States of Consciousness Overview

States of Consciousness

Puzzle of Consciousness

  • Definition: Moment-to-moment awareness of ourselves and our environment.

Characteristics of Consciousness

  • Subjective and Private: Each individual's experience is unique and personal.

  • Dynamic: Consciousness is not static; it constantly evolves and changes.

  • Self-Reflective: Allows for the sense of self; involves introspection and self-analysis.

Connection with Selective Attention

  • Consciousness is closely linked with the process of selective attention, which allows us to focus on specific stimuli while ignoring others.

Measuring States of Consciousness

  • Self-Reports: Individuals describe their own subjective experiences.

  • Physiological Measures: Involve monitoring bodily responses (e.g., heart rate, brain activity).

  • Behavioral Measures: Examination of observable actions in response to stimuli.

Levels of Consciousness (Freud)

  • Conscious: The thoughts and feelings we are currently aware of.

  • Preconscious: Information that is not currently in consciousness but can be easily retrieved.

  • Unconscious: Thoughts, memories, and desires that are not accessible to conscious awareness but influence behaviors.

The Cognitive Unconscious

  • Conscious and unconscious processes are complementary and work in harmony (Reisberg, 1997).

Controlled vs. Automatic Processing

  • Controlled Processing: Requires conscious attention and effort; for example, learning to ride a bicycle involves focus on specific movements.

  • Automatic Processing: Tasks performed with little or no conscious awareness; riding a bicycle becomes automatic after practice.

Circadian Rhythms

  • Definition: Daily (approximately 24-hour) biological cycles affecting various bodily functions including temperature, hormone secretion, and sleep-wake patterns.

  • Regulation: Managed by the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) in the brain which connects to the pineal gland responsible for melatonin secretion.

Sleep and Dreaming

  • Stages of Sleep: Cycle through stages every 90 minutes, including:

    • Beta Waves: Occur when awake and alert (15-30 cps).

    • Alpha Waves: Represent relaxed but awake state (8-12 cps).

Detailed Sleep Stages

  • Stage 1: Light sleep with theta waves (3.5 - 7.5 cps).

  • Stage 2: Sleep deepens, characterized by sleep spindles.

  • Stage 3: Deep sleep with regular delta waves (0.5 - 2 cps).

  • Stage 4: Dominated by delta waves; known as slow-wave sleep.

  • REM Sleep: Involves high brain activity, rapid eye movements, and vivid dreaming; physiological activity increases, including heart rate and breathing.

Changes in Sleep with Aging

  • Overall sleep duration tends to decrease; less REM sleep and slow-wave sleep.

Theories of Why We Sleep

  • Restoration Model: Sleep helps recharge the body and recover from fatigue.

  • Evolutionary Model: Sleep patterns have evolved to enhance survival based on environmental demands.

Dreaming: Theories of Why We Dream

  • Psychoanalytic Theory (Freud): Dreams represent wish fulfillment, with manifest (surface) and latent (hidden) content.

  • Cognitive-Process Theories: Dreams help solve personal problems and reflect cognitive processes similar to waking thoughts.

  • Activation-Synthesis Theory: Dreams result from random neural activity, with the brain synthesizing narratives from this activity.

Psychoactive Drugs

  • Types:

    • Depressants: Decrease CNS activity (e.g., alcohol, tranquilizers).

    • Stimulants: Increase neural firing (e.g., amphetamines, cocaine).

    • Hallucinogens: Distort sensory experiences (e.g., LSD, marijuana).

Depressants

  • Alcohol: Inhibits CNS activity, affects motor skills and coordination; commonly used recreational drug.

Stimulants

  • Amphetamines: Enhance dopamine and norepinephrine activity; can lead to psychosis with heavy use.

  • Cocaine: Increases norepinephrine and dopamine, with chronic use linked to cognitive decline.

  • Ecstasy (MDMA): Produces feelings of empathy and pleasure while affecting serotonin.

Hallucinogens

  • Common Types: LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, DMT, and marijuana; can alter perceptions and emotional response, may induce panic or anxiety in some users.

Dangers of Drugs

  • Marijuana use misconceptions; can lead to negative mood, cognitive impairments, and addiction potential while having cancer-causing substances.