States of Consciousness, Sleep, Dreams, and Psychoactive Drugs

Historical Context of Consciousness in Psychology
- Before the 1960s, psychology was primarily focused on behavior.
- Post-1960s, a shift occurred affirming the importance of cognition.
Consciousness Defined
- Consciousness refers to our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment.
- Example: Conscious awareness aids in making sense of life experiences such as sensations, emotions, and choices, thereby focusing attention on the present and future.
- Example: Learning a behavioral response requires conscious awareness to focus attention.
Modern Understanding vs. Freud's Theory
- TIP: The contemporary understanding of the unconscious diverges from Sigmund Freud’s view.
- Freud’s Perspective: The unconscious is seen as the reservoir for anxiety-provoking thoughts and emotions, revealing them can lead to healing.
- Current Psychologists' View: The unconscious is largely viewed as a process for information management without conscious awareness.

Definition of Cognitive Neuroscience
- Cognitive neuroscience is the interdisciplinary study of brain activity associated with cognition, which includes thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.
Key Findings
- Researchers assert that even in a motionless, noncommunicative state, brain activity may still occur.
- Example: A case study involving a 23-year-old woman, who exhibited no outward signs of awareness, showed that brain scans activated areas responsible for arm and leg movements when she was asked to imagine playing tennis.

Concept of Dual Processing
- A fundamental discovery in cognitive neuroscience is that much brain function occurs in an off-stage manner, not readily apparent in behavior.
- Cognitive functions such as thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating operate on two independent levels:
- High Road: The conscious, deliberate level of processing.
- Low Road: The unconscious, automatic level of processing.
Definition of Dual Processing
- Dual processing refers to the principle that information is processed simultaneously on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.

Blindsight
- A condition in which an individual can respond to visual stimuli without conscious experience of it.
- Example: The visual perception track allows individuals to conceptualize and recognize the world, and plan actions, while the visual action track coordinates moment-to-moment movements.
Contradiction Between Conscious Beliefs and Unconscious Biases
- Example: An individual may possess a conscious belief of non-prejudice but still exhibit unconscious discomfort around individuals of different races.

Parallel Processing
- Refers to the ability to process multiple aspects of stimuli or problems simultaneously, allowing the mind to manage routine tasks efficiently.
Sequential Processing
- Involves processing one aspect of a stimulus or problem at a time, which is typically utilized for understanding new information or resolving complex issues.