consciousness

unit 3

consciousness

our awareness of ourselves and our environment

wakefulness

the state of being alert and aware of the environment

sleep

a natural, reversible state of reduced responsiveness and interaction with the environment

altered states

these can be induced by substances like alcohol and drugs which leads to changes in perception, cognition, and self-awareness

sleep stages

each stage has unique characteristics and implications for behavior and mental processes

stage 1 non-rem

the initial transition from wakefulness to sleep. includes a light sleep stage where some individuals may experience hypnagogic hallucinations or vivid sensations as mental activity begins to slow down

stage 2 non-rem

consists about half of total sleep time. supports cognitive functions and memory consolidation. individuals are still relatively easy to awaken

stage 3 and 4 non-rem

aka slow-wave sleep. this means deep sleep. physiological functions slow significantly and become difficult to wake up

deep sleep

crucial for physical restoration, immune function, and memory consolidation. is essential for overall health and well-being

rem (rapid eye movement)

is marked by intense brain activity resembling waking stages and occurs approximately 90 minutes after falling asleep and reoccurs throughout the night.

rem rebound

the amount and intensity of rapid eye movement sleep increases significantly following a period of rem sleep deprivation

circadian rhythm

the normal energy routine that teens/adults go through. teens and adults go through these differently

insomnia

difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep

narcolepsy

excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden/uncontrollable episodes of sleep

rem sleep behavior disorder

a condition where normal paralysis that occurs during rem sleep is absent which allows individuals to act out their dreams physically in a violent or dramatic manner

sleep apnea

loud snoring and choking sounds

somnambulism

aka sleepwalking. this is a disorder that occurs during deep non-rem sleep and involves walking or performing other complex behaviors while still asleep

dreams

sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through someone’s mind that sleeping

information-processing theory

suggests that during sleep, a dream is in the brain processing and integrating new information and transferring it from short-term to long-term

activation-synthesis theory

dreams are the result of the brain trying to make sense of random neural activity during rem sleep

freuds wish-fulfillment theory

idea that dreams are the key to understand our inner conflicts/desires, and that our ideas are thoughts hidden in our unconscious

manifest content

the remembered storyline of the dream/the actual dream imagery and storyline

latent content

the underlying meaning/symbolism