States of Consciousness

1. Sleep, Hypnosis, Drugs, and Near-Death Experiences States of Consciousness

2. Waking Consciousness • At first psychology was the description and explanation of states of consciousness • Then it was the science of behavior • And now it’s a combination of all the different approaches.

3. Consciousness • Consciousness: our awareness of ourselves and our environment. • We process information consciously and subconsciously.

4. Waking Fantasies • Nearly everyone daydreams everyday • Mostly about everyday things to problem solve or just because your mind is bored. • It might even be a replacement for violence or whatever else you daydream about.

5. Sleep and Dreams

6. Biological Rhythms • Our body has rhythms. • Annual cycles • Twenty-eight-day cycles • Twenty-four-hour cycles • Ninety-minute cycles

7. Circadian Rhythm • Our circadian rhythm is our internal clock. Things that happen on a 24-hour cycle • Jet lag messes it up • Light can alter it • The light bulb makes our body think that we should stay up later • We do better at different times of the day • Morning people • Night people

8. Stages of Sleep • Discovered by a guy named Eugene who needed to test an electroencephalograph so he used his sleeping son. • What he recorded was the movement of his sons eyes during REM sleep.

9. REM Sleep • Rapid Eye Movement sleep. • This is the stage of sleep that we usually dream in. • Called paradoxical sleep because our body is the most relaxed but our other systems are active. • Rise in heartbeat, breathing and genitals

10. Falling Asleep • Right before we fall asleep, in stage 1 sleep, we have experiences that resemble hallucinations. • The sense of falling or floating is common • People that claim to have been abducted often recall being floated off of their beds

11. Sleeping • Stage 2 sleep lasts about 20 minutes and is characterized by sleep spindles. • Next is stage 3 sleep that transitions into stage 4 sleep. • These two stages are slow wave sleep when you are really asleep. • You move around in your sleep right here • Then you go into REM sleep • 90 minute cycles

13. Sleep Deprivation • Bad • Suppression of the immune system • Alters metobolic and hormonal functioning • Obesity • Hypertension • Memory impairment • Irritaility • Slowed performance

14. Impaired creativity • Impaired concentration • Impaired communication • Impaired judgement • Aching muscles • Dizziness and nausea • Dry mouth • Hallucinations

15. Hand tremors • Headaches • Increased blood pressure • Incread risk of diabetes • Increased risk of fibromyalgia • Bad things

16. Sleep functions • Protects • We cant function well in the dark so we’re better off staying still • Recuperates • Restores chemicals in our brains. “sleep is food for the brain” • Grows • The pituitary gland releases a growth hormone while we sleep

17. Dreams • Images and ideas and whatever your mind comes up with • Usually about stressful things • Manifest content: • The story of your dream according to Freud • Latent content: • Underlying meaning according to Freud

18. REM Rebound • When we don’t get REM sleep we get it the next night • This shows that we need REM sleep • Our memories suffer when we don’t get REM sleep • Alcohol and sleeping pills inhibit REM sleep

19. Disorders • Insomnia • Can’t fall asleep or stay asleep • Narcolepsy • Sleep attacks!!! • Sleep apnea • Breathing messes up and wakes us up a lot • Night terrors • Stage 4 sleep nightmares. scary

20. Hypnosis

21. Hypnosis isn’t magic • It cant really do much more than distract people from themselves • So basically just highly suggestible • Regression has no scientific backing • Hypnosis can’t force people to do anything • It helps about as much as positive suggestions in therapy

22. But it can relieve pain • ideas • Dissociation • A split between different levels in consciousness • Separates pain from our emotional suffering. • Selective Attention • We just don’t pay attention to the pain • Social Influence Theory • Being a good subject. We do what is expected.

23. Drugs

24. Terms • Tolerance: • you need more and more of it • Withdrawal: • discomfort after discontinuing • Physical dependence: • physical need for a drug. Like withdrawals when you stop using it. • Psychological dependence: • your want for a drug. Like to relieve bad symptoms.

25. Depressants • Calm neural activity and slow body functions • “downers” • Alcohol • Barbiturates(tranquilizers) • Opiates • Opium • Morphine • Heroin

26. Stimulants • Temporarily excite neural activity and arouse body functions • “uppers” • Caffeine(chocolate, soda) • Nicotine(ciggerets) • Amphetamines • Cocaine • Ecstasy(MDMA)

27. Hallucinogens • Distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input • “psychedelics” • Acid(LSD) • Ecstasy(MDMA) • Weed(Marijuana) • Shrooms

28. Near-Death Experiences • Reported after have a close brush with death • Often similar to hallicinations people have on drugs • Maybe because of oxygen deprivation?

29. Mind and body • Dualist: mind and body are separate • Monism: mind and body are different aspects of the same thing