levels of consciousness

consciousness

your awareness of yourself (what you’re thinking, feeling & doing) and environment (world around you)

• RAS filters things out so you’re not always constantly aware of everything that’s going on

preconscious

things that are currently outside of your awareness (in storage) but can be brought into consciousness (recall) at any point

• things will constantly move in and out of consciousness and preconscious

• memories are not stored here, they are stored in physical parts of the brain

subconscious

not consciously aware of your feelings about something but it is something that other people can pick up on through behaviours; how you truly feel influences your behaviour but you don’t know it about yourself

unconscious

something that is inaccessible, you have that memory but cannot access it. holds things that are too stressful or harmful to the conscious mind

your mind would block you from doing or remembering it

• most controversial bc it cannot be proven

nonconscious

the functions that the autonomic NS governs. like respiration, digestion and any other function which you do not actively and consciously control

• you usually do not think of these & when you do, it can feel strange

altered state of consciousness

a shift in the quality or pattern of neural activity

ex. yoga, psychosis, dividing your attention, “daydreaming”, drugs

sleep

an altered state of consciousness where there is a shift in the quality of our brain wave patterns

circadian rhythm

the body’s 24-hour cycle which regulates body temp., sleep cycle, brain (hits peak based on how the cycle is.) this is set by you

a biological rhythm

biological rhythm

a regular, naturally occurring cycle of biological activity

purpose of sleep

promotes overall physical health

replenishes immune & endocrine system

heals when sick & physically grows

aids brain function

brain activity - list the 4 waves

gamma, alpha, theta, delta

gamma waves

extremely alert, hyper brain activity, “fight-or-flight”

beta waves

alert and busily engaged in activities and conversation, norm for the day

alpha waves

relaxed, deepening into meditation, tired & relaxed, heading toward sleep

theta waves

drowsy & drifting into sleep and dreams

delta waves

deep sleep & not dreaming

sleep cycle

1-2-3-REM

a stage process

your body adjusts if it needs to

each cycle is 90 minutes

NREM 1

beta waves —> alpha waves

doesn’t feel like you’re sleeping bc you’re slightly conscious

best stage to be woken up in (feel refreshed/not tired)

NREM 2

alpha waves —> theta waves

still a light stage of sleep but deeper than NREM 1

only stage where sleep spindles should occur

only stage when sleep-talking can occur

NREM 3

theta waves —> delta waves

the deepest stage where your respiration rates are most shallow and body temp is the lowest

hardest stage to get waken in

restorative sleep where your immune system & endocrine system are working to repair cell damage if needed and replenish hormones/neurotransmitters used throughout the day

dominant stage if sick or injured

REM

the stage where you dream (abstract dreams); eyes and brain are very active

the stage where the ‘garbage’ is taken and memory improves

amount of time in this stage will increase as sleep continues (NREM stages are faster)

paradoxical sleep

paradox is the body entering paralysis from the neck down while the brain is very active (dreaming) during sleep

REM rebound

your brain increases the amount of time you spend in REM sleep bc you’re depriving yourself of the appropriate amount of sleep on a regular basis

forces you into REM sleep faster, shortening time in other stages like 3 (less cell-repair)

dream theories (just list the 2)

activation synthesis

information processing

activation synthesis

a biological approach to dreaming that says dreams are the brain’s attempt to make sense of random neural activity that occurs during REM by forming a story

says dreams do not have deep meaning “brain garbage”

information processing

a biological approach; the idea that dreaming helps us process and organise info from the day, especially things related to learning & memory (storage, solve problems, deal w emotions)

says dreams have a purpose: to help the brain process info

sleep disorders

disruptions to normal sleep that happen for a long period of time. occuring during sleep besides REM

sleep apnea

where a person repeatedly stops breathing during sleep, causing frequent awakenings and poor sleep quality

includes loud snoring, gasping or choking sounds

don’t always become conscious when it happens, so people who have it may not know but will be tired bc their body didn’t rest

normal part of infantry - may be related to SIDS

correlation between body mass & sleep apnea esp. if top heavy

narcolepsy

sudden and uncontrollable sleep throughout the day, often directly into REM

brief but disruptive (can happen while doing something)

nothing prevents it, can be treated with napping

bodies go into cataplexy (muscles go limp)

common belief for cause is that the body doesn’t have the normal 90 minute cycle

night terrors

causes high arousal and an appearance of being terrified(scream, sweat thrash, clenched fist, growling), usually occurring in NREM 3 sleep. 

• They are not fully awake and usually don’t remember the episodes 

  • Will be tired when wake up

• Does not occur in REM and doesn’t involve dreaming 

• Most common in children(boys than girls), usually grow out of it

• Genetic link 

somnambulism

where a person walks or performs other activities while asleep, usually in transition from NREM2 to 3 early into the night(1-2 hrs)

• Most common in children, usually grow out of it 

• Genetic link 

insomnia

problems falling asleep, staying asleep or getting restful sleep. 

• Most common sleep disorder- 10-15% of Americans are diagnosed

• Usually something that develops later in life

psychoactive drugs

refers to any chemical/drug that can change perceptions and moods. 

• Ex. Antidepressants, alcohol, cocaine 

agonist

a drug that mimics or enhances the effect of a neurotransmitter; activates receptor sites by binding to it.

•  Ex. opiates(mimics endorphins) 

antagonist

a drug that blocks or inhibits the effects of a neurotransmitter; prevents real neurotransmitters from binding. 

• Ex. caffeine(blocks sleep chemical)

tolerance

• the body getting used to the effects of the drug and needing to increase the dosage to have the same effects 

dependence

•  becoming addicted to the drug-must have it to avoid withdrawal symptoms

withdrawal

when a person stops using a drug after becoming dependent on it  

stimulants

drugs that excite neural activity and speed up bodily functions(heart rate, energy consumption, alertness); generally decreases appetite and has a high followed by a crash

• Most used stimulants: 1.Caffeine, 2.Nicotine, 3.Cocaine, 4.crystal meth; amphetamines

hallucinogens

drugs that create a false sensory experience-producing a sensation in the absence of a stimuli(any sense). Usually have visual hallucinations. 

• Marijuana is the most common, LSD 

opiates

Central NS suppressors/depressants that produce a feeling of euphoria by mimicking endorphins; all opiates are also depressants 

• Ex. Morphine, Heroine, percocet

• Most addictive b/c they act as neurotransmitters (stops producing their own when you get addicted and need outside source)

Have the worst withdrawals

depressant

type of drug that slows down CNS activity leading to relaxation, drowsiness, and reduced inhibitions

• Alcohol is the most common depressant, impairs frontal lobe function

• Barbiturates: strong, dangerous tranquilizers(having calming or sedating effect) that people usually die from