Introduction to Psychology Class 10: Consciousness Myers: June 27, 2006

Consciousness Defined as awareness of ourselves and our environments Are we completely conscious when we drive cars? Are we somewhat conscious when we dream?

Pick a card…

Selective attention Definition: Focusing of conscious awareness on particular stimuli Cocktail Party Effect Change Blindness

Conscious processing 5 senses 11 million bits of sensation/information ~40 are consciously processed Why do we need a “perceptual filter”?

Nonconscious influences Simple, novel music tunes Prose passages Participant recites the prose out loud Did participants recognize the music tunes? Did participants rate the music tunes they had been exposed to as more appealing than those that they had not been exposed to? NO YES WHAT CONCLUSION COULD WE DRAW BASED ON THESE RESULTS?

Sleep Circadian rhythm / body clock Light (natural or artificial) is the stimulus It causes neural activity in the hypothalamus (SCN) Results in fluctuations of substances like melatonin (via the pineal gland) Necessary for protection, restoration and growth

REM sleep Lasts 10 minutes out of every 90 minute sleep cycle 30 minutes in to sleep cycle 1/4 th of total sleep Internal arousal (heart, genitals, eyes) and dreams/nightmares External relaxation (muscles) Paradoxical sleep

Sleep disorders Insomnia Narcolepsy Sleep apnea Night terrors Sleep-talking Somnambulism

Dreams Definition: A sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts notable for hallucinatory imagery, discontinuities and incongruities, the dreamer’s delusional acceptance of the content, and later difficulty remembering it Manifest content Latent content

Why we dream Wish-fulfillment - Sigmund Freud Information processing - Consolidation of memories Activation synthesis - Low-level neural activity continues in sleep - The brain want to make “sense” of these “sensations” - Emotion-related limbic system has a role - Leads to the creation of the stories of dreams

Hypnosis State of focus via hypnotic induction Suggestibility / hypnotic susceptibility Post-hypnotic suggestion - Good for obesity and stress-related skin disorders - Bad for drug addictions, including smoking - What about positive suggestion? Age-regression deeply disputed Pain relief - Dissociation or Selective Attention?

Psychoactive drugs Relaxation, euphoria, wakefulness, alertness, energy, arousal, enhanced sensation, confidence, disinhibition, relief from pain Tolerance, withdrawal, physical dependence, psychological dependence Myths - The addiction is always rapid - Therapy is a must - Any repetitive pleasure-seeking behavior is an “addiction”

Alcohol Initial high, relaxation, disinhibition Depressant Depression, memory loss, organ damage Heroin Euphoria, pain relief Depressant Depressed physiology, agonizing withdrawal Caffeine Alertness, wakefulness Stimulant High doses, withdrawal are uncomfortable Speed (Methamphetamine) Euphoria, alertness, energy Stimulant Irritability, insomnia, seizures, high BP Cocaine Euphoria, confidence, energy Stimulant Stress on heart, suspiciousness Nicotine Arousal, well being Stimulant Heart disease, cancer Ecstasy (MDMA) Elevation, disinhibition Stimulant, hallucinogen Dehydration, mood and cognitive depression Marijuana Enhanced sensation, pain relief, time distortion, relaxation Mild hallucinogen Memory disruption, lung damage from smoke DRUG TYPE EFFECTS PLEASURABLEADVERSE

Meditation Employed by all kinds of traditions - Buddhism to New Age Lowers stress - Hormones - Cardiovascular Helps negotiate between prefrontal cortex and amygdala? Increased gamma-wave activity at rest?

They say dreams are only real while they last… but how much more can we say about life?