conciousness

Consciousness

Subjective experience of the world and the mind.

Phenomenology

The study of how things seem to the conscious person.

Problem of Other Minds

The fundamental difficulty in perceiving the consciousness of others.

Capacity for Experience

Ability to feel sensations such as pain, pleasure, hunger, and consciousness.

Capacity for Agency

Ability for self-control, planning, memory, and thought.

Mind–Body Problem

Question of how the mind is related to the brain and body.

René Descartes

Proposed the mind and body interact in the pineal gland (“seat of the soul”), though this was incorrect.

Modern View of Mind–Body

States that mental events are intimately tied to brain activity — the mind is what the brain does.

Alan Turing (1950)

Explored artificial intelligence and the possibility of machine consciousness.

Four Properties of Consciousness

Intentionality, unity, selectivity, and transience.

Intentionality

Being directed toward an object or goal.

Unity

Resistance to division; integrating sensory information into a coherent whole.

Selectivity

Capacity to include some objects but not others (e.g., cocktail party phenomenon).

Transience

Tendency of conscious thought to change or “wander.”

Levels of Consciousness

Minimal, full, and self-consciousness.

Minimal Consciousness

A low-level sensory awareness; responding to stimuli without full awareness.

Full Consciousness

Being fully aware of and able to report one’s mental state.

Self-Consciousness

Awareness of oneself as an object in the world; can increase honesty and self-evaluation.

Disorders of Consciousness

Include coma, vegetative state, minimally conscious state, and locked-in syndrome.

Experience-Sampling Technique

Method for reporting moment-to-moment experiences of consciousness.

Ecological Momentary Assessment

Real-time data collection on people’s experiences and emotions.

Daydreaming

A seemingly purposeless flow of thoughts; brain remains active (default network).

Default Network

Set of brain regions active during daydreaming or rest; linked to self-referential thought.

Mental Control

Attempt to change or influence one’s conscious state of mind.

Thought Suppression

Conscious effort to avoid a thought; often leads to the rebound effect.

Rebound Effect

Tendency for suppressed thoughts to return more frequently.

Ironic Processes of Mental Control

Mental monitoring that can create the very errors it seeks to avoid.

Dynamic Unconscious

According to Freud, a system of hidden memories, desires, and instincts.

Repression

Mental process that removes unacceptable thoughts and memories from consciousness.

Cognitive Unconscious

Mental processes that influence thoughts and behavior without conscious awareness.

Dual-Process Theories

The idea that we have two systems for processing information: fast/unconscious and slow/conscious.

Daniel Kahneman (2011)

Proposed “System 1” (fast, automatic) and “System 2” (slow, deliberate) thinking.

Altered State of Consciousness

A condition different from normal waking experience (e.g., sleep, drugs, hypnosis).

Hypnagogic State

Pre-sleep transitional consciousness.

Hypnopompic State

Post-sleep transitional consciousness.

Hypnic Jerk

Sudden body movement or falling sensation during sleep onset.

Circadian Rhythm

Naturally occurring 24-hour cycle controlling sleep and wakefulness.

Electroencephalograph (EEG)

Measures electrical activity in the brain during sleep.

Electrooculograph (EOG)

Measures eye movement during sleep.

REM Sleep

Rapid Eye Movement stage characterized by vivid dreams and high brain activity.

Sleep Cycle

The recurring pattern of sleep stages (1–4 and REM) during a night.

Memory Consolidation

Process during sleep that helps strengthen and store memories.

Glymphatic System

Cleans waste from the brain during sleep.

Sleep Disorders

Include insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, sleep paralysis, and sleepwalking.

Dream Consciousness

Features include intense emotion, illogical thought, vivid sensation, and poor recall.

Manifest Content

Apparent, surface meaning of a dream (Freud).

Latent Content

Hidden, true meaning of a dream (Freud).

Activation–Synthesis Model

Dreams result from the brain’s attempt to interpret random neural activity.

Neurocognitive Theory

Dreaming arises from brain networks that support imagination and simulation.

Threat-Simulation Theory

Dreams evolved to let us rehearse responses to threatening situations.

Amygdala

Overactive during REM sleep; associated with fear and emotion in dreams.

Lucid Dreaming

Aware that one is dreaming; associated with prefrontal cortex activation.

Psychoactive Drugs

Chemicals that alter brain chemistry, affecting consciousness and behavior.

Agonist

A drug that increases neurotransmitter activity.

Antagonist

A drug that decreases neurotransmitter activity.

Neurotransmitters

Include serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and acetylcholine.

Positive Reinforcement

Using a drug for pleasurable effects.

Negative Reinforcement

Using a drug to avoid withdrawal or unpleasant feelings.

Drug Tolerance

Needing more of a substance to achieve the same effect.

Physical Dependence

Needing the drug to avoid physical withdrawal symptoms.

Psychological Dependence

Craving the drug for emotional or mental relief.

Depressants

Drugs that reduce CNS activity (e.g., alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines).

Alcohol

Myopia theory: alcohol narrows attention; Expectancy theory: effects depend on beliefs about alcohol.

Barbiturates

Sedatives used for sleep or anesthesia; can be addictive (e.g., Seconal, Nembutal).

Benzodiazepines

Anti-anxiety drugs such as Valium and Xanax.

Toxic Inhalants

Household chemicals that depress CNS when inhaled (e.g., glue, gasoline).

Stimulants

Drugs that excite the CNS (e.g., caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy).

Narcotics (Opiates)

Highly addictive pain-relievers derived from opium (e.g., heroin, morphine, codeine).

Hallucinogens

Drugs that alter sensation and perception (e.g., LSD, PCP, ketamine).

Marijuana (THC)

Psychoactive drug from cannabis; impairs memory and coordination; legalized in Canada in 2018.

Gateway Drug

Substance whose use increases likelihood of later drug use (e.g., alcohol, cannabis, tobacco).

Hypnosis

A social interaction where a hypnotist suggests changes in perception or behavior.

Posthypnotic Amnesia

Inability to recall events after hypnosis.

Hypnotic Analgesia

Reduction of pain through hypnosis.

PET Scan Evidence

Shows that hypnotic hallucinations activate the same brain regions as real perception.