Unit 1b: States of Consciousness

Consciousness

Our awareness of ourselves and our environment

States of Consciousness: Spontaneously

Natural, unintentional shifts in awareness, perception, or though (ex: daydreaming, drowsiness, dreaming)

States of Consciousness: Physiologically Induced

any temporary change in your mental awareness, thinking, or perception that is triggered directly by a physical or biological shift in your body (ex: hallucinations, food or oxygen starvation (like the feeling of choking))

States of Consciousness: Psychologically Induced

Temporary, non-ordinary shifts in your awareness, thoughts, or perception. They happen through mental focus, intentional practices, or environmental tricks rather than physical illness or drugs

Levels of Consciousness: Preconscious

Holds thoughts, memories, and knowledge that are not currently in your active awareness, but can and brought to consciousness when needed (ex: thoughts, perceptions)

Levels of Consciousness: Subconscious

Mental processes, memories, habits, and reactions that operate just below the threshold of active, conscious awareness (ex: dreams)

Levels of Consciousness: Unconscious

A vast, hidden reservoir of thoughts, memories, fears, urges, and repressed conflicts that you cannot access through ordinary thinking (ex: pleasure principle)

Levels of Consciousness: Nonconscious

body parts (ex: kidney, brain, etc.)

Biological Clock

• Different biological rhythms

• Annual Cycle

• 28-day cycle

• 24-hour cycle

• 90-minute cycle

Seasonal Affective Disorder

a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons

Circadian Rhythmn

• The biological clock

• Regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hr cycle

• Jetlag

• Melatonin