sleep making it appear that dreaming is necessary.

Dreams

600 hours of dreams per year1500 dreams per year100,000 dreams in your lifetime8-10 dreams are negative1-10 male dreams are sexual in

nature1-30 female dreams are sexual in

nature65% of male dreams contain men50% of female dreams contain men

Content of Dreams

Most dreams collected by researchers are common and dull.

Most dreams incorporate everyday activities.

Dreams usually have a large % of negative or unpleasant emotions.

Dreams correspond to a realistic time scale and do not occur in a split second.

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What do we Dream?

1. Negative Emotional Content: 8 out of 10 dreams have negative emotional content.

2. Failure Dreams: People commonly dream about failure, being attacked, pursued, rejected, or struck with misfortune.

3. Sexual Dreams: Contrary to our thinking, sexual dreams are sparse. Sexual dreams in men are 1 in 10; and in women 1 in 30.

4. Dreams of Gender: Women dream of men and women equally; men dream more about men than women.

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Why do we dream?

1. Wish Fulfillment: Sigmund Freud suggested that dreams provide a psychic safety valve to discharge unacceptable feelings. The dream’s manifest (apparent) content may also have symbolic meanings (latent content) that signify our unacceptable feelings.

2. Information Processing: Dreams may help sift, sort, and fix a day’s experiences in our memories.

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Why do we dream?

3. Physiological Function: Dreams provide the sleeping brain with periodic stimulation to develop and preserve neural pathways. Neural networks of newborns are quickly developing; therefore, they need more sleep.

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Why do we dream?

4. Activation-Synthesis Theory: Suggests that the brain engages in a lot of random neural activity. Dreams make sense of this activity.

5. Cognitive Development: Some researchers argue that we dream as a part of brain maturation and cognitive development.All dream researchers believe we need REM sleep. When

deprived of REM sleep and then allowed to sleep,we show increased REM sleep called REM Rebound.

Dream Interpretation

Many believe dreams contain hidden meanings including Freud.

Some scientists feel dreaming is just brain activity with little meaning.

Others believe dreams are meeting with spirits, a way of address problems, or removing unpleasant thoughts.

Dream Theory

Daydreaming

Involves low level of awareness and involves fantasizing but directed thinking while we are awake.

Daydream when we are bored or in situations that require little attention.

Reminds us of or prepares us for future events.

Improve creativity and generates thought process.

Some psychologists believe daydreaming helps us control our emotions.

Hypnosis

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Hypnosis

Hypnos: Greek god of sleep

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A social interaction in which one person

(the hypnotist) suggests to another

(the subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously

occur.

Hypnosis

Victor RauschHypnosis – a state of consciousness

resulting from a narrowed focus of attention and characterized by heightened suggestibility

May recall forgotten incidentsHypnosis does not put a person to

sleep.People become highly receptive and

responsive to internal and external stimuli.

Hypnosis

Helps to relax and focus on one tiny aspect of reality while ignoring others.

Can be convinced to do things that one would not normally do

Psychologists try to solve problems or learn more about how the mind works.

Mutual trust is important for hypnosis to be successful.

Hypnosis

Barber feels that if people try hard they can do what they would if hypnotized.

Hypnotism reveals that people often have potential abilities they do not use.

Used by athletes Posthypnotic suggestion – a suggestion

made during hypnosis that influences the participant’s behavior afterward.

Used to reduce pain, quit smoking & lose weight.

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Aspects of Hypnosis

1. Posthypnotic Suggestion: Suggestion carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized.

2. Posthypnotic Amnesia: Supposed inability to recall what one experienced during hypnosis.

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Strength, stamina, and perceptual and memory abilities similarly affect those who are hypnotized and those who are

not hypnotized.

Hypnotic Feats

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Facts and Falsehood

Those who practice hypnosis agree that its power resides in the subject’s openness to

suggestion.

Can anyone experience hypnosis?Yes, to some extent.

Can hypnosis enhance recall of forgotten events?

No.

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Facts and Falsehood

Can hypnosis be therapeutic?Yes. Self-

suggestion can heal too.

Can hypnosis alleviate pain?Yes. Lamaze can

do that too.

Can hypnosis force people to act against their will?

No.

Hypnosis is a condition in which people appear to be highly suggestible and to behave as if they are in a trance. Some psychologists believe that hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness. Others wonder whether hypnosis is truly an altered state of consciousness.

• Hypnosis dates back to the late 1700s with the work of Franz Mesmer.

• Today doctors and psychologists use hypnosis in a variety of ways: as an anesthetic, to help reduce anxiety, manage pain, or overcome fears.

The History of Hypnosis

Hypnosis: Myths and Realities

• Professional hypnotists may put people into a hypnotic trance by asking them to focus on something specific.

• People who are easily hypnotized are said to have hypnotic suggestibility.

Achieving Hypnosis

Meditation

Meditation – the focusing of attention to clear one’s mind and produce relaxation

Various types of meditation have been used for thousands of years.

Researchers generally agree that meditation provides benefits through relaxation.

Hypnosis and Pain Prevention• Hypnosis has been used to help people prevent pain.• A similar effect can be achieved through relaxation

techniques and breathing exercises.

Hypnosis and Memory• Hypnosis is not a reliable approach to help people remember

details of a crime.• Many psychologists argue that material recalled under

hypnosis should not be used as testimony in trials.

The Uses of Hypnosis

Hypnosis and Quitting Bad Habits• Therapists may use posthypnotic suggestion to help people

quit a bad habit. • In posthypnotic suggestion, the therapist gives

instruction during the hypnosis that the patient is to carry out after the session has ended.

Interesting Sleep Notes

1989 Michael Doucette – safest teen driver

Sleep 25 years of your lifeWho gets more sleep? Men or

Women20% of U.S. auto accidents related to

sleepYawning – increases alertness

Interesting Sleep Notes

Can you learn during sleep?Up to 25 years old men spend ½

their time sleeping in an aroused state

1942 – 7.6 hours of sleep2001 – 6.7 hours of sleepInvention of light

Interesting Sleep Notes

Bilingual people will dream in which language?

If you fall in your dream will you die?Forget what happens about 5

minutes before you fall to sleep.

Drugs and Consciousness• Depressants slow down the nervous system,

stimulants increase the activity of the nervous system, and hallucinogens produce hallucinations.

• Treatments for drug abuse include detoxification, maintenance programs, counseling, and support groups.

Section 4 at a Glance

• Many drugs are addictive. Addiction to a drug means that after the person takes that drug for a while, the body craves it just to feel normal.

• Depressants are drugs that slow the activity of the nervous system.

• Alcohol is the most widely used drug in the United States.

• Alcohol is a depressant. • It causes intoxication, or

drunkenness. • Regular consumption can

lead to addiction.

Alcohol

Depressants

• Narcotics are addictive depressants used to relieve pain and induce sleep.

• Many are derived from the opium poppy plant.

• They include morphine and heroin.

Narcotics

• Stimulants increase the activity of the nervous system.• They include nicotine, amphetamines, methamphetamines,

and cocaine.

• Nicotine is one of the most common stimulants.

• It spurs release of adrenaline.• Regular use can lead to

addiction.• Nicotine is found in tobacco.• Cigarette smoking is as

addictive as heroin.

Nicotine

Stimulants

• Amphetamines are stimulants often used for staying awake or reducing appetite.

• They can cause hallucinations, perceptions that seem to be real but are not, and delusions, false ideas that seem real.

• One extremely addictive form is methamphetamine.

Amphetamines

Cocaine• Cocaine is a stimulant derived from the leaves of the coca plant.• It raises blood pressure, increases heart rate, and decreases supply

of oxygen.• Use of cocaine can sometimes cause death.• One very harmful form is known as crack.

Click on the image to play the Interactive.

• A hallucinogen is a drug that produces hallucinations.

• Produced from the leaves of the cannabis sativa plant

• May produce feelings of relaxation and mild hallucinations

• Impairs perception, coordination, memory, and learning

• Can have severe effects on consciousness

Marijuana

Hallucinogens

• Can produce intense hallucinations

• Sometimes called acid• Can cause injury or suicide• Side effects include memory

loss, violent outbursts, nightmares, and panic

LSD

Other Hallucinogens• Mushrooms that contain psilocybin, which produces altered

perceptions, confusion, anxiety, and panic• Peyote, which contains mescaline• Ecstasy, a pill that produces hallucinations, increased energy, loss

of judgment, and serious side effects including nausea and high blood pressure

• Varies depending on the drug• One treatment is detoxification

– harmful substances are removed from the body– most commonly used with alcohol and narcotic addiction

• Other treatments include:– maintenance programs– counseling– support groups

Treatments for Drug Abuse