Chapter 4: States of Consciousness

stream of consciousness

Term used by William James to describe the mind as a continuous flow of changing sensations, images, thoughts, and feelings

consciousness

An individual’s awareness of external events and internal sensations under a condition of arousal, including awareness of the self and thoughts about one’s experiences

What are the 2 parts of consciousness?

Awareness and Arousal

reticular activating system

A network of structures including the brain stem, medulla, and thalamus that determine arousal, one aspect of consciousness.

Higher-level consciousness

Involves controlled processing, in which individuals actively focus their efforts on attaining a goal; the most alert state of consciousness.

Lower-level consciousness

Includes automatic processing that requires little attention, as well as daydreaming

Altered states of consciousness

Can be produced by drugs, trauma, fatigue, possibly hypnosis, and sensory deprivation

Subconscious awareness

Can occur when people are awake, as well as when they are sleeping and dreaming

No awareness: unconscious thought

Freud’s belief that some unconscious thoughts are too laden with anxiety and other negative emotions for consciousness to admit them. Most commonly being knocked out.

Controlled processes

The most alert states of human consciousness, during which individuals actively focus their efforts toward a goal.

Automatic processes

States of consciousness that require little attention and do not interfere with other ongoing activities.

circadian rhythms

Daily behavioral or physiological cycles that involve the sleep/wake cycle, body temperature, blood pressure, and blood sugar level.

suprachiasmatic nucleus

A small brain structure that uses input from the retina to synchronize its own rhythm with the daily cycle of light and dark; the body’s way of monitoring the change from day to night

Stage N1 (non-REM1)

Characterized by drowsy sleep. The person may experience sudden muscle movements. Characterized by theta waves. (light stage of sleep)

Stage N2 (non-REM2)

Muscle activity decreases, and the person is no longer consciously aware of the environment. Sleep spindles occur. (light stage of sleep)

Stage N3 (non-REM3)

Characterized by delta waves. Our deepest sleep, the time when our brain waves are least like our brain waves while we are awake. Sleepwalking and sleep talking occur in this stage.

REM sleep

• A stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movement when most vivid dreams occur.

• Fast waves similar to those of relaxed wakefulness

Insomnia

The inability to sleep. Involves problems in falling asleep, waking up during the night, or waking up too early

Narcolepsy

Involves the sudden, overpowering urge to sleep. People with this disorder are often very tired during the day

Sleep apnea

A sleep disorder in which individuals stop breathing because the windpipe fails to open or because brain processes involved in respiration fail to work properly

Manifest content

According to Freud, the surface content of a dream, containing dream symbols that disguise the dream’s true meaning.

Latent content

According to Freud, a dream’s hidden content; its unconscious and true meaning

cognitive theory of dreaming

Theory proposing that one can understand dreaming by applying the same cognitive concepts used in studying the waking mind

activation-synthesis hypothesis for dreaming

Theory that dreaming occurs when the cerebral cortex synthesizes neural signals generated from activity in the lower part of the brain and that dreams result from the brain’s attempts to find logic in random brain activity that occurs during sleep

tolerance

The need to take increasing amounts of a drug to get the same effect

Physical dependence

The physiological need for a drug that causes unpleasant withdrawal symptoms such as physical pain and a craving for the drug when it is discontinued

Psychological dependence

The strong desire to repeat the use of a drug for emotional reasons, such as a feeling of well-being and reduction of stress.

addiction

A physical or a psychological dependence, or both, on a drug

substance use disorder

A psychological disorder in which a person’s use of psychoactive drugs (such as alcohol or opiates) affects their health, ability to work, and engage in social relationships

psychoactive drugs

Drugs that act on the nervous system to alter consciousness, modify perception, and change moods

what are the three main categories of psychoactive drugs?

depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens

depressants

Psychoactive drugs that slow down mental and physical activity (alcohol, barbiturates, tranquilizers, and opiates)

stimulants

Psychoactive drugs, including caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, and cocaine, that increase the central nervous system’s activity.

hallucinogens

Psychoactive drugs that modify a person’s perceptual experiences and produce visual images that are not real (Marijuana and LSD)

opioids

A class of drugs that act on the brain’s endorphin receptors. These include opium and its natural derivatives (sometimes called opiates) as well as chemicals that do not occur naturally but that have been created to mimic the activity of opium. These drugs (also called narcotics) depress activity in the central nervous system and eliminate pain. People first encounter them as legal prescription painkillers

meditation

• The attainment of a peaceful state of mind in which thoughts are not occupied by worry; the meditator is mindfully present to their thoughts and feelings but is not consumed by them.

• Is related to developing cognitive skills such as attentional control and executive function

Carl L. Hart, Ph.D.

His main research interests were studying the effects of psychoactive drugs on people (e.g., opioids, stimulants, cannabis, synthetic drugs, etc) and creating effective treatments for addiction. He is the Chair of the Department of Psychology and a professor of both psychology and psychiatry at Columbia University.