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CONSCIOUSNESS. Did you know?. Dividing your attn between driving & using a cell phone is about as dangerous as driving with a BAL of .08? Body temp. does not remain at 98.6 degrees throughout the day? The eye is sensitive to changes in light, even in ppl without sight?
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Did you know?... • Dividing your attn between driving & using a cell phone is about as dangerous as driving with a BAL of .08? • Body temp. does not remain at 98.6 degrees throughout the day? • The eye is sensitive to changes in light, even in ppl without sight? • The most addictive drug known to mankind is legal in the U.S.?
DEFINING & DESCRIBING CONSC.TYPES & LEVELS OF CONSC.BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMSSTATES OF CONSCIOUSNESSSLEEPING, DREAMING, DISORDERSHYPNOSIS DRUGS
WHAT IS IT? • Consciousness: states of awareness of the outside world and of one’s own mental processes, thoughts, sensations, feelings, & perceptions. [ABSTRACT & COMPLEX] • aware of both external stimuli & your own mental activity • A map of the ‘self’ in relation to the world • Fits the fact that we can receive stimulation, analyze it, & then take some action
We never remain in the same state of consciousness for long • range from alertness non-alertness • Extremely important in everyday life • ‘EXPERIENCES’…. Memories…. • Impossible to be conscious of every internal & external stimuli at the same time
TYPES OF AWARENESS • 1) EXTERNAL SENSORY PERCEPTION • Awareness of sights, smells, sounds, tastes, & touch in the ext. environ
2) INTERNAL SENSORY PERCEPTION • Ability to internally experience sensory information from a remembered event • create sensory representations of events we’ve never experienced
3) ABSTRACT AWARENESS • Abstract ideas (i.e. freedom, love) • Emotions (aren’t sensory experiences) • Symbols we use to represent big ideas
4) AWARENESS OF SELF • Aware of yourself as an indiv. apart from other indiv & objects in your environ • Aware of & the fact you have thoughts & feelings • Observe your experiences from the ‘outside’
4 LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS • Thoughts, emotions, motivations, & behaviors are either: • available to us • not available to us • available but not presently in awareness • CONSCIOUS • mental events that you are aware of @ any moment • PRECONSCIOUS • outside awareness, but can easily be brought back into consciousness
UNCONSCIOUS • Mental activity that influences our consciousness experience that we aren’t aware of • Mental events that are actively kept out of consciousness; hidden & usually irretrievable • NONCONSCIOUS • mental & bio. events that you are never aware of
Precon, Uncon, & Noncon make up the SUBCONSCIOUS – unseen forces that greatly influence us everyday • Freudian Slip
States of consciousness • characteristics @ any given moment • MENTAL ACTIVITY IS ALWAYS CHANGING! • Frequently pass from one state to another • Internal & external stimuli affects our states of consciousness • Ex. circadian rhythms, stress, life conditions, drugs, dreaming
‘NORMAL’ STATES OF CONSCIOUNESS • The waking state is ‘normal’ consciousness… • Brainwaves & sometimes other vital signs • 4 Diff’t ‘Normal’ States….
FOCUSED AWARENESS • Actively, selectively direct your attn & mental activity • focused & 1-tracked • ‘task @ hand’ • not distracted • intense emotions & sensations
DRIFTING CONSCIOUSNESS • Awareness drifts • Letting your mind wander • Flowing, passive state
DAYDREAMING • Combo focused & drifting • not bound by logic or reality • routine situations, bored, restive state • Fantasizing, regret, sorrow, guilt, desires • can create or release tension
DIVIDED CONSCIOUSNESS • Split our attn between 2 or more tasks/activities simultaneously • 2 ways: • 1) Can be alert when doing something, but unable to know why you did it a certain way • 2) Can perform a complex & a mundane activity @ the same time
PEOPLE CAN LEARN & BE INFLUENCED WHEN THEY’RE NOT AWARE OF IT! • Important mental operations (learning) can occur w/o awareness! • Ex. Word pairing under anesthesia
ALTERED STATES • Any mental state that differs from normal states of awareness in: • 1) “normal” waking brain wave • 2) significant changes in behavior, thoughts, etc. • Intensity & type of awareness can differ • not part of a ‘normal’ conscious experience
Achieving altered state = cultural universal • Valued vs. taboo varies • can occur accidentally, intentionally, or naturally • Fever, sleep or sensory deprivation, fasting, trauma, hallucinations, hypnosis, meditation, trances, drugs, euphoria
DISORDER • Prosopagnosia:can’t consciously recognize faces, but can recognize other objects • Certain brain activity & eye movements occur when we recognize a face. Diff’t brain activity & eye mvmts occur when we view a unfamiliar face
CIRCADIAN RYTHYMS • Daily ‘natural clock’ of 100s bio events regulated by brain • Fluctuate on 24 hr cycle w/ hg & lw pt. • body temp, sleep, blood pressure, excretion, hormone levels, etc. • Controlled by amt light entering retina • ‘FIGHTING THE CLOCK’ • Jet lag, shift work, early birds & night owls
INTRO • altered state of consciousness • very active & complex • Not a single, continous state; it’s almost constantly changing • Vital for health & survival • physically & psychologically • Changes in brain waves muscle tension, eye movement & mental activity occur in 5 distinct stages (sleep cycle)
WHY DO WE SLEEP? • Restores the body & brain for future activity; physical & mental recuperation • Circadian rhythm: (melatonin) • Memory/learning: reorganize/retain memories & new info; solidify & assimilate the day’s experiences • Mood & social behavior: processing emotions, stress relief, decision-making
Nervous system:develop, check, & expand neural connections in the brain • Immune system:increase & maintain immune functions • Growth & development:growth hormones released; increased blood flow to muscles (restore & repair body); conserve energy • So we can dream!
SLEEP CYCLE • The sleep cycle occurs in 5 stages • Difft physical & psych activity • 1cycle = 90 minutes • (stage 1 REM) • Stage 1 + 2 + 3 = 20 minutes • Stage 4 = 30-45 minutes • REM = 10-15 minutes • We move through this cycle about 5-6 times a night!
Stage 1: • ‘twilight state’ – not dreaming or daydreaming • drift in & out (easily awakened) • heart rate & muscle tension slows • myoclonic jerks – feelings of falling or floating • Stage 2: • eye movement stops • Deeper relaxation & slowing of mental activity
Stage 3: • Transition to ‘deep sleep’ • no muscle activity (except vitals) • Stage 4: • brain waves reach slowest pt (deep sleep) • Diff. stage to wake someone up; if awakened often groggy, confused, disoriented for several mins. • bedwetting, night terrors, sleepwalking, sleeptalking
REM: ‘active sleep’ • brain waves resemble that of an awake, alert person • body paralysis/immobile (except face) • most dreaming & vivid dreaming – thoughts & images are org. into stories • breathing is rapid, irregular, & shallow • nocturnal emissions & vaginal lubrication • almost impossible to wake up!
SLEEP DEPRIVATION • Not getting enough sleep causes significant changes in body chemistry, perception, & the ability to think clearly • More likely to get sick • Cranky, irritable, lower impulse control • Fatigue; hard to concentrate/pay attention/focus • Less creativity; more likely to make errors • Anxiety, depression, emotional problems • Less coordination; slower rxn time; LTM
ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP? National Sleep Foundation 2007
Everyone dreams • Dreams occur in all sleep stages… the most are in REM • Everyone has @ least 5-7 dreams a night… even if you don’t remember them! • All mammals (?) • Impt. for survival! DREAMING
WHY DO WE DREAM? • Theories: • Wish fulfillment or subconscious speaking to us • Review & address probs • Remove unneeded info/memories (reorg. the brain) • Analyze, consolidate, & incorporate new info/memories into long-term memory • Meaningless by-product of REM (random neuron firing in the brainstem)
CONTENT OF DREAMS • Daytime events (50% of dreams) • strenuous activity OR passive activity • Occur in a realistic time scale • Avg = 10 – 15 mins
IMAGES & CHARACTERS • You are a ‘character’ 90% of the time • ½ of the ppl you know, ½ you don’t know • drab color w/ blurry backgrounds • Girls = Even mixture of gender; boys = have more men • Mostly visual • 20% of dreams include auditory or body sensations • 1% contain tastes or smells
EMOTIONS • Mostly unpleasant/ - emotions • Sadness, anger, anxiety, dread, failure • Men more likely to have + emotions & aggression • usually the ‘victim’, not the aggressor • * recurrent dreams* - fear or vulnerability • More likely to have ‘bad’ dreams after an upsetting event • 10% - sexual in nature & usually contain body sensations
CREATIVE & BIZARRE ASPECTS • Mix of bizarre & realistic elements • 10% are completely bizarre • Sudden/unrealistic changes from one setting to another