Consciousness and Its Variations

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the lecture on consciousness and its variations, including sleep, attention, hypnosis, and the effects of psychoactive drugs.

Consciousness

Personal awareness of mental activities, internal sensations, and the external environment.

Circadian Rhythm

Cycle or rhythm that is roughly 24 hours long, involving daily cyclical fluctuations in biological and psychological processes.

REM Sleep

Rapid eye movement sleep where dreaming usually occurs and voluntary muscle activity is suppressed.

NREM Sleep

Non-rapid eye movement sleep characterized by quiet, typically dreamless sleep.

Attention

The capacity to selectively focus awareness on particular stimuli in the environment or on internal thoughts.

Multitasking

Involves division of attention, which can create less attention and impair focus on each task.

Hypnosis

A cooperative social interaction in which the hypnotized person responds to suggestions with changes in perception, memory, thoughts, and behavior.

Meditation

A mental practice that involves using a technique to induce focused attention and heightened awareness.

Psychoactive Drugs

Chemical substances that can alter arousal, mood, thinking, sensation, and perception.

Insomnia

Regular inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or feel adequately rested, often producing daytime sleepiness.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

A disorder where the person repeatedly stops breathing during sleep, causing daytime grogginess and cognitive issues.

Parasomnias

Undesired arousal or actions during sleep or sleep transitions, such as sleepwalking and night terrors.

Nightmares

Vivid and frightening dreams during REM sleep that often awaken the sleeper and induce feelings of helplessness.

Sleep Deprivation

Lack of sleep that can lead to diminished concentration, vigilance, and memory skills, as well as emotional instability.

Dream

An unfolding sequence of perceptions, thoughts, and emotions experienced as a series of actual events during sleep.

Neurocognitive Model of Dreaming

A theory emphasizing that dreams reflect waking concerns and the continuity between waking and dreaming.