States of Consciousness Ch. 5

1. States of ConsciousnessCh. 5 AP Psychology Alice F. Short Hilliard Davidson High School

2. States of Consciousness The Nature of Consciousness • Defining Consciousness • Consciousness and the Brain • Levels of Awareness Sleep and Dreams • Biological Rhythms and Sleep • Why Do We Need Sleep? • Stages of Wakefulness and Sleep • Sleep and Disease • Sleep Disorders Psychoactive Drugs • Uses of Psychoactive Drugs • Types of Psychoactive Drugs Hypnosis • The Nature of Hypnosis • Explaining Hypnosis • Uses of Hypnosis Consciousness and Health and Wellness: Meditation

3. The Nature of Consciousness • Defining Consciousness • Consciousness and the Brain • Levels of Awareness • stream of consciousness – term used by William James to describe the mind as a continuous flow of changing sensations, images, thoughts and feelings

4. Defining Consciousness • consciousness – an individual’s awareness of external events and internal sensations under a condition of arousal, including awareness of self and thoughts about one’s experiences • awareness • global brain workspace • arousal • metacognition – thinking about thinking • EXAMPLE: Thinking about why you are nervous before an exam

5. Consciousness and the Brain • awareness – subjective state of knowing what’s going on, as occurring in a global brain workspace includes awareness of self and thoughts about one’s experiences • global brain workspace – a collection of neurons from a variety of brain areas working in parallel that include prefrontal cortex (the front-most part of the brain) and the anterior cingulate • arousal – the physiological state of being engaged with the environment determined by the reticular activating system • refers to the ways that awareness is regulated • high alert • low alert • reticular activating system – a network of structures including the brain stem, medulla and thalamus

6. Levels of Awareness • Higher-Level Consciousness • Lower-Level Consciousness • Altered States of Consciousness • Subconscious Awareness • No Awareness

7. 1. Higher Level Consciousness • controlled processes – the most alert states of human consciousness, during which individuals actively focus their efforts toward a goal • require selective attention • involves prefrontal cortex (usually) • Example: Focusing on learning something new.

8. 2. Lower-Level Consciousness • automatic processes – states of consciousness that require little attention and do not interfere with other ongoing activities • Example: typing, texting, etc. after mastered • daydreaming – • b/w conscious and sleep • begin spontaneously during low-focus activates • help make plans, solve problems or come up with creative idea • help us to cope, create and fantasize

9. 3. Altered States of Consciousness • altered states of consciousness or awareness – mental states that are noticeably different from normal awareness • Range: losing sense of self-consciousness  hallucinating • Causes: trauma, fever, fatigue, sensory deprivation, medication, hypnosis and psychological disorders

10. 4. Subconscious Awareness • waking subconscious awareness • incubation – subconscious processing that leads to a solution to a problem after a break from conscious though about the problem • subconscious awareness during sleep and dreams • we retain some awareness during dreams

11. 5. No Awareness • unconscious – applies to someone who has been knocked out by a blow or anesthetized • a.k.a. nonconscious • unconscious thought – according to Freud, a reservoir of unacceptable wishes, feelings, and thoughts that are beyond conscious awareness; Freud’s interpretation viewed the unconscious as a storehouse for vile thoughts

12. A SHORT Time to Ponder • What are controlled processes and automatic processes?

13. Sleep and Dreams • Biological Rhythms and Sleep • Why Do We Need Sleep? • Stages of Wakefulness and Sleep • Sleep and Disease • Sleep Disorders • sleep – a natural state of rest for the body and mind that involves the rerevsible loss of consciousness

14. Biological Rhythms and Sleep • biological rhythms • circadian rhythms • suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

15. Biological Rhythms and Sleepp. 143 • biological rhythms – periodic physiological fluctuations in the body, such as the rise and fall of hormones and accelerated and decelerated cycles of brain activity, that can influence behavior • circadian rhythms – daily behavioral or physiological cycles, which involve • sleep/wake cycle • body temperature • blood pressure • blood sugar level • suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) – small brain structure that uses input from the retina to synchronize its own rhythm with the daily cycle of light and dark; the mechanism by which the body monitors the change from day to night (located in hypothalamus); sends information to: • hypothalamus & pineal gland (temperature, hunger, release of hormones – melatonin) • reticular formation (sleep and wakefulness)

16. Desynchronized and Resetting • desynchronized biological clock –thrown off their regular schedule • jet lag – result of two or more body rhythms being out of sync • changing work shifts • increased risk of heart disease • gastrointestinal disorders • insomnia • resetting biological clock • daylight • melatonin • useful in eastward travel • not useful in westward travel

17. A SHORT Time to Ponder • Would a lot of these problems exist before industrialization?

18. Why do We Need Sleep? • avoid becoming prey • avoid injury at night • conserve energy • search for food in safer conditions (daylight) • restores, replenishing, rebuilds the brain and body • increased production of cells; reduced breakdown of proteins • enhances synaptic connections between neurons • consolidates memory for specific information, for skills and for emotional experiences • conducts activities that strengthen memory associations  long term memory (occurs in cerebral cortex)

19. Effects of Chronic Sleep Deprivation • 8 hours sleep/night • sleep deprivation • decreases brain activity in thalamus and prefrontal cortex • reduces complexity of brain activity • shorter pathways • reduced abilities to make moral decisions • STUDY: 53 hours of wakefulness –> agree with decisions that violated personal standards

20. A SHORT Time to Ponder • Is sleep deprivation and American epidemic? If yes, what could be the long-term consequences?

21. Wakefulness and Sleep • Wakefulness (2 total stages) • Sleep (5 total stages) • electroencephalograph (EEG) – monitors brain’s electrical activity

22. Wakefulness • beta waves – concentration and alertness • highest in frequency • lowest in amplitude • desynchronous • alpha waves – relaxation and drowsiness • synchronous • slow down (lower frequency) • higher amplitude

23. Sleep (5) • Stage 1 • Stage 2 • Stage 3 • Stage 4 • Stage 5 (REM sleep) • Sleep Cycle (1-5): 90-100 minutes • Stages 1-4 sometimes referred to as non-REM sleep

24. Stages 1 and 2 Sleep • 60% of a whole night’s sleep • light stages of sleep • “I wasn’t asleep.” • Stage 1 – drowsy sleep • myoclonic jerks (I see you!) • feeling of falling • theta waves (slower frequency; greater amplitude than alpha waves) • gradual change from alpha waves • Stage 2 – muscle activity decreases; no longer consciously aware of the environment • theta waves interspersed with sleep spindles (sudden increase in frequency)

25. Stages 3 and 4 Sleep • 20% of a whole night’s sleep • delta waves (slowest; highest amplitude) • a.k.a. delta sleep • difficult to wake • deepest sleep • bed wetting, sleep walking, sleep talking • wake up: confused and disoriented • difficult to distinguish b/w 3 and 4 • Stage 3 • delta waves less than 50% of time • Stage 4 • delta waves more than 50% of time

26. REM Sleep • 20% of a whole night’s sleep • REM (rapid eye movement) – figure 5.5, p.147 • dreaming • longer REM  more likely to remember • waves similar to relaxed wakefulness • role in memory and creativity • progressively longer in later sleep cycles • most likely to wake just after REM sleep

27. Sleep Stages – EEG Patternsp. 147

28. Sleep Though the Life Span • Children: • deep sleep  growth hormone • sleep well: • avoid caffeine • experience regular bedtime routine • have no TV in bedroom • Adolescence • cerebral cortex developing (sleep linked to brain development) • 9 hrs 25 min • shortfall  attempt to “catch up” on weekends (can’t)  • melatonin secreted • 9:30 p.m. – early adolescents • 10:30 p.m. - later adolescents • inattention in class • poor performance

29. Sleep Through Life Span • adults • go to bed and wake up earlier • Middle Adult (40s-50s) • need less sleep • Late Adult (60s +) • 50% report problems falling or staying asleep

30. Sleep and the Brain • neurotransmitter activity • initiated in reticular formation (core of brain stem… damage to this area can lead to coma or death) • serotonin • norepinephrine • acetylcholine • Stages 1-4  neurotransmitters drop • REM • initiated by increase in acetylcholine • ends with increased serotonin and norepinephrine • most like to wake just after REM period

31. Sleep and Disease • Increased Occurrence During Sleep • stroke • asthma attacks • Sleeplessness • obesity • heart disease • Fighting Disease • cells produce cytokines (powerfully sleep-inducing) • Mental Disorders (freq. associated with sleeplessness) • depression • Alzheimer disease • stroke • cancer

32. Sleep Disorders • insomnia • sleep walking and sleep talking (and eating) • nightmares and night terrors • narcolepsy • sleep apnea

33. Insomnia • inability to sleep • 1/5 adults • more common in women and older adults • more common in people who are thin, stressed or depressed • Mild Insomnia: treat with quality sleep habits (same bedtime, sleep in dark and cool environment, avoiding caffeine and naps)

34. Sleepwalking and Talking • somnambulism = sleepwalking • stages 3 & 4 • linked to sleep deprivation and alcohol use • should wake individual • somniloquy = sleep talking • not accurate • sleep eating (rare) – Ambien side effect • buttered cigarettes, salt sandwiches, raw bacon

35. Nightmares and Night Terrors • nightmare – a frightening dream that awakens the dreamer from REM sleep • peak at ages 3-6 • experienced by college students 4-8 times per year • night terror – features sudden arousal from sleep and intense fear • rapid heart rate • rapid breathing • loud screaming • heavy perspiration • movement • peak at ages 5-7 • occurs during slow-save stage 4 (non-REM) sleep

36. Narcolepsy • narcolepsy – sudden, overpowering urge to sleep • involves problems with hypothalamus and amygdala • emerges in adulthood • may occur while talking or standing • can be triggered by extreme emotional reactions, such as surprise, laughter, excitement or anger

37. Sleep Apnea • sleep apnea – a sleep disorder in which individuals stop breathing because the windpipe fails to open or because the brain processes involved in respiration fail to work • loud snoring --> silence • 12 million Americans (2006) • more common in infants and adults 65+ • more common in the obese, men, people with large necks • may factor into suddeninfant death syndrome (SIDS)

38. Dreams • manifest content – according to Freud (who was coo-coo-ca-choo), the surface content of a dream, containing dream symbols that disguise the dream’s true meaning • latent content – according to Freud, a dream’s hidden content; its unconscious and true meaning • 2 Most Prominent Dream Theories • cognitive theory • activation-synthesis theory

39. Dream Theories • cognitive theory of dreaming – theory proposing that we can understand dreaming by applying the same cognitive concepts we use in studying the waking mind • dreams = subconscious cognitive processing involving information and memory • metaphorically related to a person’s preoccupation • CRITICISMS: lack of attention to the roles of brain structures and brain activity in dreaming

40. Dream Theories • activation-synthesis theory – theory that dreaming occurs when the cerebral cortex synthesizes neural signals generated from activity in the lower part of the brain • dreams  brain’s attempts to find logic in random brain activity (internally generated stimuli) that occurs during sleep • primary motor and sensory areas of forebrain stimulated (create sensation of running/feeling wind, etc.) • dreams = “cognitive trash” • CRITICISM: damage to the brain stem does not necessary reduce dreaming; life-experiences stimulate and shape dreaming

41. Psychoactive Drugs • U.S. has the highest rate of adolescent drug use of any industrialized nation. • Why do you think this is the case?

42. Psychoactive Drugs • psychoactive drugs – drugs that act on the nervous system to alter consciousness, modify perception and change mood • Reasons / Justifications: • deal with life’s activities / escape from harsh realities of life • reduce tension • relieve boredom and/or fatigue • curious about effects • Reasons Drug Use is Stupid • losing track on one’s responsibilities • problems in workplace and in relationships • increased risk for serious (sometimes fatal) diseases • tolerance • addiction • dependence • expensive • others to be discussed on later slides… it’s a long list

43. Psychoactive Drugs • tolerance (need more) • physical dependence – physiological need • withdrawal • psychological dependence – strong desire • feeling of well-being / reduction of stress • addiction – physical or psychological or both on a drug

44. How to Become an Addict… or Not (Not is Better) • psychoactive drugs  increase dopamine levels in brain’s reward pathways • reward pathway (p. 155) • ventral tegmental area (VTA) • limbic and prefrontal areas activated by dopamine produced here • nucleus accumbens (NAc)

45. Reward Pathways for Drugs

46. Types of Psychoactive Drugs • depressants • alcohol • barbiturates • tranquilizers • opiates (a.k.a. narcotics) • morphine • heroin • stimulants • caffeine • nicotine • amphetamines • diet pills • crystal methamphetamine (a.k.a. crystal meth, crank, tina) • cocaine • MDMA (a.k.a. Ecstasy, X, XTC) • hallucinogens • marijuana • LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

47. Depressants • depressants - psychoactive drugs that slow down mental and physical activity • alcohol • barbiturates • tranquilizers • opiates (a.k.a. narcotics) • morphine • heroin

48. Depressants • alcohol • inhibitions decrease and judgment becomes increasingly impaired • extreme intoxication  coma and/or death • increases concentration of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) • to cerebral cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens • 2nd most widely used drug (after caffeine) • 2/3 of American adults drink; 30% binge drank in past year (5+ drinks) • involved in 60% of homicides (either offender of victim) • 65% aggressive sexual acts against women – offender consumed • binge drinking increases during first 2 years of college  decreases with permanent job, marriage or cohabitation, parenthood • 11 times more likely to fall behind in school • 10 times morel likely to drive • 2 times as likely to have unprotected sex • alcoholism – a disorder that involves long-term, repeated, uncontrolled, compulsive and excessive use of alcoholic beverages • impairs as drinker’s health and social relationships (1/9 drinkers) • one-third rule (1. dead/terrible shape; 2. still fighting addiction; 3. sober or drinking socially) • alcoholism recovery • negative experience w/ alcohol • substitute dependency (meditation, exercise, overeating) • developing new positive relationships • joining a support group

49. Depressants • barbiturates (examples Nembutal and Seconal) • decreased central nervous system activity • impaired memory and decision making • can be lethal • most often used in suicide attempts • treat insomnia • largely replaced by tranquilizers

50. Depressants • tranquilizers (examples: Valium and Xanax) • reduce anxiety • induce relaxation • feeling of calm (small doses) • drowsiness and confusion • tolerance – takes only a few weeks • addictive • withdrawal symptoms