CH.6: Consciousness

Vocabulary flashcards related to consciousness, sleep, and drugs.

Consciousness

One's awareness of the environment and one's own mental processes.

Iceberg Theory

Freud's conception of human consciousness.

Freud's Three Levels of Consciousness

Conscious, Pre-Conscious, and Unconscious.

Conscious Level (Freud)

Ideas, memories, feelings, motives, that we are actively aware of.

Pre-Conscious Level (Freud)

Aspects of experience not currently in awareness, but easily brought into awareness.

Unconscious Level (Freud)

Information not currently aware of and difficult to bring to awareness.

Electroencephalograph (EEG)

Instrument for measuring electrical activity in the brain.

Changes in Brain Waves During Sleep

Brain waves become progressively larger and slower.

Delta Waves

Brain wave pattern associated with the deepest level of sleep.

Alpha Waves

Brain wave pattern during a calm, relaxed, awake state.

Stage One Sleep

The very lightest stage of sleep.

Stage 3 Sleep

Delta waves first appear in this sleep stage.

Dreaming

This occurs when eyes are moving rapidly under closed eyelids.

Rapid Eye Movements (REM)

Sign of a person dreaming.

Changes in REM Sleep During the Night

REM episodes become longer and dreams become more vivid.

Manifest Content of a Dream

The content of a dream the dreamer is aware of.

Hypnosis

Altered state of consciousness with increased suggestibility, attention, and imagination.

Meditation

Self-induced altered state of consciousness with extreme focus.

Transcendental Meditation

Meditation involving mental focusing, relaxation, and a mantra.

Stimulants

Drugs that increase the activity of the nervous system.

Examples of Stimulants

Cocaine, caffeine, and amphetamines are examples.

Depressants

Drugs that reduce the activity of the nervous system.

Alcohol

The most commonly used depressant drug.

Hallucinogens

Drugs that alter perceptions and consciousness.

Ecstasy

Produces feelings of emotional openness and euphoria.