Consciousness and the Two-Track Mind

Consciousness

Our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment.

(Eg. Aware of your feeling of anger and frustration)

Hypnosis

A state of focussed attention and heightened suggestibility.

(Eg. Used to help someone relax or help reduce pain)

Cognitive neuroscience

Study of how brain activity links to cognitive mental processes.

(Eg. Prefrontal cortex guides choices in decision making)

Selective attention

Focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus.

(Eg. Listening to your friend talk in a noisy cafeteria)

Inattentional blindness

Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.

(Eg. Not realizing that someone is walking towards you while you are texting on your phone)

Change blindness

Failing to notice changes in the environment; a form of inattentional blindness.

(Eg. Not realizing that your friend got a haircut)

Dual processing

The principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.

(Eg. When you're readong: consciously learning information and unconsciously recognizing words)

Blindsight

A condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it.

(Eg. A blind person avoids obstacles while walking in a hallway)

Parallel processing

Processing many aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously.

(Eg. While driving: watch the road, move the wheel, listen to sounds, etc)

Sequential processing

Processing one aspect of a stimulus or problem at a time; generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems.

(Eg. Solving a hard math problem)

Sleep

A natural, periodicstate of rest for thebody and mind,marked by alteredconsciousness andbrain activity.

Circadian rhythm

Our biological clock; regular bodily rhythm that occur on a 24-hour cycle.

(Eg. Sleep-wake cycle)

REM sleep

Sleep stage with rapid eye movements, vivid dreams, and brain activity similar to being awake.

(Eg. You are in REM sleep when you are having a scary dream about a monster)

Alpha waves

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

(Eg. Closing your eyes but not asleep yet)

Hallucinations

False sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus.

(Eg. Hypnagogic Sensation of falling/floating weightlessly)

Delta waves

The large, slow brainwaves associated with deep sleep.

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

A pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm. In response to light, theSCN causes the pineal gland to adjust melatonin production.

Insomnia

Recurring problems in falling or staying asleep.

(Effects: chronic tiredness, obesity, hypertension, irritability, mood issues, etc)

Narcolepsy

A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep.

(Effects: dangerous- falling asleep while driving or when in class)

Sleep apnea

A sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings.

(Effects: fatigue and depression)

Night terrors

High arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during N3 sleep, within 2 or 3 hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered.

(Effects: heart rate doubles)

Dream

A sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind.

Manifest content

According to Freud, the storyline of a dream that you remember.

(Eg. Dream about flying in the sky)

Latent content

According to Freud, the hidden, symbolic meaning of a dream.

(Eg. Dream about flying in the sky → desire for freedom)

REM rebound

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

(Eg. If you pull an all- nighter, you are more likely to spend more time in REM sleep the next night)

Psychoactive drug

A chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods.

(Eg. Alcohol, nicotine, marujana, etc)

Substance use disorder

A disorder characterized by continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk.

Tolerance

When repeated drug use makes the same dose less effective, so you need more to feel the effect.

(Eg. Need 3 cups of coffee instead of 1 for the same energy boost)

Addiction

A compulsive craving for a substance, despite negative consequences.

(Eg. Smoking even when it causes health issues)

Withdrawal

Experiencing discomfort or distress when stopping or reducing a drug after dependence.

(Eg. You find yourself having headaches if you do not drink coffee for a day)

Depressants

Drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions.

(Eg. Alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates)

Alcohol use disorder

Popularly known as alcoholism; alcohol use marked by tolerance, withdrawal, and a drive to continue problematic use.

(Eg. Drinking alcohol despite liver damage)

Barbiturate

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

(Eg. Tranquilizers- Nembutal, Seconal, and Amytal)

Opiates

Opium and its derivatives, depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety.

(Eg. Morphine and heroin)

Stimulant

Drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.

(Eg. Caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamine, and Ecstasy)

Amphetamines

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

(Eg. Methamphetamine)

Nicotine

A stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco products.

Cocaine

A powerful and addictive stimulant derived from the coca plant; produces temporarily increased alertness and euphoria.

Methamphetamine

A powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system, with accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes; overtime, reduces baseline dopamine levels.

Ecstasy/MDMA

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

Hallucinogen

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

(Eg. LSD

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.

LSD

Lysergic acid diethyl amide.

A powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid.

THC

Delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol;

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