States of Consciousness

Disorders of Consciousness

-Waking consciousness: Clear, organized alertness

- Disorder of consciousness: A long-term lack of consciousness and
responsiveness (coma)

- Difficult to diagnose

- Persistent vegetative state: Waking state without signs of awareness

Altered States of Consciousness

- Fatigue, delirium, hypnosis, drugs, and euphoria

-Everyone experiences some altered states, such as sleep, dreaming, and daydreaming.

- Heightened awareness

- Marked by changes in quality andpattern of mental activity

Hypnosis

A state of consciousness characterized by focused attention, reduced peripheral awareness, and heightened suggestibility

Ernest Hilgard argued ______ about Hypnosis

- Hypnosis causes a dissociate state, or split in awareness

- The hidden observer is aware of pain but remains in the background

Nonstate theorists argue hypnosis is

a blend of conformity, relaxation, imagination, obedience, and role-playing.

Basic suggestion effect _____ with hypnoisis

Tendency to carry out suggested actions as if involuntarily

what does Hypnosis help with

1. Focused attention on what is said
2. Relax and feel tired
3. Let go and accept suggestions
4. Use vivid imagination

Hypnotizability

How easily a person can become hypnotized

Effects of Hypnosis (

1) Physical ability

2) Memory

3) Amnesia

4) Pain relief

5) Sensory Change

Physical ability

May improve some in sports; does not affect physical strength

Memory

Some evidence it can enhance memory, but frequently increases false memories

Amnesia

Brief memory loss seems to occur

Pain relief

Can relieve pain, especially helpful when chemical painkillers are ineffective

Sensory change

Most effective; possible to alter color vision, hearing sensitivity, time sense, perception of illusion, and other sensory responses

Meditation

-A mental exercise used to alter consciousness

-Heightened awareness and relaxation by interrupting flow of thoughts, worries, and analysis

Mindfulness meditation

Observe own thoughts without reacting to them; achieve
total, nonjudgmental awareness of the world

Concentrative meditation

Attending to a single focal point or mantra

The Relaxation Response

An innate physiological pattern that opposes your body’s
fight-or-flight mechanisms

The Relaxation Response Benifits

- Good for stress control

-Physical benefits such as lowered heart rate, blood
pressure, muscle tension, and other signs of stress, as well
as immune system activity improvement

- May foster mental well-being and positive mental skills,
such as clarity, concentration, and calm

Sleep Patterns

Sleep is an innate biological rhythm: cannot be completely
ignored

Light and dark help

tie sleep rhythms to 24-hour days

Normal range of sleep

7–8 hours per night

Short sleepers

5 hours per night

Long sleepers

9 hours or longer

The Stages of Sleep

Changes in electrical activity in the brain waves show that sleep progresses through several stages every night

Beta waves

awake and alert

Alpha waves

immediately before sleep; slower and larger waves

REM sleep

Dreaming and return of high-frequency brain waves

Non-Rem Sleep

Occurs during all sleep stages

Brain areas associated with imagery and emotion
more active during REM sleep

- Rapid eye movement
- Irregular heartbeat
- Wavering blood pressure and breathing
- Sleep paralysis
- Sharpening or completing consolidation of
memories

Repair/restorative theories of sleep

Replenish and conserve energy and lengthen life

When sleep deprivation occurs

-Susceptibility to microsleeps

- Sleep-deprivation psychosis
- Confusion, disorientation, delusions, and hallucinations

Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis

- Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley

- During REM sleep, lower brain centers are activated in random
fashion

-Brain tries to interpret random information by searching through
stored memories and creates dreams

Neurocognitive Dream Theory

-William Domhoff

- Dreams have much in common with waking thought

- Dreams are a conscious expression of REM sleep processes that sort andstore daily experiences

- No deeper, symbolic meaning to dreams

Insomnia Disorder

Difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep

Temporary insomnia

Caused by worry, stress, and excitement

Drug-dependency insomnia

Caused by withdrawal from sleeping pills

Alcohol and other depressants may help a person get to sleep but……..

reduce the sleep quality.

Disorders of arousal

Sleepwalking, sleep talking, and sleep se-xxx

Nightmares

Bad dreams that take place during REM sleep

Sleep terrors

Person suffers total panic and may hallucinate frightening dream images into the bedroom

Sleep apnea

Breathing stops for a period of time

Sudden infant death syndrome

(SIDS) baby dies during the sleep process

Narcolepsy

Sudden sleep attacks, occur anywhere, any time, triggered by high emotion (cataplexy)

Psychoactive Drug

Capable of altering attention, emotion, judgment, memory,
time sense, self-control, or perception

Stimulant

Type of psychoactive drug that increases activity in the body and nervous system

Depressant

Type of psychoactive drug that decreases, or
slows down, activity in the body and nervous system

Drug-Altered Consciousness

- Social-recreational use: Pleasure or relaxation

- Intensive use: Daily use with elements of dependence

- Compulsive use: Intense use and extreme dependence

Reasons for Drug Abuse (6)

-Coping Efforts

-Effects on the brain (good or bad)

-Dependcy

-Withdrawl Symptomps

-Drug Tolerance

-Psycological depencey

Coping efforts

Self-defeating attempt to cope with life

Effects on the brain

Addictive drugs stimulate the brain’s reward circuitry

- Nucleus accumbens release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that intensifies feelings of pleasure

Dependency

To maintain bodily comfort, a physical dependence exists

Withdrawal symptoms

Physical illness and discomfort from removal
of a drug

Drug tolerance

Progressive decrease in responsiveness to a
drug

Psychological dependence

Feeling that drug is necessary to maintain well-being

Stumulants

Up-Up and away

Different Stimulants (6)

1) Amphetamines

2)Cocaine

3) MDMA

4)Caffeine

5) Nicotin

6) Carcinogen

Amphetamines

- Type of synthetic stimulant

- Medical use: Treating hyperactivity and overdoses of depressant drugs

- Misuse: Staying awake, attempt to improve mental or physical performance

- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Cocaine

- Feelings of alertness, euphoria, well-being, energy, and pleasure

- Affects central nervous system and is more quickly metabolized than amphetamines

- Capacity for abuse similar to heroin

- Anhedonia: Inability to feel pleasure, typical withdrawal
symptom

MDMA

-Ecstasy or molly
- Chemically similar to amphetamine
- Produces hallucinations
-Brain cells release extra dopamine, epinephrine, and serotonin
- Users more likely to also abuse alcohol
- Long-term anxiety and depression

Caffeine

Most frequency used psychoactive drug in North America

- Blocks chemicals that inhibit nerve activity

-Dependence, insomnia, irritability, racing heart, elevated body
temperatures

- Breast cysts, bladder cancer, heart problems, high blood pressure

Nicotine, chewing tobacco, snuff

Third most widely used psychoactive drug (after caffeine and alcohol)

- Withdrawal causes headaches, sweating, cramps, insomnia, digestive upset, irritability, cravings

Carcinogen

Cancer-causing substance

Best way to quit bad substances

Scheduled gradual reduction, which reduces the length of time between cigarettes

Depressants

Down and Out

Different type of depressants (6)

1) Opioids

2) Barbiturates

3) Tranquilizers

4) GHB

5) Alcohol

Opioids

-Sleep and pain relief

-Heroin, morphine, codeine, oxycodone, fentanyl

- Feeling of euphoria, reduction of anxiety

-High levels result in impaired breathing, death

- Harm-reduction strategy: Methadone to reduce negative
consequences of addiction

Barbiturates

- Sedatives that depress brain activity

- Used to calm people and induce sleep

- Low dosages: Similar to alcohol

- Higher dosages: Severe mental confusion or hallucinations

- Loss of consciousness, severe depression of brain centers that
control heartbeat and breathing

Tranquilizers

- Anxiety and tension reduction
- Valium, Xanax, Librium
- Rohypnol: common date rape drug
- Physical dependence, severe depression that may lead to suicide

GHB

-Central nervous system depressant

- Low dosage: Euphoria, desire to socialize, mild loss of inhibition

- As doses increases: nausea, loss of muscle control, sleep or loss of consciousness

- Potentially fatal doses are only three times normal dose

Alcohol

-As a depressant, reduces inhibition, producing relaxation and euphoria

-Large amounts: failure to consolidate (“blacking out”), loss of consciousness

Alcohol myopia

Thinking and perception becomes dulled or shortsighted

Binge drinking

Five (four for females) or more drinks in a short time

-Because brain is still developing into the early twenties, binge drinking in young adults results in a loss of as much as 10 percent of brain power

Hallucinogens

1) LSD

2) PCP

3) Psylocibin

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) and PCP (phencyclidine)

-LSD is one of the best-known hallucinogens.

- Produces mystic type experiences and psychotic-like disturbances

PCP

-PCP is an anesthetic and has stimulant and depressant effects.
- Both affect neurotransmitter systems that carry messages between brain cells.

Psylocibinn ( 5 points)

-Magic Mushrooms”
- Attaches to and activates receptors, or binding sites, for the brain chemical serotonin
- Hallucinogenic, time distortion, moodalterations
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure, nausea, confusion, paranoia
- Increased interest in use as a treatment for depression and PTSD

Marijuana

(Speical Snow Flake)

Cannabis

- THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) are two psychoactive chemicals in cannabis.

-Sense of euphoria, well-being, relaxation, altered sense of time, and perceptual distortions

- In high doses: Paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions

- Works by activating neurons with endocannabinoid receptors in the brain

- No overdose deaths reported, but still creates harm

- 1 out of 10 adults can form a dependence on cannabis

Cannabis (continued):

Nonusers are reported to be healthier, earn more, and more satisfied with their lives than users

Long-term effects of Cannibis

Interfere with menstrual cycles, ovulation, higher rate of miscarriages, harm to developing fetuses

Medical cannabis

Can impact stress and pain, but like any other drug, can lead to abuse