AP Psychology Unit V, States of Consciousness

Consciousness

Our awareness of ourselves and our environment.

Hypnosis

A social interaction in which one person response to another person suggestions that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur.

Posthypnotic Suggestion

A suggestion, made during hypnosis session, to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized; used by some clinicians to help control undecided symptoms and behaviors.

Dissociation

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

Circadian Rhythm

The biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example, of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24 hour cycle.

REM Sleep

Rapid eye movement sleep; a reoccurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed, but other body systems are active.

Alpha Waves

The relatively slow rain waves of a relaxed, awake state.

Sleep

periodic, natural loss of consciousness—as distinct from unconsciousness, resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation.

Hallucinations

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

Delta Waves

The large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep.

NERM Sleep

Non-rapid eye movement sleep; encompasses all sleep stages, except for REM sleep.

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)

A pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm. In response to light, the SCN causes the pineal gland to adjust melatonin production, thus modifying our feelings of sleepiness.

Insomnia

Recurring problems in following or staying asleep.

Narcolepsy

• A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The suffer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times.

Sleep Apnea

A sleep disorder, characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep, and repeated momentary awakenings.

Night Terrors

A sleep disorder, characterized by higher arousal, and in appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occurred during NERM-3 sleep, within two or three hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered.

Dream

A sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind. They are notable for their hallucination imagery, discontinuities, and incongruities, and for the dreamers delusional acceptance of the content in later difficulties remembering it.

Manifest Content

According to Freud, the remembered storyline of a dream.

Latent Content

According to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream.

REM Rebound

The tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation.

Substance Use Disorder

Continued substance craving and used despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk.

Psychoactive Drug

A chemical substance that alters 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.

Addiction

Compulsive craving of drugs or certain behaviors, despite known adverse consequences.

Withdrawal

The discomfort and distress that following discontinuing an addictive drug or behavior.

Depressants

Drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions.

Alcohol Use Disorder

Alcohol use marked by tolerance, withdrawal, and a drive to continue problematic use.

Barbiturates

Drugs, that depress central nervous system activity, reducing anxiety, but parenting, memory, and judgment.

Opiates

Opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain, and anxiety.

Stimulants

Drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, and the more Powerful, amphetamines, cocaine, ecstasy, and ment) that excite, neural activity and speed up the body functions.

Nicotine

Stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco.

Cocaine

A powerful and addictive stimulate, derived from the coca plant, producing temporarily increase alertness euphoria.

Methamphetamine

A powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system, with speeded up body functions, and associated energy and mood changes; overtime, appears to reduce baseline dopamine levels.

Ecstasy (MDMA)

A synthetic stimulate in mild hallucinogen. Produces euphoria and social intimacy, but with short term, health risks and longer term harm to serotonin and producing neurons and to mood and cognition.

Hallucinogens

Psychedelic drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input.

LSD

A powerful hallucinogen drug; also known as acid.

Near-Death Experience

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

THC

The major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations.