Chapter 4: States of Consciousness

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Consciousness The awareness of the sensations, thoughts, and feelings being experienced at a given moment –Waking consciousness –Altered states of consciousness

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 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

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Stages of Sleep Stage 3 –Brain waves become slower with an appearance of higher peaks and lower valleys in the wave pattern Stage 4 –Deepest stage of sleep where people are least responsive to outside stimuli and the wave patterns are more slower and regular

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. REM Sleep: The Paradox of Sleep Sleep that occupies a little over 20% of an 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” REM rebound

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 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

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 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

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. The Function and Meaning of Dreaming Activation-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

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Sleep Disturbances Insomnia Sleep apnea Sudden infant death syndrome Narcolepsy Sleepwalking

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Circadian Rhythms: Life Cycles Biological processes that occur repeatedly on approximately a 24- hour cycle –Seasonal affective disorder –Jet lag Daydreams

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Hypnosis Originated by Franz Mesmer in the 18 th century, it is described as being a trance-like state of heightened susceptibility to the suggestions of others Applications –Controlling pain –Reducing smoking –Treating psychological disorders –Assisting law enforcement –Improving athletic performance

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Meditation A learned technique for refocusing attention that brings about an altered state of consciousness Mantra –Repetition of a sound, word, or syllable

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Drug Use: The Highs And Lows of Consciousness Psychoactive drugs –Influence a person’s emotions, perceptions, and behaviour 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 based –Psychologically based

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Stimulants: Drug Highs Affects the central nervous system by causing a rise in heart rate, blood pressure, and muscular tension –Caffeine –Nicotine –Cocaine –Amphetamines

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Depressants: Drug Lows Impede the nervous system by causing neurons to fire more slowly Alcohol –Rohypnol Barbiturates –Nembutal –Seconal –Phenobarbital

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Narcotics: Relieving Pain and Anxiety Increase relaxation and relieve pain and anxiety Heroin –Methadone Morphine

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Hallucinogens: Psychedelic Drugs Drug that is capable of producing hallucinations, or changes in the perceptual process Marijuana MDMA (Ecstasy) LSD