Consciousness and the Two-Track Mind

States of consciousness

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.

methamphetamine

a powerful addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system, with accelerated body function and associated with energy and mood changes, overtime, reduces base level dopamine.

cocaine

a powerful and addictive stimulant derived from the coca plant, produces temporarily increased alertness and euphoria.

Nicotine

a stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco products

Amphetamines

drugs (such as methamphetamine) that stimulate neural activity and speed up body functions and associated energy and mood changes.

Stimulants

drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, and the more powerful cocaine, amphetamines, and Ecstasy) that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.

Opiates

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

Barbiturates

drugs that depress the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgement

Addiction

an everyday term for compulsive substance use (and sometimes for dysfunctional behavior patterns) that continues despite harmful consequences

Tolerance

The diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take a larger dose and larger doses before experiencing the drug’s effect.

Substance Use Disorder

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

Psychoactive drug

a chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods.

consciousnes

our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

hypnosis

a social interaction in which one person suggests to another that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur.

cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including, perception, thinking, memory, and language).

selective attention

focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

inattentional blindness

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

change blindness

failing to notice changes in the environment; form of inattentional blindess

Dual processing

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

blindsight

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

parallel processing

processing many aspects of a stimulus or problem at a time

sequential processing

processing one aspect of a stimulus or problem at a time; used to process new info or to solve a difficult problem.

sleep

a periodic, natural loss of consciousness-as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation.

circadian rhythm

our biological clock, regular bodily rhythm.

REM sleep

rapid eye movement; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams occur. Paradoxical sleep.

alpha waves

the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed and awake state.

Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

a pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls the circadian rhythm. In response to light, it causes the pineal gland to adjust melatonin production, thus modifying our feelings of sleepiness.

Insomnia

recurring problems in falling asleep or staying asleep .

Narcolepsy

A sleep disorder characterized as having uncontrollable sleep attacks.

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, occurs during N3 sleep, within 2-3 hours of sleep.

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.

Latent Content

According to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream.

REM rebound

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