States of consciousness

consciousness

our awareness of ourselves and our environment

biological rhythms

Periodic psychological fluctuations. Annual, twenty-eight-day, and twenty-four-hour cycles

consciousness

our awareness of ourselves and our environment

biological rhythms

Periodic psychological fluctuations. Annual, twenty-eight-day, and twenty-four-hour cycles

circadian rhythm

biological clock; regular body rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle

suprachiasmatic nucleus

sends signals to the pineal glands, receives information from the retinal proteins regarding light

melatonin

a sleep-inducing hormone, production of which is controlled by the pineal gland

REM sleep/paradoxical sleep

Stage of sleep in which the sympathetic nervous system experiences a state of arousal, with eyes twitching and the body effectively paralyzed

alpha waves

relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

sleep spindles

bursts of rapid, rhythmic brainwave activity during Stage 2 sleep

EEG (Electroencephalography)

the recording of electrical activity along the scalp produced by the firing of neurons within the brain.

sleep

periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness

hallucinations

false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus

delta waves

large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep (Stages 3 and 4)

insomnia

recurring problems in falling or staying asleep

narcolepsy

disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks; may lapse directly into REM sleep

sleep apnea

sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing; repeated momentary awakenings, linked to obesity

somnambulism

sleepwalking. stage 3 or four

night terrors

disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; occur during stage 4 sleep

dream

A sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind. Notable for images, discontinuity, incongruity

manifest content

Freud's idea- the remembered storyline of a dream, incorporating traces of experiences and preoccupations

latent content

the underlying meaning of a dream. according to Freud, this functions as a "safety valve"

REM rebound

you can fall straight into REM sleep

hypnosis

social interaction in which one person suggests to another that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur

posthypnotic suggestion

made during a hypnosis session, to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized

dissociation

a split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others

Ernest Hilgard

Progenitor of Divided Consciousness theory- info processing divided into simultaneous conscious and subconscious realms

psychoactive drug

chemical substances that alter perceptions and moods

tolerance

the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug's effect

withdrawal

the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing use of an addictive drug

physical dependence

the physiological need for a drug, marked by unpleasant withdrawal symptoms

psychological dependence

a psychological need to use a drug

addiction

compulsive drug craving and use

depressants

drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions

barbiturates

drugs that depress the activity of the CNS, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment. "tranquilizers"

opiates

Opium and its derivatives; depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety

stimulants

Drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions

amphetamines

drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing sped-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes

methamphetamines

a powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the CNS, w/ sped-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes. appears to reduce overall depression levels

Ecstasy (MDMA)

a synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen, produces euphoria and social intimacy but w/ short-term health risks and harm to serotonin-producing neurons

hallucinogens

psychedelic drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

Created by chemist Albert Hoffman, uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, blocks serotonin

THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol)

Major active ingredient in marijuana; relaxes, disinhibits, may produce a euphoric high

near-death experience

An altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death, often similar to drug-induced hallucinations

dualism

mind and body are two distinct entities that merely interact

monism

mind and body are different aspects of the same thing

nonconscious

body processes controlled by your brain that we are not usually ever aware of

preconscious

info about yourself or your environment that you are currently not thinking about- but you COULD be

subconscious

info that we're not consciously aware of, but we know must exist due to our behavior (gut feelings)

unconscious

based on psychoanalytic theory, info that is unacceptable to our conscious mind and is therefore unavailable (repressions)

pineal gland

controls release of the hormone melatonin

hypnic jerks- stage one

an involuntary muscle spasm that occurs in the lightest stage of sleep