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States of Consciousness

Explore the different levels and functions of consciousness, the stages of sleep, sleep disorders, hypnosis, and the effects of psychoactive drugs on our state of mind.

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States of Consciousness

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  1. States of Consciousness Carolynn DuBois Period 1 AP Psych

  2. Definition of Consciousness • William James referred to consciousness as the stream of thought • It serves two functions: • 1. Monitoring ourselves and our relationship with our environment • 2. Plans our responses to the information gathered by monitoring

  3. Levels of Consciousness • PRECONSCIOUS: contains info available to consciousness, stores automatic behaviors • SUBLIMNAL: a form of preconscious processing when we are faced with stimuli so rapidly, we are unaware of it. • SUBCONSCIOUS/UNCONSCIOUS: the level at which information is stored that is too difficult to deal with (repressed ideas or memories)

  4. SLEEP! • Is an altered state of consciousness • Follows a 24 hour pattern due to circadian rhythms • Divided into stages based on brain wave patterns measured by EEGs (electroencephalograms) that show the electrical activities of the brain

  5. Sleep Stages • Before sleep: awake, relaxed, ALPHA WAVES • Drifting off: Stage 1, small irregular BETA • Deeper sleep: THETA • Even deeper: Stage 2, skeletal muscles relax SLEEP SPINDLES, broken up by large, slow K COMPLEXES • Stages 3 and 4: DELTA WAVES • Rapid Eye Movement: REM , eyes move vigorously, associated with dreaming, very deep sleep • Each sleep cycle is about 90 minutes long

  6. Sleep Disorders • Insomnia is a lack of sleep that can take the form of the inability to sleep or maintain sleep • Narcolepsy-inability to stay awake • Sleep apnea- breathing stops breathing while sleeping • Somnambulism- a.ka. Sleepwalking • Activation-synthesis hypothesis- proposed that dreams are the product of our awareness of neural activity due to sensory input while we sleep

  7. Hypnosis • An altered state of consciousness in which the hypnotized person is relaxed and open to suggestion • Has some clinical applications: extraction of memories, posthypnotic suggestion to treat pain or stop a bad habit

  8. Psychoactive Drug Overview • Produce altered states of consciousness • Include CNS Depressants, CNS Stimulants, • Narcotics-substances derived from the opium plant • hallucinogens-drugs that induce illusions and hallucinations • Barbiturates are drugs that inhibit neural arousal centers

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