CONSCIOUSNESS

CONSCIOUSNESS=AWARENESS C. as Sensory

Awareness- aware of things outside yourself

C. as Direct Inner Awareness- aware of things inside yourself

C. as Sense of Self- aware of ourselves and our surroundings

LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Preconscious level- information not in awareness but can be recalled

Unconscious level- or subconscious, info is hidden

Nonconscious level- bodily processes we are not aware of

Re: unconscious- Freud stated we use defense mechanisms to push unacceptable or painful ideas away to protect ourselves from anxiety, guilt, or shame.

SLEEP AND DREAMS Circadian rhythms- or biological clock, include

a sequence of bodily changes that occur every 24 hours. This includes: sleepiness, wakefulness, and changes in blood pressure and body temperature.

STAGES OF SLEEP Measured in brainwave

patterns Stage 1- lightest sleep,

brain power reduced by 50%.

Move to stages 2, heart rate slows, muscles relax. Then stages 3 and 4 which are deepest sleep.

30 minutes at stage 4 then rapidly back to 3, 2, and 1

After about 90 minutes total breathing becomes irregular, blood pressure rises, heart beats faster, brainwaves similar to stage 1, this is REM sleep

It is another stage and our eyes move rapidly beneath our eyelids. This is when we dream most vividly.

DREAMS We dream almost

every time we are in REM sleep and in real time

Interpreting dreams is difficult and not always reliable.

We dream during other stages of sleep but plots are vaguer and images more fleeting.

Some psychologists believe that we dream because neurons fire in the parts of our brain that control movement and vision.

The neurons are random and the brain tries to make sense by weaving a story.

SLEEP PROBLEMS Insomnia- inability to

sleep usually caused by stress or medication

Nightmares- caused by anxiety, depression, or unsettling events (REM)

Night terrors- more severe, and occur in stages 3 and 4. usually in children so may be caused by immature nervous system.

Sleep apnea- breathing interrupted during sleep

Sleepwalking- usually in children caused by immature nervous system. May respond but do not remember episode.

Narcolepsy- rare disorder where you go from awake one minute to deep REM sleep the next.