Variations in Consciousness: Dreams, Hypnosis, and Meditation

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers concepts related to variations in consciousness, specifically focusing on the theories and mechanisms of dreams, hypnosis, and meditation.

EEGs

Tools that measure brain activities by capturing electrical activities on the surface area of the brain to indicate different states of consciousness.

REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep

The stage of sleep characterized by eyes moving back and forth, which is typically when vivid dreams occur.

Dream Content

The specific elements of a dream, which are often related to waking life, day events, or stimuli experienced while dreaming.

Choli nation

A group in northern Uganda who believe that spirits can infiltrate dreams to communicate messages from past generations.

Sigmund Freud

A psychologist who believed dreams represent the manifestation of repressed, unconscious thoughts and inappropriate wish fulfillments.

Latent content

The hidden, unconscious, or unresolved issues that manifest in dreams according to Freudian theory.

Problem-solving theory of dreams

The idea that dreams provide opportunities to work through everyday problems and can be a source of creative inspiration.

Activation-synthesis model

A theory arguing that dreams are byproducts of random bursts of activity from subcortical areas during REM sleep, which the cortex then tries to make sense of by constructing a narrative.

Hypnosis

A state of consciousness involving a heightened state of suggestibility, often induced through systematic procedures.

Hypnotic induction techniques

Procedures used to put someone into a hypnotic state, which can include suggestions of getting sleepy or the use of objects like stopwatches.

Social-cognitive theory of hypnosis

The theory that suggestible people in a hypnotic state are acting out a role expectation based on how they think they are supposed to behave.

Dissociation

A split-off of mental processes into two separate, simultaneous streams of awareness during hypnosis.

Hidden observer

In dissociation theory, the second stream of consciousness that is difficult to detect but remains aware of what is happening during hypnosis.

Meditation

A family of practices used to train the mind to be aware of the present moment and block out internal or environmental distractions.

Focused attention

A style of meditation where concentration is narrowed to a specific object, such as a sound or a chime, to block everything else out.

Open monitoring

A style of meditation where attention is focused on observing the content of one's own thoughts non-judgmentally, as if they were clouds passing in the sky.

Alpha and theta waves

Specific brain wave patterns that become more prominent in individuals who practice meditation consistently over long periods.