CH 5 States of Consciousness

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the concepts, stages, theories, and substances related to states of consciousness based on the Chapter 5 lecture notes.

Consciousness

Awareness of the sensations, thoughts, and feelings being experienced at a given moment.

Waking consciousness

A state in which an individual is awake and aware.

Altered states of consciousness

States that include sleeping, dreaming, drug use, and hypnosis.

Stage $1$ Sleep

A state of transition between wakefulness and sleep characterized by rapid, low-amplitude brain waves.

Stage $2$ Sleep

A sleep stage characterized by a slower and more regular wave pattern compared to stage $1$ and momentary interruptions of sleep spindles.

Stage $3$ Sleep

The deepest stage of sleep, characterized by being the least responsive to outside stimulation.

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep

Sleep occupying $20\%$ of an adult’s sleeping time, characterized by increased heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and eye movements; experience of dreaming is more likely.

Rebound effect

A phenomenon where REM-deprived sleepers spend significantly more time in REM sleep than normal on subsequent sleeping sessions.

Unconscious wish fulfillment theory

Sigmund Freud's theory that dreams represent unconscious wishes that dreamers desire to see fulfilled.

Manifest content of the dream

Information from a dream that one remembers and reports.

Latent content of dreams

The underlying wishes of the dreamer that are hidden by the manifest content.

Dreams-for-survival theory

A theory proposing that dreams permit us to reconsider and reprocess information that is critical for our daily survival.

Activation-synthesis theory

A theory suggesting the brain produces random electrical energy during REM sleep which stimulates memories stored in the brain.

Activation information modulation (AIM) theory

The refined version of the activation-synthesis theory regarding the function of dreams.

Sleep apnea

A sleep disturbance that causes people to stop breathing and may play a role in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Daydreams

Fantasies that people construct while awake, belonging to the state of waking consciousness.

Meditation

A learned technique for refocusing attention that brings about an altered state of consciousness, often using a mantra.

Mantra

A sound, word, or syllable repeated during the practice of meditation.

Psychoactive drugs

Drugs that influence a person’s emotions, perceptions, and behavior.

Addictive drugs

Drugs that produce a biological or psychological dependence in the user, where withdrawal leads to irresistible cravings.

Psychological drug dependence

A condition where people believe that they need a drug to respond to the daily stressors of life.

Stimulants

Drugs such as caffeine and nicotine that have an arousal effect on the central nervous system, causing a rise in heart rate, blood pressure, and muscular tension.

Amphetamines

Stimulants often called 'speed,' which can include methamphetamine; continued use can lead to brain damage.

Cocaine

A rapidly absorbed stimulant that acts on dopamine and can rewire the brain, creating psychological and physical addiction.

Depressants

Drugs that slow down the nervous system, such as alcohol.

Narcotics

Drugs that increase relaxation and relieve pain and anxiety, including morphine, heroin, and methadone.

Methadone

A narcotic that satisfies a heroin user’s physiological cravings without providing the high.

Hallucinogens

Psychedelic drugs that produce hallucinations or changes in the perceptual process, including marijuana, MDMA (ecstasy), and LSD (acid).

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

The active ingredient found in the hallucinogen marijuana.