Unit 5: States of Consciousness

1. Unit 5: States of Consciousness Module 19 & 20

2. Module 19 – Hypnosis

3. Hypnosis • Hypnosis:state with deep relaxation and heightened suggestibility. • Under hypnosis, subjects can change aspects of reality and let those changes influence their behavior. • They are more susceptible to suggestions made by the hypnotist.

4. Hypnosis • Hypnotized individuals may feel as if: •Their bodies are floating or sinking •See, feel, hear, smell, or taste things that aren’t there •Lose sense of touch or pain •Be made to feel like they are passing back in time •Act as if they have lost control •Respond to suggestions by others.

5. Hypnosis • Subjects can have trouble differentiating between this make-believe and reality. • Hypnotized people have the same strength, stamina, learning, and perceptual abilities as motivated unhypnotized people. • The power does NOT reside in the hypnotist, but the subject’s openness to suggestions!

6. Hypnosis • Hypnotism cannot make you recall memories, because research says some memories no longer exist in our minds. • Age Regression – the supposed ability to relive childhood experiences. • Ex. Acting like they are 5 years old. • Age regression is just people acting as a child would act. (Faking it!)

7. Hypnosis • Hypnotized people COULD be induced to perform acts. • Experiments reveal that you don’t need to be hypnotized to follow orders. (Milgram Experiment) • People follow directions of authority figures. (Milgram) • Behaviors of the hypnotized are the same as those not hypnotized. 

8. Hypnosis • Posthypnotic suggestions – a suggestion made under hypnosis, that is to be carried out after coming out of hypnosis. • These suggestions have helped people relieve headaches, asthma, pain, etc… • So hypnosis helps bring out people’s own natural healing powers.

9. Hypnosis • Pain relief theories: • Dissociation vs. Selective attention. • Dissociation:a division of consciousness. Separating thoughts and behaviors. • Ex. A hand dipped in ice can feel cold, but not painful. So you can separate pain from cold. • A theory of hypnotic pain relief uses dissociation to explain this power.

10. Hypnosis • Another theory of hypnotic pain relief is selective attention. • Channel focus in another activity so we do not feel the pain. • Hypnosis does not block sensory input, but it may block our attention to those stimuli.

11. What is Hypnosis? • Social Influence Theory – people want to believe they are hypnotized and act as if they are and follow suggestions. (Actors playing a role.) • Divided Consciousness Theory – Our mind splits. Being able to do two things at once. (Doodle and listen.) • Under hypnosis, we do things that we may not be aware of.

12. Meditation • Meditation: a set of techniques used to focus concentration away from thoughts and feelings in order to create calmness, tranquility, and inner peace. • EEGs of meditators show alpha waves characteristic of relaxed wakefulness.

13. Meditation • Psychologists disagree as to whether or not meditation is an altered state of consciousness. • Buddhist monk has his vital signs measured asheprepares to enter an advanced state of meditation. During meditation, the monk's body produces enough heat to dry cold, wet sheets put over his shoulders in a frigid room.

14. Module 20: Drugs…

15. Drugs • Dependence • Compulsive use of a substance • Also known as addiction • Tolerance • More substance is required to obtain the original effect • Withdrawal • Physical discomfort when the substance is stopped

16. Drugs • Psychological Dependence • Drug dependence based on psychological or emotional needs • Drug is necessary to maintain comfort and well-being • Crave drug and its rewarding qualities

17. Drugs • Addiction – Compulsive drug craving and use. • Misconceptions: • 1. Drugs can quickly corrupt – people don’t become addicted to them easily. • 2. Therapy is need to overcome addiction – Many quit on their own. • 3. Addiction is not just for drugs –We use addiction as an excuse for other compulsive behavior (shopping).

18. Drugs • Psychoactive drugs: chemicals that alter perception, thinking, behavior, and mood. • Stimulant (Uppers): Substance that increases activity in body and nervous system. (Increase energy) • Depressant (Downers): Substance that decreases activity in body and nervous system. (Decrease energy)

19. Psychoactive Drugs Alcohol (Depressant) • Most used psychoactive drug in Western societies. • Although most often used in moderation, about 14 million Americans have problems with it. • Men are three times more likely to be problem drinkers.

20. Psychoactive Drugs Alcohol (Depressant) • Highly addictive • Even moderate amounts can effect: • Perception • Motor processes • Memory • Judgment • Visual acuity • Depth perception • Cognitive functioning

21. Psychoactive Drugs Alcohol (Depressant) • Overall effect is to calm the nervous system. • Sometimes perceived as a stimulant because it relaxes inhibitions. • Can cause memory failure of recent events into long term memory. • Suppresses REM sleep. • Excessive drinking can shrink brain

22. Psychoactive Drugs Alcohol (Depressant) • Reduces self-awareness. • Disregard for future consequences. • Women become addicted more quickly and suffer effects with less alcohol than men. • Sexual promiscuity increases with the decrease in inhibition, self-awareness, and disregard for consequences.

25. Psychoactive Drugs Barbiturates (Depressant) • “Downers” or “Tranquilizers” • Often used to treat insomnia. • Can interfere with sleep patterns and cause dependence. • Effects are similar to alcohol. • In large doses can cause death. • Often used in suicide attempts. • Valium, Xanax, Rohypnol (roofies)

26. Psychoactive Drugs Opiates (Depressant) • Includes opium, morphine, and heroin. • Opiates resemble endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. • Causes euphoria (extreme pleasure) followed by clouded mental functioning. • Dependence and withdrawal is extremely painful.

27. Psychoactive Drugs • Stimulants • Increase heart and breathing rates • Pupils dilate • Loss of appetite • Rise in energy and self-confidence • Addictive and comes with a crash afterwards

28. Psychoactive Drugs Caffeine (Stimulant) • Naturally occurring substance found in coffee, tea, cocoa, cola, and chocolate. • Also added to soft drinks and pain medications. • Increases alertness • In high doses, caffeine can cause anxiety, headaches, heart palpitations, insomnia, and diarrhea.

29. Psychoactive Drugs Nicotine (Stimulant) • Found in tobacco. • Considered by many to be the most addictive stimulant in use today. • Can lead to numerous withdrawal symptoms, including nervousness, headaches, and irritability. • Smoking responsible for 97% of lung cancer deaths in men, 74% in women.

30. Psychoactive Drugs Amphetamines (Stimulant) • Chemically similar to epinepherine, a hormone that activates the sympathetic nervous system • Increase neural activity, rise in energy, and mood shifts. • Can cause euphoria followed by a crash, including severe depression • Leads to cycle of addiction.

31. Psychoactive Drugs Amphetamines (Stimulant) • Includes methamphetamine (Speed, Crystal Meth) and ecstasy (MDMA). • “Molly” – Short for molecular. A pure form of ecstasy (MDMA). • Today, molly is mixed with several dangerous chemicals which causes severe depressions afterwards. • Even short-term use of ecstasy may have long-term consequences.

32. Psychoactive Drugs Cocaine (Stimulant) • Blocks reabsorption of dopamine. • Produces increased alertness, motivation, and euphoria. • Crash leads to anxiety, depression, and strong cravings. • Addiction is strong. • There was actual cocaine in Coca-Cola between 1896 and 1905.

33. Psychoactive Drugs Cocaine (Stimulant) • “Crack” – a potent form of cocaine. • Crack works faster than cocaine and produces a more intense high, but also a more intense crash and craving for more crack. • Cravings can reappear days later.

34. Psychoactive Drugs • Hallucinogens – substances that distort visual and auditory perception. LSD (Hallucinogen) • Produces hallucinations and delusions similar to a psychotic state • Can result in psychosis, memory loss, paranoia, panic attacks, nightmares and aggression

35. Psychoactive Drugs Marijuana (Hallucinogen) • THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, produces symptoms such as • Mild hallucinations • Euphoria • Enhanced sense of well-being • Relaxation • Distortion of time

36. Psychoactive Drugs Marijuana (Hallucinogen) • May cause precancerous changes in lung cells. • May suppress immune system • May damage some of the brain’s memory centers. • Some users may experience anxiety and paranoia

37. Psychoactive Drugs Other Hallucinogens • Mescaline (Peyote) and Psilocybin (Mushrooms) • PCP (Angel Dust) – Initially can have hallucinogenic effects. • PCP is also an anesthetic and has stimulant and depressant effects.

38. Influences on Drug Use

39. Influences on Drug Use • Why do people use drugs? • Biological reasons: Alcohol abuse may be genetic. • Psychological reasons: Stress, feelings of hopelessness, and life failures. • Socio-Cultural reasons: Peer pressure and pop culture. • People are more likely to stop if the reason was socio-cultural.