Unit 5: States of Consciousness Vocabulary

Consciousness

Our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment.

REM sleep

Rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active.

Circadian rhythm

Our biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle.

Alpha waves

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

Sleep

A 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.

NREM sleep

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

Insomnia

Recurring problems in falling or staying asleep.

Narcolepsy

A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The affected person 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 high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during NREM-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.

Manifest Content

According to Freud, the symbolic, remembered story line of a dream, distinct from its latent, or hidden, content.

Latent Content

According to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream, distinct from its manifest content.

REM rebound

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

Hypnosis

A social interaction in which one person (the hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur; in a therapeutic context, the hypnotist attempts to use suggestion to reduce unpleasant physical sensations or emotions.

Posthypnotic suggestion

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

Dissociation

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

Psychoactive drugs

A chemical substance that alters the brain, causing changes in 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.

Withdrawal

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

Physical dependence

The body's biological adaptation to a substance such that its absence or a reduced dose triggers unpleasant physical withdrawal symptoms.

Psychological dependence

Mental and emotional need to continue a behavior or use a substance, often driven by a strong craving for pleasure or to avoid negative feelings, rather than a physical need for it.

Addiction

An everyday term for compulsive substance use (sometimes for dysfunctional behavior patterns, such as out-of-control gambling) that continue despite harmful consequences.

Depressants

Drugs that reduce neural activity and slow down body functions.

Barbiturates

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

Opiates

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

Stimulants

Drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.

Amphetamines

Drugs, such as methamphetamine, that stimulate neural activity, causing accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes.

Methamphetamines

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

Ecstasy (MDMA)

A synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen that produces euphoria and social intimacy, but with short-term health risks and longer-term harm to serotonin-producing neurons and to mood and cognition.

Hallucinogens

Psychedelic ('mind-manifesting') drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input.

LSD

A powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid (lysergic acid diethylamide).

Near-death experience

An altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death (such as cardiac arrest); often similar to drug-induced hallucinations.

THC

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