Lecture 11_Consciousness

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CONSCIOUSNESS

• HPCS4004 Foundation Psychology

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Forms of Consciousness

• Consciousness: Awareness of ourselves and our environment; lacks a universally agreed definition.

• States of consciousness that occur spontaneously:

  • Alertness

  • Daydreaming

  • Drowsiness

  • Dreaming

• States of consciousness induced physiologically:

  • Hallucinations

  • Orgasm

  • Oxygen deprivation

• States of consciousness induced psychologically:

  • Hypnosis

  • Meditation

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Waking Consciousness

• Evolutionary Explanations:

  • Consciousness evolved to alert us to unexpected, potentially dangerous events.

  • Allows adaptation through behavioral responses.

• Selective Attention:

  • Cocktail Party Effect: Focus on one voice despite distractions in background noise.

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Waking Consciousness

• Role of Acetylcholine:

  • A neurotransmitter vital for controlling attention; enhancement improves attention capacity.

• Information Processing:

  • Conscious Mind: Processes information sequentially (one by one).

  • Unconscious Mind: Processes information simultaneously (parallel processing).

  • New tasks require conscious attention; well-learned tasks are performed automatically.

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Sleep

• Biological Rhythms:

  • Circadian cycle: 24-hour cycle, including sleep and wakefulness.

  • Disruption (e.g., jet lag) during intercontinental flights.

  • Light influences melatonin production by the pineal gland (decreases in the morning, increases in the evening).

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Sleep: Brain Waves & Stages

• Brain waves measured by EEG:

  • BETA (14-30 Hz): Awake, normal alert consciousness.

  • ALPHA (9-13 Hz): Relaxed, calm, lucidity.

  • THETA (4-8 Hz): Deep relaxation, meditation, mental imagery.

  • DELTA (1-3 Hz): Deep, dreamless sleep.

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Awake & Alertness

• Awake & alert:

  • Strong mental engagement; low amplitude, fast irregular beta waves (15-30 cps).

• Awake & Relaxed:

  • Meditation style; high amplitude, slow alpha waves (9-14 cps).

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Sleep Stages

• Stages of Sleep:

  • Stages 1-2: Early, light sleep; high amplitude theta waves.

  • Stages 3-4: Deep sleep; large amplitude delta waves.

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REM Sleep

• REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep:

  • Characterized by vivid dreams, increased heart/breathing rates, sexual arousal.

  • Motor areas active, but signals to muscles blocked.

  • Similar wave patterns to awake/aroused state (low amplitude, fast beta waves).

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Sleep Cycle

• 90-Minute Sleep Cycle:

  • Sleep stages repeat every 90 minutes; REM duration increases with each cycle.

  • REM accounts for 25% of total sleep.

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Functions of Sleep

• Sleep Duration:

  • Adults typically require 9-10 hours; 1/3 of life spent sleeping.

• Consequences of Sleep Deprivation:

  • Impaired concentration and cognitive ability.

  • Slow performance and inaccurate work.

  • Suppressed immune system; emotional irritability; fatigue, potential death.

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Theories on Sleep

• Sleep Protects:

  • Adaptation to poor night vision and vulnerability at night to avoid predators.

• Sleep Recuperates:

  • Restoration of body/brain tissues occurs during sleep.

• Sleep Growth:

  • Growth hormones released by the pituitary during sleep.

• Sleep Enhances Memory:

  • Consolidation of short-term memories into long-term storage during sleep.

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Sleeping Disorders

• Insomnia:

  • Persistent difficulty falling/staying asleep; results in daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and concentration issues.

  • Causes: stress, illnesses, environmental disturbances.

  • Improvement strategies: good sleep hygiene, avoiding stimulants, regular exercise, preparing for sleep.

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Other Sleep Disorders

• Narcolepsy:

  • Affects control of sleep/wake cycles; leads to excessive daytime sleepiness.

• Sleep Apnea:

  • Breathing interruptions during sleep causing oxygen deprivation.

• Night Terrors:

  • Sudden arousal with intense fear during stage 4 sleep.

• Nightmares:

  • Frightening dreams disrupting REM sleep.

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Dreams: Content

• Content Characteristics:

  • Negative emotional themes prevalent; common themes include failure, being chased, or misfortune.

  • Less frequent but noted sexual dreams (more in men).

• Gender Differences in Dreams:

  • Women dream equally about both genders; men dream more frequently about men.

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Theories on Dreams

• Wish Fulfillment (Freud):

  • Dreams serve as a safety valve for unacceptable feelings; contains manifest and latent content, needing psychoanalysis; lacks empirical support.

• Information Processing:

  • Assists memory organization and consolidation; does not explain dreams about unfamiliar experiences.

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Physiological Functions of Dreams

• Dreams as Neural Stimulation:

  • Stimulate brain development; critical in newborns with rapidly developing neural networks.

• Activation-Synthesis Theory:

  • REM sleep triggers impulses resulting in random visual memories; higher brain areas attempt to make sense of these memories into dreams.

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Hypnosis

• Hypnosis Defined:

  • A social interaction where the hypnotist suggests perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors.

• Facts & Myths:

  • Susceptibility varies among individuals; hypnosis does not significantly enhance recall of forgotten events.

  • Cannot force individuals against will; therapeutic only for relaxation and positive suggestions; effective for pain dissociation.

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Theories on Hypnosis

• Social Influence Theory:

  • Subjects act as imaginative actors fulfilling social roles.

• Divided Consciousness Theory:

  • Hypnosis creates a unique state of divided consciousness.

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Drugs & Substance Abuse

• Psychoactive Drugs:

  • Chemical substances altering perceptions and moods.

  • Tolerance: Requires larger doses over time for same effects.

  • Dependence: Physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms when absent.

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Types of Psychoactive Drugs

• Depressants:

  • Slow neural activity; include alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates.

  • Alcohol Effects: Impairment in motor skills, judgment, and memory, enhances aggressiveness.

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Specific Depressants

• Barbiturates:

  • Tranquilizers; reduce CNS activity; impair memory and judgment.

• Opiates:

  • Reduce pain and anxiety; highly addictive (e.g., opium, heroin).

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Stimulants

• Stimulants Defined:

  • Increase neural activity; examples: caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines.

  • Caffeine & Nicotine Effects: Elevate heart rate and energy levels.

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Amphetamines

• Amphetamines:

  • Stimulate neural activity; accelerate bodily functions; risk mood changes and long-term effects.

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Cocaine & Ecstasy

• Cocaine Effects:

  • Produces euphoria, followed by a crash; blocks neurotransmitter reuptake.

• Ecstasy Effects:

  • Causes euphoria; damages neurons; affects neurotransmitter levels, leading to mood and memory issues.

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Hallucinogens

• Psychedelic Drugs:

  • Distorts perception; evokes hallucinations without sensory input.

  • LSD: Blocks neurotransmitters, creates hallucinations and a sense of mind-body separation.

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Marijuana

• Marijuana Effects:

  • Relieves pain, causes mild hallucinations; impairments in judgment and memory; long-term use linked to amotivation and social withdrawal.

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Influences on Drug Use

• Biological Influences:

  • Genetic predispositions, dopamine reward circuits.

• Psychological Influences:

  • Stress, perception of purposelessness, psychological disorders.

• Social-Cultural Influences:

  • Peer pressure, urban living environments.