Psychology - Consciousness

Malady

Malady

an illness or sickness

R.E.M

(rapid eye movement) state of sleep where you dream

Parasomnia

(umbrella term)

• sleeptalking

• sleepwalking - somnambulist

• REM Behavior Disorder- acting out your dreams

• night terrors

• sleep paralysis

Causes for Parasomnia

frontal lobe development (planning, organization, decision-making, and morality)

Possible Triggers of Parasomnia

MS; Strokes; Alzheimers - damaged brain stems

Treatments for Parasomnia

clonazepam

Consciousness

The awareness of the sensations, thoughts, and feelings being experienced at a given moment

Active State of Consciousness

We are aware of our actions, thoughts, emotions, and perceptions

Altered State of Consciousness

not aware of our actions, thoughts, emotions, and perceptions

Naturally Altered State of Consciousness

Sleep and daydreaming

Deliberately Altered State of Consciousness

hypnosis, meditation, prayer, psychoative drugs

What does being in an altered state of consciousness feel like?

• fuzzy and disorganized

• less alert/groggy

• thoughts may take bizarre turns (dreams and daydreams)

• may sometimes mean being in an increased state of alertness

• may divide your conscious awareness (doing two things at once)

4 States of Consciousness

• most passive state: sleeping/coma

• passive state: daydreaming

• active/waking state: paying attention

• most active state: super alert/attentive

Explicit Processing

processing that is conscious, you are aware

Implicit Processing

you dont need to think about what you’re doing; little or no conscious awareness

Circadian Rhythm

a cycle that takes a day to complete

Seasonal Effective Disorder (SAD)

severe depression in which feelings of despair and hopelessness increase during winter

Siesta

a break in the afternoon that some cultures take as a way to “go with the flow”

Jet Lag

a disruption in sleep and awake cycles brought on by traveling through a series of time zones

Why do we sleep?

• need to recharge batteries

• need to sort and organize information from the day

• evolutionary explanation = Cavepeople ancestors used to sleep as a way to conserve energy at night

Adaptive Theory of Sleep

animals and humans evolved different sleep patterns to avoid being present during their predators normal hunting times

Restorative Theory of Sleep

sleep is necessary for the physical health of the body, chemicals we use during the day are replenished