Understanding Consciousness, Sleep, Dreams, and Altered States

A collection of flashcards covering key concepts related to consciousness, sleep, dreams, and altered states of awareness.

Consciousness is subjective self-awareness and the experience of being awake and aware of one’s surroundings.

What is consciousness?

The process of focusing on a particular object in the environment for a certain period, while ignoring other stimuli.

Selective Attention

The ability to focus one’s auditory attention on a particular stimulus while filtering out a range of other stimuli, exemplified at social gatherings.

Cocktail Party Effect

The brain processes stimuli through two systems: the High Road which is reflective and thoughtful, and the Low Road which is fast and intuitive.

Duel Processing

The condition in which individuals can respond to visual stimuli without conscious visual perception.

Blindsight

A sleep stage characterized by rapid eye movement, during which dreaming occurs and the body's major muscles are paralyzed.

REM Sleep

The process by which short-term memories are transformed into long-term memories, often enhanced by sleep.

Memory Consolidation

Posits that dreams are a reflection of unconscious desires and wishes.

Freud's Theory of Dreams

The theory suggesting that dreams help make sense of emotions and traumatic experiences.

Neurocognitive Function Theory

A class of drugs that reduce pain and are highly addictive.

Opioids

Substances that can cause alterations in perception, thought, and consciousness.

Hallucinogens

A state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility, often used therapeutically to access the unconscious mind.

Hypnosis

A practice of focusing the mind to achieve mental clarity, emotional calm, and a sense of peace.

Meditation

A hallucinogenic compound with potential therapeutic benefits, known to alter the sense of self.

Psilocybin