Chapter 5 States of Consciousness

Lecture Overview
Issues in Consciousness Sleep and Dreams Drugs that Influence Consciousness Alternate States of Consciousness

 Consciousness: an organisms awareness of its own self and surroundings Levels of awareness:
HIGH: Controlled processes that require attention (and interfere with other functions) MIDDLE: Automatic processes requiring minimal attention (such as riding your bike) LOWEST: Minimal or no awareness of the environment

 Levels of awareness:
HIGH: Controlled processes that require attention (and interfere with other functions) MIDDLE: Automatic processes requiring minimal attention (such as riding your bike) LOWEST: Minimal or no awareness of the environment

 Sleep is a behavior AND an altered state of consciousness

The nature of consciousness is changed during sleep
We experience some dreaming during sleep We may recall very little of the mental activity that occurred during sleep

Sleep

We spend about a third of our lives in sleep

 Summated brain wave activity (EEG)

Wakefulness: beta activity (13-30 Hz) Eyes closed: alpha activity (8-12 Hz)

EEG Changes During Sleep

EEG Changes During Sleep

Stage 1: Light Sleep Alpha Waves Stage 2: Eye movements & brain waves slow; sleep spindles

 Stage 3: very slow waves - delta waves appear Stage 4: almost all delta waves
Very hard to wake during this stage

EEG Changes During Sleep

REM stage: rapid, irregular and shallow breathing, eyes jerk rapidly, both wake and sleep waves (sawtooth pattern)

 Stage 3: very slow waves - delta waves appear Stage 4: almost all delta waves
Very hard to wake during this stage

EEG Changes During Sleep

REM stage: rapid, irregular and shallow breathing, eyes jerk rapidly, both wake and sleep waves (sawtooth pattern

Theories of Sleep
Repair/Restoration
Sleep allows for recuperation from physical, emotional, and intellectual fatigue

Evolutionary/Circadian
Sleep is part of a circadian cycle Sleep evolved to conserve energy and protect our ancestors from predators

Sleep Duration in Mammals

Sleep and Dreams

Psychoanalytic:

Sometimes,a cigar is just a cigar.

- Freud, on the meaning of dreams

Dreams represent disguised symbols of repressed desires and anxieties (Freud) Manifest Content: symbols used to disguise true meaning of dream Latent Content: true unconscious meaning of a dream

WHY DO WE DREAM!?
Biological:
Activation-synthesis hypothesis:
Dreams represent random activation of brain cells during sleep

Cognitive: Dreams help to sift and sort the events of the day

Dyssomnias Insomnia - difficulty in getting to sleep or remaining asleep

Situational: related to anxiety or excitement Drug-induced: sleeping pills (tolerance)

Dyssomnias
Sleep apnea: person stops breathing and is awakened when blood levels of carbon dioxide stimulate breathing Narcolepsy: Sleep appears at odd times

Sleep attack: urge to sleep during the day Cataplexy: REM paralysis occurs, person is still conscious

Myths of Sleep
Everyone needs 8 hrs of sleep per night to maintain good health Learning of complicated subjects such as calculus can be done during sleep Some people never dream Dreams last only a few seconds Genital arousal during sleep reflects dream content
It is unrelated to sexual content May be a useful index of physical versus psychological causes of impotence in males

Hypnosis
Hypnosis is an altered state of heightened suggestibility The hypnotic state is characterized by
Narrow and focused attention Imagination and hallucinations Passive receptive attitude Reduced reaction to pain Heightened suggestibility

Myths of Hypnosis
People can be hypnotized against their will People will do immoral things while hypnotized Hypnosis improves memory recall Hypnotized persons have special strength Hypnosis involves a form of role playing

Altered States
Meditation refers to a set of techniques that promote a heightened sense of awareness
Can involve body movements and posture, focusing of attention on a focal point, or control of breathing Meditation can induce relaxation, lower blood pressure, and can be associated with a sense of euphoria