States of Consciousness: Understanding Mental Processes and Altered States

1. Chapter 5 States of Consciousness The slides presented here are not to be the only means of studying for the chapter test. You will still need to read and take notes for both the reading and the lecture.

2. Consciousness can take many forms, while other mental processes occur simultaneously outside our awareness How is ConsciousnessRelated to Other Mental Processes?

3. What Consciousness Does For Us Restricts our attention Combines sensation with learning and memory Allows us to create a mental model of the world that we can manipulate

4. How do we study consciousness? • Roger Shepard and Jacqueline Metzler (1971) • Proved how consciousness allows us to manipulate objects by asking people to identify if objects that were rotated were the same object. • See page 161 – are all three objects the same?

5. How do we study consciousness? • Stephen Kosslyn (1976) • Said we could use our conscious minds to “zoom in,” like a camera of the details of our mental images.

6. Levels ofConsciousness Present Awareness Conscious Just below awareness Subconscious No Conscious Processing Preconscious Nonconscious Nonconscious Past awareness No awareness Unconscious

7. Consciousness changes in cycles that correspond to our biological rhythms and the patterns of stimulation in our environment What Cycles Occurin EverydayConsciousness?

8. What Cycles Occurin EverydayConsciousness? Daydreaming – A common variation of consciousness in which attention shifts to memories, expectations, desires, or fantasies and away from the immediate situation

9. Sleep and Dreaming Circadian rhythms –Psychological patterns that repeat approximately every 24 hours The sleep cycle involves: REM sleep Non-REM (NREM) sleep REM-sleep deprivation leads to REM rebound

10. The Sleep Cycle

11. The Function of Sleep Possible functions of sleep include: • To conserve energy • To restore the body (neurotransmitters, neuron sensitivity) • To build “neural nets” and flush out useless information from the brain

12. The Need for Sleep Over the years, the need for REM sleep decreases considerably, while the need for NREM sleep diminishes less sharply

13. Sleep Debt vs. The Circadian Clock Sleep debt –Deficiency caused by not getting the amount of sleep that one requires for optimal functioning

14. Why We Dream: A Cross-Cultural Perspective Folk theories Scientific approach • Dreams as meaningful events • Dreams as random brain activity

15. Dreams as Meaningful Events Freud believed dreams served the following two functions: • To guard sleep • To serve as sources of wish fulfillment Dream content • Varies by culture, gender, and age • Frequently connects with recent experience • May help us form memories

16. Dreams as Random Brain Activity Activation-synthesis theory – Theory that dreams begin with random electrical activation coming from brain stem; dreams are brain’s attempt to make sense of this random activity

17. Sleep Disorders Insomnia – Involves insufficient sleep, the inability to fall asleep quickly, frequent arousals, or early awakenings Sleep apnea – Respiratory disorder in which person intermittently stops breathing while asleep

18. Sleep Disorders Narcolepsy – Involves sudden REM sleep attacks accompanied by cataplexy Cataplexy – Sudden loss of muscle control that occurs before narcoleptic sleep attack; waking form of sleep paralysis

19. Sleep Disorders Night terrors – The screaming of a child in deep sleep, who, once awakened, has no memory of what mental events might have caused the fear

20. An altered state of consciousness occurs when some aspect of normal consciousness is modified by mental, behavioral, or chemical means What Other Forms Can Consciousness Take?

21. What Other Forms Can Consciousness Take? Hypnosis Meditation Psychoactive drug states

22. Hypnosis Hypnosis – Induced state of altered awareness, characterized by heightened suggestibility and deep relaxation Hypnotizability – Degree to which an individual is responsive to hypnotic suggestions

23. Hypnosis As anAltered State Experts disagree about whetherhypnosis involves A distinct state of consciousness Heightened motivation Social processes such as role playing A dissociate state (Hilgard’s “hidden observer” view)

24. Practical Uses forHypnosis Hypnosis can have practical uses for Researchers Psychological treatment Medical and dental treatment Hypnotic analgesia – Diminished sensitivity to pain while under hypnosis

25. Meditation Meditation – Form of consciousness change induced by focusing on a repetitive behavior, assuming certain body positions and minimizing external stimulation

26. Psychoactive Drug States Psychoactive drugs – Chemicals that affect mental processes and behavior by their effects on the nervous system Hallucinogens Opiates Depressants Stimulants

27. Hallucinogens Alter perceptions of the external environment and inner awareness (also called psychedelics) • Mescaline • LSD • PCP • Cannabis

28. Opiates Highly addictive; produce a sense of well-being and have strong pain-relieving properties • Morphine • Codeine • Heroin • Methadone

29. Depressants Slow down mental and physical activity by inhibiting transmission of nerve impulses in the central nervous system • Barbiturates • Benzodiazepines (e.g. Valium) • Alcohol

30. Stimulants Arouse the central nervous system, speeding up mental and physical responses • Cocaine • Amphetamines • Methamphetamine • MDMA (ecstasy) • Caffeine • Nicotine

31. End of Chapter 5 Congratulations! You did it! Now, how about checking out some of those study tools and resources on my website to show what you know! Practice makes perfect! 