Chapter 5 States of Consciousness

Chapter 5: States of Consciousness

History & Philosophy of Consciousness

• Dualism and Monism: Perspectives on thought and matter.

  • Dualists: Believe in the separation of thought and matter.

    • Matter: Physical substance.

    • Thought: Non-material aspect arising from matter.

    • René Descartes: Prominent dualist.

  • Monists: Argue that thought and matter are one entity.

    • Thomas Hobbes: Notable monist.

Types of Consciousness

• Conscious Level: Awareness of oneself and the environment.

• Nonconscious Level: Bodily processes (e.g., heart rate, breathing) not usually perceived.

• Preconscious Level: Information that is not actively thought about but can be accessed (e.g., favorite color).

• Subconscious Level: Information not consciously available but inferred from behavior (e.g., Mere Exposure Effect).

States of Consciousness: Sleep

• Circadian Rhythm:

  • Metabolic processes follow a pattern within a 24-hour cycle.

  • Studied using EEG (electroencephalogram) to measure brain activity.

Sleep Cycle & Stages

• Sleep Cycle Duration: Approximately 90 minutes.

  • Stages of Sleep:

    • Wake/Alert

    • NREM-1 (Non-rapid Eye Movement 1)

    • NREM-2 (Non-rapid Eye Movement 2)

    • NREM-3 (Non-rapid Eye Movement 3)

    • REM (Rapid Eye Movement)

Brain Activity During Sleep

• Brain Waves:

  • Delta Wave: 0.5 - 3 Hz (Deep sleep)

  • Theta Wave: 4 - 7 Hz (Light sleep)

  • Alpha Wave: 8 - 13 Hz (Awake, relaxed)

  • Beta Wave: 14 Hz+ (Awake, excited)

  • Stimulants (e.g., caffeine) suppress Theta and Alpha waves and increase Beta waves, affecting mood and stress levels.

Brain Areas Involved in Sleep

• Hypothalamus: Regulates sleep onset.

• Hippocampus: Memory context during dreaming.

• Amygdala: Processes emotions during dreams.

• Thalamus: Blocks sensory signals during sleep.

• Reticular Formation: Manages sleep-wake transitions.

• Pons: Initiates REM sleep.

Sleep Disorders

• Common Disorders:

  • Insomnia: Difficulty in sleeping; treat with lifestyle changes.

  • Narcolepsy: Unpredictable sleep episodes; managed with medication.

  • Sleep Apnea: Breathing interruptions during sleep; treated with a CPAP machine.

  • Night Terrors: Panic episodes during sleep; usually decrease with age.

  • Somnambulism (Sleepwalking).

Dreams

• Definition: Narrative experiences during sleep, primarily occurring in REM.

• Dream Theories:

  • Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory: Recognizes manifest (literal) & latent (symbolic) content in dreams

    • Example: Dream of being naked at school can indicate vulnerability.

  • Activation-Synthesis Theory: Dreams result from the brain interpreting random neural activity.

  • Information Processing Theory: Links dreaming with stress processing; increased daily stress correlates with intense dreams.

Hypnosis

• Nature of Hypnosis: A questionable state of consciousness.

  • Posthypnotic Amnesia: Forgetting events during hypnosis.

  • Posthypnotic Suggestion: Instructions to behave in specific ways after hypnosis.

• Theories of Hypnosis:

  • Role Theory: Hypnosis is not an altered state; suggestibility varies among individuals.

  • State Theory: Hypnosis exhibits characteristics of altered consciousness.

Pain Control & Hypnosis

• Research demonstrates 'hidden observer' phenomenon; people can report pain under hypnosis, indicating multiple levels of consciousness.

Psychoactive Drugs

• Definition: Chemicals affecting brain chemistry and functions.

• Drug Impacts:

  • Agonists: Mimic neurotransmitters.

  • Antagonists: Block neurotransmitter receptors.

  • The blood-brain barrier protects but can be crossed by psychoactive substances.

Drug Classifications**

• Stimulants: Increase metabolic activity (caffeine, cocaine).

• Depressants: Decrease metabolic activity (alcohol, opiates).

• Hallucinogens: Alter perceptions (LSD, marijuana).

Reverse Tolerance**

• Some drugs, like THC, may remain in body fat and lead to heightened effects with lesser amounts due to accumulation.

Quiz**

• Review key concepts and definitions for assessment preparation.