Understanding Consciousness, Sleep, and Dreams

Consciousness

Our awareness of ourselves and our environment, study of our awareness or ourselves (sensations, thoughts, feelings)

Cognitive Neuroscience

The interdisciplinary study of brain activity linked with cognition, including perception, thinking, memory, and language

History of Consciousness in Psychology

In the 1880s, psychology was defined as the description and explanation of states of consciousness. By the mid-20th century, behaviorism shifted focus away from consciousness, emphasizing observable behavior. However, in the 1960s, the study of consciousness reemerged with the influence of cognitive psychology and neuroscience.

Three Uses of Consciousness

Be alert and awake (aware of our surroundings). Have self-awareness and think about our own existence. Make conscious decisions, exercising free will.

Conscious Experiences in the Brain

Conscious experiences are believed to arise from synchronized brain activity. Cognitive neuroscientists map conscious cortex functions and study brain activity related to cognition (e.g., perception, thinking, memory, language).

Selective Attention

The ability to focus conscious awareness on a specific stimulus while ignoring others.

Inattentional Blindness

Failing to see visible objects when attention is directed elsewhere.

Change Blindness

Failing to notice changes in the environment, another form of inattentional blindness.

Sensory Information Processing

We take in vast amounts of sensory information, but our brain can only process a limited portion through selective attention, which allows us to focus on specific stimuli while ignoring others.

Cocktail Party Effect

The Cocktail Party Effect refers to the brain's ability to focus on a particular conversation amid a noisy environment, demonstrating selective attention.

Dual Processing

The principle that information is processed on two separate conscious (explicit) and unconscious (implicit) tracks.

Blindsight

A condition in which a person can respond to visual stimuli without consciously perceiving it.

Parallel Processing

The brain's ability to process many aspects of a situation simultaneously, often unconsciously.

Sequential Processing

Focusing conscious attention on one thing at a time, often used for new or complex tasks.

Cognitive Neuroscience and Dual Processing

Dual processing refers to the brain's ability to process information on both a conscious 'high' track (deliberate actions like problem-solving) and an unconscious 'low' track (automatic processes like walking) simultaneously.

Attention Limitations

While we can process many automatic tasks (parallel processing), our conscious attention is limited, and multitasking can reduce the brain's efficiency.

Freud's Iceberg Model of Consciousness

Conscious: Thoughts and perceptions we are aware of, attention. Preconscious: Information not currently in consciousness but can be brought to mind, memories, temporarily out of awareness. Unconscious: Reservoir of thoughts, feelings, and memories outside of conscious awareness, often inaccessible.

Ways to Access the Unconscious

Free association: word association that reveals subconscious fears. Dreams: window to subconscious. Defense mechanism: hiding things.

Sleep

A natural, periodic state of rest for the body and mind, during which consciousness is partially or completely suspended.

Circadian Rhythm

The biological clock regulating body rhythms (e.g., temperature, wakefulness) on a 24-hour cycle, maintained by hypothalamus, disrupted by alcohol, long flights, bright lights.

Waking Beta sleep stage

Alert waking state, fast brain waves, beta waves.

Waking Alpha sleep stage

Relaxed, awake state, slower brain waves, alpha waves.

NREM #1 - Theta sleep stage

Light sleep, theta waves, hypnagogic sensations, cusp of consciousness.

NREM #2 - Sleep Spindles stage

Deeper sleep, sleep spindles, easy to wake.

NREM #3 - Delta stage

Deep sleep, delta waves, difficult to wake, restorative sleep, heals your body.

REM stage of sleep

Vivid dreaming, rapid eye movement, body paralyzed, short high frequency waves, not deep sleep, the older you get the less REM you get, heals your brain

How does REM relate to sleep duration?

The longer you sleep, the more REM you get.

Biological Rhythms Influence

Sleep patterns are influenced by genetics, age, and environmental factors like light exposure, which affects the production of melatonin. Biological rhythms like the circadian rhythm influence sleep cycles, body temperature, and energy levels throughout the day.

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)

A small region in the hypothalamus responsible for regulating circadian rhythms by responding to light.

Functions of Sleep

Sleep helps repair and restore brain tissue, consolidate memories, support growth (through hormone release), and boost creative problem-solving.

Circadian Theory

Evolutionary - sleep protects you, conserve energy, minimize exposure to predators.

Sleep Deprivation Effects

Sleep deprivation impairs concentration, memory, and immune function.

Insomnia

Difficulty falling or staying asleep

Narcolepsy

Uncontrollable sleep attacks 'sleep seizures', lapsing into REM

Sleep Apnea

Repeated breathing interruptions during sleep, could deprive yourself of oxygen

Night Terrors

High arousal and fear during NREM-3 sleep

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

Only nightmares, anxiety provoking

Dreams

Often involve familiar experiences, including anxiety, failure, or emotional events

Manifest Content

The remembered storyline/events/details of a dream

Latent Meaning

The hidden meaning behind the manifest content of a dream, according to Freud

REM Rebound

The tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM deprivation

Freud's Wish Fulfillment

Dreams serve as a 'safety valve' for unconscious desires

Information Processing

Dreams help sort and consolidate memories

Physiological function

Dreams stimulate neural pathways

Activation Synthesis

Random brain activity is woven into a storyline, random firing of neurons produces events/details of a dream

Cognitive Development

Dreams reflect our cognitive development

Hypnosis

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

Induction

The process by which a hypnotist induces a state of heightened suggestibility

Dissociation

A split in consciousness, allowing some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others

Posthypnotic Suggestion

A suggestion made during hypnosis to be carried out after the person is no longer hypnotized

Substance Use Disorder

A disorder characterized by continued substance use despite significant disruption to life or risk

Addiction

Compulsive craving and use of a substance despite harmful consequences

Tolerance

A need for increasing doses of a drug to achieve the desired effect, diminished effect with regular use of the same dose

Withdrawal

Discomfort and distress following the discontinuation of an addictive substance

Physical Dependence

Physiological need for a drug

Psychological Dependence

Psychological need for a drug (can become physical when you/your body believes you need the drug to survive)

Stimulants

Temporarily excite neural activity and arouse body functions, crash from stimulant is harder than from a depressant, 'uppers'

Depressants

Depress/slow neurological and body functions, 'downers'

Hallucinogens

Distort perceptions and reality, evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input

Alcohol

Slows neural processing, Impaired judgment and inhibitions, Reduces self-awareness, Impairs growth of synaptic connections

Barbiturates

Tranquilizers, impair memory and judgment, reduce anxiety, induce sleep, depress activity of central nervous system

Opiates

(heroin, narcotics - codeine, morphine, methadone) Temporarily reduce pain (removes substance P and increases endorphins), slow neural function

Nicotine

Increases heart rate, craving, insomnia, anxiety

Cocaine

Rush of euphoria, followed by crash, depletes dopamine and serotonin

Methamphetamines

Increases energy, long-term cognitive damage, overtime reduces dopamine levels

Ecstasy (MDMA)

Dehydration, also a hallucinogen, 'feel good' flow from dopamine and serotonin release then blocks reuptake

LSD

Alters perceptions, induces hallucinations, kaleidoscopic effect, out-of-body experience

Marijuana

Distorts perceptions, impairs memory, active ingredient THC, smoking quickest way to body, THC receptors in frontal lobe