Chapter 4: States of Consciousness

Biological Rhythms

• A periodic, relatively regular fluctuation in a biological system.

• Can be endogenous or external cue dependent 

  • Endogenous: internal to the organism

    • Ex: menstrual cycle

  • External cue dependent:

    • Ex: migration, hibernation

Circadian Rhythm

• Happens every 24 hours

• Light and dark cycle as Earth rotates every 24 hours

• Examples:

  • Sleep-wake cycle

  • Temperature

Looking for changes in

• Awareness Levels

  • Cognitive and mental changes

• Arousal Levels

  • Physiological changes

Consciousness

• All sensations (5 senses), perceptions, feelings, and memories you are aware of at any instant.

Waking Consciousness

• Mental activity of clear and organized alertness perceiving time, places, and events as real.

• For humans, happens during the day

• For cats, happens at night

Altered State of Consciousness

• Changes in the quality and pattern of mental processes

• Examples: 

  • Drugs

  • Sleep-wake cycle

  • Daydreaming

  • Meditation 

  • Runners high

Sleep

• An innate biological rhythm (circadian rhythm) that cannot be ignored because it replenishes and restores organisms physically, mentally, emotionally, and creatively.

Biological Clock

• Supra Chiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)

  • Hypothalamus (animal brain)

  • Shuts down your body as the Earth pivots away from sunlight

REM

• REM is dream state, lots of activity in the brain, can’t be in it for hours because you are not aware and would not be able to arouse yourself if there was danger

Effect of Aging on Sleep

• As you age, you sleep less because you need less, close to death

  • Adulthood - 2 (wake) : 1 (sleep)

  • Babies 1 : 2 

Sleep Stages

• 1. Beta

• 2. Alpha

• 3. Theta

• 4. Delta

• Go down and up gradually, don’t stay in one stage 

• Least aware in stage 4

SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)

• unexplained, sudden death of a seemingly healthy infant under one year old, typically occurring during sleep

  • Some cultures believe you shouldn’t sleep with your baby in your own bed since it could lead to this - could roll over on it, suffocate in the blanket, its an inappropriate place

Fatal Familial Insomnia 

• ultra-rare, inherited, and universally fatal neurodegenerative prion disease, lose ability to sleep and eventually die

Sleep Eating 

• individuals eat or drink while partially or fully asleep, often with little to no memory of the event, typically happening nearly every night