Module 7- States of Consciousness

consciousness

awareness of yourself and your enviornment

self awareness

-begins around 18 months

-identify self as separate from others

theory of mind

-understanding that other people have unique experiences

-4-5 years old

-predicting and interpreting the behavior of others

mental model

a simplified representation of how something works

emotions

complex responses that involve physiological experience, subjective experience, and behavioral expression

basic emotion theory

some emotions are universal- Paul Eckman

social emotions

appear later and depend on theory of mind to develop

-guilt

-shame

-pride

-embarrassment

basic emotions

evolutionary roots

-happiness

-sadness

-anger

-fear

-disgust

-surprise

facial feedback hypothesis

changing your face can change your feelings

cultural display rules

when and how we should show emotion

critiques of basic emotion theory

-overemphasis on universality

-ignores the role of cognition

-underemphasizes contextual factors

two-factor theory

emotions result from physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation of arousal- Schachts and Singer

component process theory

emotions unfold through a series of appraisals rather than being instant reactions

relevance apprasial

is this important to me?

implication apprasial

what caused this and is it relevant to my goals?

coping potential apprasial

can I handle this situation?

normative significane apprasial

does this fit with my values and norms?

action preparation apprasial

how should I respond?

critiques of appraisal theory

-overemphasis on cognitive contributions

-assessments likely do not follow this specific sequence

-cultural impacts downplayed

-doesn’t fully integrate the impact of bodily sensations

constructed emotion theory

emotions are culturally specific instructions that allow us to address needs 

-biological signals

-personal experiences

-social and cultural context

affect

building blocks of emotion

valance

how pleasant or unpleasant something feels (positive or negative)

arousal

how energized or calm you feel (high or low)

implications of constructivism

-emotions are not universal

-emotions are learned

-the brain builds emotions on the fly

critiques of constructed emotion theory

-downplays evolutionary function of emotions

-does not adequately address non verbal and infant emotions

-does not fully address emotional commonalities across cultures

psychoactive substances

chemicals that affect consciousness, change the way we think, feel and behave

neurotransmitters

transform electrical signals from neurons into something that can jump from neuron to neuron across a synapse

-glutamate

-GABA

-dopamine

-seratonin

-endocanabinoids

-adenosine

-norepinephrine

-endorphins

inotropic receptors

open ion channels when a neurotransmitter binds to them, allowing positive or negative ions into the postsynaptic neuron

metabotropic receptors

slower and longer lasting, when a neurotransmitter binds to them, a release of secondary signaling molecules bind to ion channels to change their function

agonism

substances that activate receptors

antagonism

prevent function of receptors

sedatives

slow down central nervous system

-benzodiazepines

-alcohol

-GHB

-ambien

mechanism of sedatives

-GABA enhancement or direct agonism

-alcohol also inhibits NMDA receptors glutamate pathway

effects of sedatives

-relaxation

-reduced anxiety

-sedation

-impaired motor function

risks of sedatives

-tolerance

-dependance

-intense withdrawal

-blackouts

-death

opioid analgesics

-oxycontin

-heroin

-fentanyl

mechanism of opioid analgesics

-agonism of mu-opioid receptors

-disinhibition of dopamine signaling

effects of opioid analgesics

-pain relief

-euphoria

-sedation

risks of opioid analgesics

-addiction

-tolerance

-overdose

effects of stimulants

-increased energy and alertness

-heightened focus

-mood elevation

stimulants

-caffeine

-cocaine

-amephetamines

mechanism of stimulants

-mixed mechanisms

-caffeine blocks adenosine receptors

-cocaine and amphetamines alter dopamine and norepinephrine transmission 

risks of stimulants

-anxiety

-insomnia

-jitteriness

-impact cardiovascular functioning

-psychosis

disassociates

-ketamine

-phencyclidine (PCP)

-dextromethorphan (DXM)

mechanism of disassociates

-blocks glutamate

-drive neuroplasticity through BDNF

-increase downstream dopamine transmission

effects of disassociates

-detachment and derealization

-low doses: mild euphoria and relaxation

-high doses: disassociation and anesthetic properties

risks of disassociates

-cognitive impairment

-impaired motor functioning

-bladder toxicity

-negative cardiovascular effects with frequent use

psychedelics and hallucinogens

-psilocybin

-LSD

-DMT

-Cannabis (sort of)

mechanisms of psychedelics and hallucinogens

-seratonin agonism

-disruption of the default mode network

-cannabis acts as an endocannabinoid agonist

effects of psychedelics and hallucinogens

-visual and auditory hallucination

-altered perception of time and space

-ego dissolution

risks of psychedelics and hallucinogens

-bad trips can negatively impact wellbeing

-can trigger latent mental health issues like psychosis

-hallucinogen persisting perception disorder in rare cases

therapeutic potential of psychoactive substances

-medical cannabis

-psilocybin and depression

-MDMA and PTSD

-ketamine and neuroplasticity

-ethical considerations

societal implications of psychoactive substances

-legalization approaches

-ongoing opioid crisis

-role of harm reduction

-philosophical shifts in how we view medicine

René Descartes (1640)

french philosopher who theorized mind-body dualism and the “cartesian theater”

bind-body dualism

mind and body are separate- the physical body is a container for the mind and soul

“cartesian theater”

consciousness is a little person inside you who makes decisions

John Locke (1688)

people need to be self aware, materialist ideas

modern debate of consciousness

-no one can agree on anything

-so many models, some with no overlap

-many different definitions and theories

philosophical zombie

someone that seems like a human but does not have a conscious experience

-AI?

phenomenology

the experiences we have as people- consciousness requires feeling

predictive processing

a model for consciousness and human experience- our experience for being human is essentially a simulation, senses are combined and predicted

the human affectome

try to figure out how to operationalize emotions

-very difficult

affective concerns

time scale in which emotions act

sensations (time scale)

short time scales

emotions (time scale)

longer time scale, more abstract actions

moods (time scale)

extended emotional experience, broader actions

well-being (time scale)

longest time scale

sleep

an active state of unconsciousness produced by the body where the brain is in a relative state of rest and is reactive primarily to internal stimuli

suprachiasmatic nucleus

regulate circadian rhythm

pineal gland

receives inputs from suprachiasmatic nucleus

-produces melatonin

-promotes sleep when light levels are low

-why blue light keeps us awake

cortisol

end product of HPA access, primary driver of wake sleep cycle

melatonin

sleep neurotransmitter

sleep structure ad theory

1. shift from wake to sleep- 1-7 min

2. shallow sleep-50% of sleep

3. deep sleep- 20% of sleep

4. REM sleep- body paralysis, brain activity

inactivity theory of sleep

evolutionary, it makes sense to be inactive for part of the day for safety

energy conservation theory of sleep

need a period of reduced energy usage

restorative theory of sleep

sleep provides a dedicated time for repair

brain plasticity theory of sleep

need more sleep when younger, related to amount of upkeep that the brain needs

unihermispheric slow-wave sleep

one hemisphere of the brain sleeps at a time

group edge effect

birds huddle in groups and the birds on the outside edge will sleep with one eye open

activation synthesis theory of dreams

dreams are completely random, when we wake up, we synthesize the memory

self-organization theory of dreams

we need to dream to process memories

rehearsal and adaptation theory of dreams

REM helps us respond to threat recovery behaviors

emotion regulation theory of dreams

we need this time to regulate emotions

insomnia

difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

sleep apnia

stop breathing during sleep

narcolepsy

excessive daytime sleepiness, disturbs nocturnal sleep, hallucinations, cataplexy, sleep attacks 

parasomnias

wide range of other sleep disorders

-non REM based

-REM based

-other

somnabulism

sleep walking

REM sleepwalking

acting out dreams

non REM sleepwalking

eyes opened, hard to wake up, not response to pain, complex actions and activities

Ken Parks (1987)

murdered his mother in law while sleepwalking