States of Consciousness

1. States of Consciousness

2. Consciousness • Consciousness—an organism’s awareness of its own self and surroundings • Alternate State of Consciousness (ASC)—A mental state other than ordinary waking consciousness, found during sleep, dreaming, psychoactive drug use, hypnosis, and so on

3. Stream of Consciousness • Direction—Choices from our Selective Attention • Depth—Level of alertness

4. Processes—Levels of Awareness • Controlled—mental activities requiring focused attention that generally interfere with other ongoing activities • Automatic—Mental activities requiring minimal attention and having little impact on other activities

5. Sleep and Dreams • Circadian Rhythms (from the Latin circa “about” and diem “day”)—Biological changes that occur on a 24-hour cycle • The hormone melatonin is related to the circadian rhythms and sleep

6. Critical Thinking • Examine the myth “Dreaming of dying can be fatal” • Discuss critically why we can know this is a myth rather than scientific fact.

7. Sleep Deprivation • Body needs time to restore itself • Mind needs time to reprocess information • Mood alterations, loss of ability to function, death

8. Stages of Sleep • Four stages of NREM (non-REM) sleep—cycles last approximately 90 minutes • REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep—a stage of sleep marked by rapid eye movements, high-frequency brain waves, paralysis of large muscles and dreaming.

9. The need for sleep • Repair/Restoration Theory—Sleep serves a recuperative function, allowing organisms to repair or replenish key factors. • Evolutionary/Circadian Theory—As a part of circadian rhythms, sleep evolved to conserve energy and as protection from predators.

10. Dreams—Psychoanalytic View • According to Freud • Manifest Content—the surface content of a dream, which contains dream symbols that distort and disguise the dream’s true meaning • Latent Content—The true, unconscious meaning of a dream

11. Dreams—Biological View • Hobson • Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis—dreams are by-products of random stimulation of brain cells; the brain attempts to combine (or synthesize) this spontaneous activity into coherent patterns, known as dreams

12. Dreams—Cognitive View • Dreams are and extension of everyday life—another type of information processing. • Dreams are the brain’s way of processing, assimilating and updating information • REM sleep increases following stress and intense learning periods (anxiety dreams, etc.)

13. Sleep Disorders • Dyssomnias • Insomnia—persistent problems falling asleep, staying asleep or awakening too early (related—hypersomnia) • Sleep apnea—repeated interruption of breathing during sleep because air passages to the lungs are physically blocked • Narcolepsy—sudden and irresistible onsets of sleep during normal waking hours (narco=“numbness” and lepsy=“siezure”)

14. Sleep Disorders • Parasomnias—abnormal sleep disturbances • Nightmares—anxiety-arousing dreams generally occurring near the end of the sleep cycle, during REM sleep • Night Terrors—abrupt awakenings from NREM sleep accompanied by intense physiological arousal and feelings of panic.

15. Drugs and ASCs • Psychoactive Drugs—Chemicals that change conscious awareness, mood, or perception

16. Abuse, Dependence and Addiction • Substance Abuse—use of a substance that causes emotional or physical harm to the user or others • Substance Abuse • Maladaptive substance use with clinically significant impairment as manifested by at least one of the following within any 1-year period: • Failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home • Recurrent use when physically hazardous • Recurrent legal problems • Continued use despite recurrent social or interpersonal problems • Patient has never met criteria for Dependence

17. Substance Dependence • Psychological Dependence—desire or craving to achieve the effects produced by the drug • Physical Dependence—Bodily processes have been modified by repeated use of a drug that continued use is required to prevent withdrawal symptoms

18. Tolerance, Withdrawal • Tolerance—decreased sensitivity to a drug brought on by its continuous use • Withdrawal—Discomfort and distress, including physical pain and intense cravings, experienced after stopping the use of addictive drugs

19. Substance Dependence (DSM-IV) • Substance Dependence • Maladaptive substance use with clinically significant impairment as manifested by at least three of the following within any 1-year period: • Tolerance • Withdrawal • Taken in greater amounts or over longer time course than intended

20. DSM-IV Continued • Substance Dependence • Desire or unsuccessful attempts to cut down or control use • Great deal of time spent obtaining, using or recovering from drug • Social, occupational, or recreational activities give up or reduced • Continued use despite knowledge of physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance

21. Addiction • A broad term describing a compulsion to use a specific drug or engage in a certain activity

22. Drug Guide 101 • Depressants • Stimulants • Opiates • Hallucinogens

23. Depressants • Depressants—psychoactive drugs that act on the central nervous system to suppress or slow bodily processes and reduce overall responsiveness • Includes: Alcohol, barbiturates (mathaqualone—”quaalude”), anti-anxiety drugs (Valium, Xanax), Rohypnol (roofies), etc.

24. Stimulants • Drugs that act on the brain and nervous system to increase their overall activity and general responsiveness • Includes: nicotine, caffeine, Ritalin, cocaine in all its forms, amphetamines, methamphetamines, Ecstasy, etc.

25. Opiates • Drugs derived from opium that function as an analgesic or pain reliever. • Includes: Morphine, heroin, street methadone, opium, codeine, hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab), oxycodone (Percocet, Oxycontin), Demerol, Darvocet, etc.

26. Hallucinogens • Drugs that produce sensory or perceptual distortions called hallucinations. • Includes: LSD (acid), mescaline (peyote), mushrooms, Ketamine (special K), PCP (angel dust), marijuana (referred to as a “pseudo-hallucinogenic drug”)

27. How Drugs Work • Agonists • Antagonists • Neurotransmitters (review)

28. Why People Use and Abuse Drugs • Environmental Factors • TV, entertainment, reference groups, family systems • Socio-cultural background • Biological Factors • Natural reinforcers (eating, drinking, sex) stimulate the brain’s reward system • Withdrawal factors

29. Other routes to ASCs • Daydreams and fantasies • Dissociation • Hypnosis • Common Myths • Therapeutic Uses • Meditation