Chapter 5 – States of Consciousness Consciousness – “easy” vs. “hard” problem when studying consciousness Various States of Consciousness – vary from

Chapter 5 – States of Consciousness
Consciousness – “easy” vs. “hard” problem when studying consciousness
Various States of Consciousness – vary from more to less controlled processing
• Conscious – what we are currently attending to
• Preconscious
o Unattended Information – may not be paying attention to it but can bring it to full
consciousness if desired.
• Unconscious – our thoughts and behaviors can be influenced by processes that we are not
aware of.
Sleep & Dreaming
• Stages of sleep & brain waves associated with each
• Stages of sleep during the night – where REM and slow wave/deep sleep occur
• Lack of sleep – cognitive deficits with various levels of sleep deprivation
• Theories for WHY we sleep
• REM sleep and dreaming
o REM rebound – need for REM sleep
o Theories for WHY we dream
• Sleep Disorders
Meditation – state distinct from both waking and sleeping
• Various ways to get into meditative state
• Associated brain waves and relation to anxiety reduction
Hypnosis
• Hypnotic induction leads to heightened suggestibility
• Evidence for what CAN happen under hypnosis
• MYTHS of hypnosis
Drugs & Consciousness
• I will NOT test you on specific drugs
• Depressants – generally increase GABA neurotransmitter
• Stimulants – generally increase excitatory neurotransmitters (like dopamine)
• Problems with drugs include tolerance and addiction issues
• Individual drugs lead to problems with respiration, lethargy, agitation, etc. but almost
ALL drugs lead to varying levels of cognitive impairment which users are often not
aware of.