States of Consciousness

Chapter 4

Conscious Experience

Section 1

Introduction

Sleep and wakefulness are both sates of Consciousness—our awareness of various cognitive process, such as sleeping, dreaming, concentrating, and making decisions. Cognitive activities fall into 2 broad categories

Walking Consciousness: mental state that encompasses the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions that occur when we are awake and reasonably alert

Altered Consciousness: Mental state that differs noticeably from normal waking consciousness

What is Waking Conscious?

At the same time we experience all sorts of internal sensations (heat, cold, touch, pressure, pain) as well as thoughts, memories, emotions, and needs.

Theses competing stimuli are all part of waking conscious If we tried to pay attention to all of them we would be

overwhelmedWe focus on whatever is most important at the moment

and block everything else outOur brain continues to process the information we are not

even focusing on

Daydreaming and Fantasy

Everyone has daydreams—effortless shifts in attention away from the here-and-now-into a private world of make believe

Comes in waves, surging about every 90 minutes and peaking form around 12pm to 2pm

According to some estimates, the average person spends almost half of there awake hours fantasizing

Generally, we fantasize when we would rather be somewhere else or doing something elseIt’s a momentary escape Usually daydream about unfulfilled goals and wishes

Daydream and dreamers fall into distinct categoriesPositive: imagine pleasant playful scenarios , uncomplicated by

worry or guiltNegative: frustration, guilt, fear of failure, hostility, reflects on

self doubt and competitive envy that accompanies great ambition

Scattered: fleeting, loosely connected worrisome daydreams, which give them little pleasure

Purposeful: solve problems to think ahead, and develop insights

Does daydreaming serve any purpose? Some psychologists see daydreaming as a retreat

from the real world when its not meeting our needsDaydreaming can interfere with activities and making problems worse

Other psychologists stress the positive value of daydreaming May serve as a refreshing break from a stressful day Reminds us of our neglected personal needsFreudian Theorists tend to view daydreaming as a harmless way

to work through hostile feelings and to satisfy guilty pleasures Cognitive psychologists emphasize that daydreaming can build

problem solving and interpersonal skills, as well as encourage creativity

Helps us endure difficult situations

Sleep

Section 2

Spend 1/3 of your life sleepingWhen people are sleep deprived , they strongly crave sleep just as

someone who was hungry would crave foodHow long organisms sleep, where and I what position, and other

details vary from species to species Larger animals sleep less the smaller animals because eating

enough time to support their size requires more workElephants sleep 4 hours a night and bats sleep 18 hrs a night

Nobody knows exactly why we sleep, but evolutionary psychologists see sleep as an adaptive mechanism to conserve and restore energy

Circadian Cycles: The Biological Clock

Like many other biological functions, sleep and waking follow a daily, or Circadian, cycle Fundamental adaptation to the 24 hr solar cycle of light

and darkHuman biological clock is actually a tiny cluster of neurons

in the hypothalamus that responds to levels of proteins in the body

Biological clock is self sustaining and continues to function in the absence of external cues to the cycle of the day and night

We usually don’t notice circadian rhythms unless they are disturbed Ex: Jet lag

Travelers who travel across times zones “feel out of it” for several days because you miss a lot of sleep and your body desynchronizes

What counts is not the number of hours we sleep but the quality sleep

To be fully alter and function at our peak we need to have a good night’s sleep

Naps here and there do not meet out sleep requirements

Extended periods of too little regular sleep lead to slower reaction times, difficulty processing information, making decisions, and unplanned, involuntary naps that last a few minutes

The Rhythms of Sleep

Going to sleep means losing awareness and failing to respond to a stimulus that would produce a response in the waking state

Stages of Sleep Twilight Stage: relaxed wakefulness, sometimes experience a floating

or falling sensation followed by a quick jolt back to consciousnessStage 1: slowing of the pulse, muscle relaxation, side-to-side rolling

movement of the eyesStage only lasts a few moments, easily woken up and my be

unaware of having slept at all

Stages 2 and 3: Deeper sleep, heard to awaken, does not respond to stimuli such as light and noise Heart rate, blood pressure and temperature continue to drop

Stage 4: heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and body temperature is as low as they will goAfter about an 1.5 hours of sleep ascends to stage 3, 2, and back to stage 1—process that takes about 40 minutes

Heart rate and blood pressure increase, yet the muscles are more relaxed than at an other point and the person is very difficult to wake up

The eyes move rapidly under closed eyelids—Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleeping is distinguished from all other stages of sleep Non-REM (NREM): non rapid eye movement stages of

sleep that alternate with REME stages during sleep cycle

REM sleep is also known as Paradoxical Sleep because although brain activity can me measured, heart rate and blood pressure, and other physiological functions are not activeThe person is deeply asleep and is incapable of moving

REM sleep is also where most dreaming occurs, but some dreaming does occur during NREM

THE sequence of sleep stages repeats itself all night

Sleep Disorders

Sleep Walking, Sleep talking, and Night TerrorsSleep walking and talking usually occur during

stage 4 Common among children and adultsWaking a sleep walker is NOT dangerous, but difficult

Sleep Terrors or Night Terrors are nocturnal fright has causes them to suddenly sit up in bed, and often scream out in fear Different from nightmaresDuring night terrors generally cannot be woken up and comforted, often happens when someone is very tired

Typically in children 4-12 out adults can get them tooAdults who have them typically suffer from a personality disorder, or abuses drugs and alcohol

Insomnia, Apnea and Narcolepsy Insomnia: difficulty falling asleep to remaining asleep

throughout the night Afflicts 35 million Americans Most episodes grow out of stressful events and are temporary

People with frequent sleep disruption can take medication but sides effects may cause anxiety, memory loss, hallucinations and violent behavior

Apnea: breathing difficulty during the night and feelings of exhaustion during the dayAfflicts 10-12 million AmericansAssociated with berthing difficulties and snoring at night

In severe cases the person can stop breathing after falling asleep

Narcolepsy: hereditary sleep disorder characterized by sudden nodding off during the dayExperience muscle loss after experiencing any sort of emotionEx: after a joke and laughing brings on a muscle paralysis and then collapses

Another symptom is immediate entry into REM sleep, which produces frightening hallucinations

Dreams

Section 3

Introduction

Dreams: vivid visual auditory experiences that occur primarily during REM periods of sleep

Average person has 4-5 dreams a night, accounting for 1-2 hrs of total time sleeping

Consists of a sequential story or series of stories Stimuli both external (sounds) and internal (mood, hunger

pangs) may modify an on going dream Often dreams are so vivid they are hard to distinguish from

reality

What do we dream?

Vary widely what we dream about, their feelings associated with their dreams, and hoe often they remember their dreams

Dream content is related to where you are in your sleep cycle, what you are doing before you sleep, your gender, your age and even your socioeconomic status Men: dream more about weapon, unfamiliar characters,

male characters, aggressive interactions and failure outcomes

Women: dream more about being the victims of aggression

Vary by age(2-5 yrs) tend to have brief dreams, may involve animals,

but images are usually unrelated on one another and seldom have any emotion, narrative, or story line

(5-9 yrs) become longer, a few narrative, story like dreams (7-9 Yrs) when most dreams take on a narrative form

(9-15 yrs) become more adult like, narrative follow well developed story lines, other people play important roles, and there are many verbal exchanges

Why do we dream?

Dreams as Unconscious WishesFreud believed that dreams represent wishes that have

not been fulfilled in reality People dreams reflect the motives guiding their behavior

—motives they may not be consciously aware of Dreams permit people to express their primitive desires

that are relatively free of moral controls Ex: someone who is not consciously aware of hostile feelings towards sister my dream of murdering her

Dreams and Information processing We reprocess information gathered during the day as

a way of strengthening out memory of information crucial to survival

Given so much sensory information need a change to sort through it (what it all means) and place it where it belongs in our memory

Dreams and Neural Activity Alan Hobbs proposed that dreams are just a result of

neurons misfiring and are meaningless Dreams and Waking Life

Research has shown that what people dream about is generally similar to what they think about and do while awakeEx: athlete may dream about competitions past,

present and future

Do we need to dream?

Freud suggested that dreams serve as a psychic safety valve and if not given the chance to dream their lives would be significantly affected

Study: participants were woken up each time they entered REM sleep and became anxious, testy, and hungryDifficult concentrating and even hallucinated

during waking hours…all these side effects vanished after they were able to experience REM sleep again

Drug-Altered Consciousness

Section 4

Introduction

Psychoactive Drugs—chemical substances that change moods and perceptions– are almost universal in culture

Most drugs used today, legally or illegally, have been used for thousands of yearsEx: Marijuana dates back to 2737 B.C.

Alcohol has the longest history of widespread use Today’s drug problem differ from the problem is other societies and times

Motives have changed—used to be used for religious rituals, as medicines, now used recreationally

Drugs themselves have changed—stronger than those from other cultures and times and new synthetic drugs are appearing regularly Ex: “club drugs” like “Ecstasy”

Substance Use, Abuse, and Dependence

Use is difference from abuse and dependence On any given day most adults use some form of

psychoactive substances—mediations, coffeeSubstance abuse: pattern of drug use that diminishes the

ability to fulfill responsibilities at home, or at work, or at school, that results in repeated used of drug dangerous situations, or that leads to legal difficulties related to drug use

Substance Dependence: pattern of compulsive drug taking that results in tolerance, withdrawal symptoms for a least a year Withdrawal Symptoms: unpleasant physical or

psychological affects that follow the discontinuance of a dependence- producing substance

Depressants: Alcohol, Barbiturates,

and Opiates

Depressant: chemicals that slow down behavior or cognitive process

AlcoholTypical Effects: depressed physical and psychological

functioning Effects of Overdose: disorientation, loss of conscious,

death at extremely high BAC levels

America's #1 drug problem Highly addictivePotentially devastating long term effects– can harm

every organ in the body , impairments with motor skills, problem solving and abstract thinking

At least 14 million Americans have a problem with drinking

Barbiturates and Tranquilizers: potentially deadly depressants, first used for their sedative properties, now used to treat conditions of epilepsy and arthritis Typical Effects: depressed reflexes and impaired motor

functioning, tension reduction Effects of Overdose: shallow respiration, clammy skin, dilated

pupils, weak and rapid pulse, coma and possible death Known as “downers” and used alone and may be used with

heroin and other drugs to boos their effects

Opiates: opium and heroin, that dull the senses and induce feelings of euphoria, well-being, and relaxationTypical Effects: Euphoria, “rush” of pleasure, little

impairment Effects of Overdose: Slow shallow breathing . Clammy

skin, nausea, vomiting, pinpoint pupils, convulsions, coma and possible death

Resembles endorphins, natural pain killers

Stimulants: Caffeine, Nicotine, Amphetamines, and Cocaine

Simulants: stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and produce feelings of optimism and boundless energy

Caffeine occurs naturally in coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate and often added to cola drinks and over the counter medications

Can become addictiveHeavy users may experience withdrawal

symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and difficulty concentrating

Excessive use can lead to insomnia, gastrointestinal problems, and elevated blood pressure

Nicotine: additive ingredient in tobacco Most dangerous and addictive stimulant todayDespite well-know health risks and strong social

pressure millions of Americans continue to smoke Youth 12-17 who smoke are 12x’s more likely to

try other drugs16x’s to drink heavily compared to nonsmoking

peers

Amphetamines: stimulant drugs that initially produces a rushes of euphoria often followed by sudden “crashes” and sometimes severe depression Increase alertnessUsers believe they cannot function without them Chronic, excessive use may lead to personality

changes, paranoia, anxiety, insomnia, homicidal and suicidal thoughts, and aggressive , violent behavior

Methamphetamine—”speed” or “crystal meth”Produced in labs with ingredient form over the pharmaceutical counter

EcstasyBelief that drug makes you love and trust one another and puts you in touch with our own emotions

Short-term effects—clenching teeth, faintness, chills or sweating, damages neural connections

Cocaine: derived from coca plant, that while producing a sense of euphoria by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, also tends to leave to anxiety, depression, and addictive cravings,1885, widely used as a topical anesthetic for minor surgeries, 1900’s

cure for alcohol and morphine addiction1970’s became popular again on Wall Street allowed them to work late

hoursAmphetamine of the wealthy Cheaper, smokable version names “Crack” made its way to the

inner city Body constantly wants more

Hallucinogens and Marijuana

Hallucinogens: distort visual and auditory perception LSD: Hallucinogen or “psychedelic” drug that

produces hallucinogens and delusions similar to those occurring in psychotic state “bad trips” or unpleasant experiences, may be set

off by change in dose or an alteration in setting or mood

May not realize the experience is happening because of the drug, and panic

Do not produce withdrawal effects Tolerance rapidly builds After time, users get tired of the experience and

decrease, discontinue their use

Marijuana: mild hallucinogen that produces a “high” often characterized by feelings of euphoria, a sense of well-being, and swings in mod from relaxation to feelings of anxiety and paranoid Far less potent that LSDHas direct psychological effects, bloodshot eyes, dry

mouth, coughing, increased thirst and hunger, mild muscular weakness often in form of drooping eye lids

Major dangers: potential respiratory and cardiovascular damage,

Lose the ability to remember and coordinate information

Explaining Abuse and Addiction

Biological FactorsThere is evidence of genetic basis for alcohol abuseAmericans view substance abuse as a biological

problemOften a result of “bad “ genes, that requires medical

treatment Many health professionals share this viewpoint

Psychological, Social, and Cultural Factors Expectations

Studies have shown that some people use or abuse alcohol because they expect that helping them drink will help them escape or reduce negative feelings

Family settingThe family setting in which a child grows up shapes the attitudes and beliefs of drugs

CulturePlays a significant rile in determining drug use and drug

experiencesEX: Muslim and Mormon societies alcohol is forbidden EX: Other cultures is traditional to drink wine with family meals

Today’s drug problem can be interpreted as a reflection of mainstream cultural norms

Meditation and Hypnosis

Section 5

Meditation

Meditation: any of the various methods of concentration, reflection or focusing of thoughts undertaken to suppress the activity of the sympathetic nervous system Zen Meditation: concentrates on respiration Transcendental Meditation: practitioners intone a

mantra or a chat, specially selected for each person

Used to treat certain medical problemsStress often leads to muscle tension and to relive the pain

meditatedSome people have stopped using drugs after taking up

meditation People who claim to meditate regularly claim emotional

and spiritual gains Increased sensory awareness, well-being and found peace within self and universe

Hypnosis

Hypnosis: trancelike state in which a person responds readily to suggestions Individuals vary in their susceptibility to hypnosis

Cannot force someone to do something foolish, embarrassing or dangerous against their will