1. States of Consciousness
Chapter 5
States of Consciousness
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2. How is Consciousness Related to Other Mental Processes?
Consciousness can take many forms, while other mental processes occur simultaneously outside our awareness
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3. What Consciousness Does For Us
Restricts our attention
Combines sensation with learning and memory
Allows us to create a mental model of the world that we can manipulate
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4. Levels of Consciousness
Preconscious
Nonconscious
Nonconscious
Unconscious
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5. Levels of Consciousness
Conscious – Brain process of which we are aware
Nonconscious – Brain process that does not involve conscious processing (e.g. heart rate, breathing, control of internal organs)
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6. Levels of Consciousness
Preconscious – Information that is not currently in consciousness, but can be brought into consciousness if attention is called to it
Unconscious – Many levels of processing that occur without awareness
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7. What Cycles Occur in Everyday Consciousness?
Consciousness changes in cycles that correspond to our biological rhythms and the patterns of stimulation in our environment
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8. What Cycles Occur in Everyday Consciousness?
Daydreaming – A common variation of consciousness in which attention shifts to memories, expectations, desires, or fantasies and away from the immediate situation
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Sleep and Dreaming
Circadian rhythms – Psychological patterns that repeat approximately every 24 hours
The sleep cycle involves:
REM sleep
Non-REM (NREM) sleep
REM-sleep deprivation leads to REM rebound
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The Sleep Cycle
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The Function of Sleep
Possible functions of sleep include:
To conserve energy
To restore the body (neurotransmitters, neuron sensitivity)
To build “neural nets” and flush out useless information from the brain
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The Need for Sleep
Over the years, the need for REM sleep decreases considerably, while the need for NREM sleep diminishes less sharply
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13. Sleep Debt vs. The Circadian Clock
Sleep debt – Deficiency caused by not getting the amount of sleep that one requires for optimal functioning
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14. Why We Dream: A Cross-Cultural Perspective
Folk theories
Scientific approach
Dreams as meaningful events
Dreams as random brain activity
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15. Dreams as Meaningful Events
Freud believed dreams served the following two functions:
To guard sleep
To serve as sources of wish fulfillment
Dream content
Varies by culture, gender, and age
Frequently connects with recent experience
May help us form memories
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16. Dreams as Random Brain Activity
Activation-synthesis theory – Theory that dreams begin with random electrical activation coming from brain stem; dreams are brain’s attempt to make sense of this random activity
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Sleep Disorders
Insomnia – Involves insufficient sleep, the inability to fall asleep quickly, frequent arousals, or early awakenings
Sleep apnea – Respiratory disorder in which person intermittently stops breathing while asleep
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Sleep Disorders
Narcolepsy – Involves sudden REM sleep attacks accompanied by cataplexy
Cataplexy – Sudden loss of muscle control that occurs before narcoleptic sleep attack; waking form of sleep paralysis
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Sleep Disorders
Night terrors – The screaming of a child in deep sleep, who, once awakened, has no memory of what mental events might have caused the fear
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20. What Other Forms Can Consciousness Take?
An altered state of consciousness occurs when some aspect of normal consciousness is modified by mental, behavioral, or chemical means
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21. What Other Forms Can Consciousness Take?
Hypnosis
Meditation
Psychoactive drug states
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Hypnosis
Hypnosis – Induced state of altered awareness, characterized by heightened suggestibility and deep relaxation
Hypnotizability – Degree to which an individual is responsive to hypnotic suggestions
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23. Hypnosis As an Altered State
Experts disagree about whether hypnosis involves
A distinct state of consciousness
Heightened motivation
Social processes such as role playing
A dissociate state (Hilgard’s “hidden observer” view)
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24. Practical Uses for Hypnosis
Hypnosis can have practical uses for
Researchers
Psychological treatment
Medical and dental treatment
Hypnotic analgesia – Diminished sensitivity to pain while under hypnosis
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Meditation
Meditation – Form of consciousness change induced by focusing on a repetitive behavior, assuming certain body positions and minimizing external stimulation
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26. Psychoactive Drug States
Psychoactive drugs – Chemicals that affect mental processes and behavior by their effects on the nervous system
Hallucinogens
Opiates
Depressants
Stimulants
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Hallucinogens
Alter perceptions of the external environment and inner awareness
(also called psychedelics)
Mescaline
LSD
PCP
Cannabis
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Opiates
Highly addictive; produce a sense of well-being and have strong pain-relieving properties
Morphine
Codeine
Heroin
Methadone
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Depressants
Slow down mental and physical activity by inhibiting transmission of nerve impulses in the central nervous system
Barbiturates
Benzodiazepines (e.g. Valium)
Alcohol
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Stimulants
Arouse the central nervous system, speeding up mental and physical responses
Cocaine
Amphetamines
Methamphetamine
MDMA (ecstasy)
Caffeine
Nicotine
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End of Chapter 5
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