03-03-25+altering+consciousness+CANVAS

Test Reminder

Test 2 is scheduled for Monday, March 10.
Content covered includes Chapter 3, Chapter 4, and all material presented in class and on Canvas since Test 1.

Definition: Recent experiences with a stimulus facilitate responses to related stimuli.
Example: If one observes dirty hands, they might be inclined to wash them. Completing a word like S_ _ P could lead to interpretations like "SOAP" due to priming effects.

Definition: Processing information below conscious awareness.
Impact on Behavior: Minimal effect; subliminal messages can briefly prime information (e.g., scent associations) but do not influence complex behavior significantly.

Involves tasks or skills that have been well-practiced, requiring little attention.

Consciousness serves as an adaptive mechanism to prioritize significant stimuli.
Limitations on conscious processing help in conserving mental energy by avoiding irrelevant information.
Exogenous Attention: Directs focus towards essential stimuli and events in the environment.

Definition: Intense contemplation leading to profound calmness.
Types: Mindfulness and concentrative meditation.
Potential Benefits:
- Lowered blood pressure.
- Reduced stress levels.
- Increased focus and attention.
- Possible structural changes in the brain, possibly leading to reduced gray matter loss.

Examples include:
- "Runners High": Euphoric feelings following exercise.
- Religious Ecstasy: Often felt through music, dance, or chanting.
- Flow State: High engagement in an enjoyable activity with diminished self-awareness and time perception.

Escapist Activities allow individuals to divert their attention and avoid dealing with problems.
Examples of activities: Watching TV, browsing the Internet, eating, playing video games.
Can be distracting but might not always fulfill deeper needs.

Changes in memory, perception, and voluntary actions occur in response to suggestions.
Sociocognitive Theory: Hypnotized individuals behave based on their expectations about what being hypnotized entails.
Neodissociation Theory: Suggests a dissociation of awareness from other aspects of consciousness during hypnosis.
Limitations: Hypnosis does not constitute total mind control; it can be useful for pain treatment and enhancing confidence in memories, but not always in accuracy.

Traumatic brain injuries can significantly alter conscious experience.
Effects can vary greatly in nature and severity, leading to conditions such as coma, which shows a lack of responsiveness to the environment.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: A long-term effect of repeated head trauma.

Definition: Chemicals that modify perceptions, mood, consciousness, cognition, or behavior by affecting neural transmission.
Examples include:
- Birds and Fermented Pyracantha: Behavioral changes in animals.
- Cats & Catnip: Another example of altered states due to substances.

Definition: A compulsive craving for and usage of drugs despite negative consequences.

Concept: Users often require larger doses to achieve the same effects over time.
Risk: Abrupt cessation during rehabilitation can lead to fatal overdose upon resuming use.

Types: Physical and psychological dependence.
Effects: Bodies adapt to substances leading to tolerance; withdrawal symptoms can occur once the substance is discontinued.
Symptoms may include: cravings and feelings of anxiety or depression.

Definition: Physical and psychological reactions following the cessation of an addictive substance.
Common symptoms: anxiety, tension, intense cravings, physical discomforts like nausea, fever, and aches.