Chapter 7 Notes: States of Consciousness



Chapter 7 Notes: States of Consciousness

Consciousness: mental awareness of sensations, perceptions, memories, and

feelings.

-mainly waking consciousness

-altered states of consciousness

-changes in quality and pattern of mental activity (sleep, dreaming)

Sleep

-necessary

-sleep-deprivation psychosis (confusion, disorientation)

-hallucinations after being awake 60 hours

-8% are short-sleepers (5 or fewer hours of sleep/night)

Stages of sleep

-EEG measures sleep activity

-awake, alert: beta waves (small, fast)

-immediately before sleep: alpha waves (larger and slower)

4 stages of sleep

-light sleep: heart rate slows, muscles relax, hypnic jerk

-body temp. decreases; EEG shows sleep spindles, boundary of sleep

-delta waves (very large and slow); deeper sleep; decreased

consciousness

-deep sleep: shift between light and deep sleep during night

REM: rapid eye movement; associated with dreaming

2 basic states of sleep: REM and non-REM

REM: increased by day time stress

Non-REM: usually dream-free; may help recover from fatigue

Functions of REM sleep

-early in life: may stimulate developing brain

-in adults: help process emotional events, integrate memories

Sleep Disturbances

-Insomnia: chronic or serious for 9%

-difficulty going to sleep; waking up during night; early-morning

awakening

-sleeping pills may not be effective or may decrease Stage 4 and

REM sleep

-temporary insomnia may be due to stress

-chronic insomnia (more than 3 weeks)

-Sleepwalking, sleeptalking: non-REM stages 3 and 4

-Nightmares and night terrors (Table 7.2)

-nightmares are bad dreams that occur in REM and are

remembered

-night terrors occur in Stage 4: total panic, hallucinations, not

Remembered

-imagery rehearsal: imagine positive ending to nightmare

-Narcolepsy: sudden, irresistible sleep attacks

-attacks last few minutes to 30 minutes

-fall directly into REM

-more than 50% also have cataplexy (sudden temporary paralysis

of muscles)

-treated with Ritalin

-Sleep Apnea: breathing stops

-snore loudly

-tired during day

-can be serious

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) (“crib death”)

-weak arousal reflex; don’t change position

-small baby with cold or cough

-risk factors: prematurity; adolescent mother; shrill, high-pitched

cry; snoring; frequent awakening; breath-holding;

breathes mainly with mouth open; passive when face

rolls onto pillow; parents smoke

Dreams

-most people dream 4 to 5 times per night

-most dreams reflect everyday events

-half of dreams have sexual elements

-reflect waking thoughts, emotions, fantasies

Psychodynamic Dream Theory

Sigmund Freud: The Interpretation of Dreams

-dreams based on wish fulfillment

-expression of unconscious desires

-dreams show few signs of directly expressing hidden wishes

-desires are disguised as dream symbols

Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis

Hobson and McCarley

-during REM, brain cells activated that normally control eye

Movement, balance, and actions

-messages are blocked from the body, so no movement

-cells tell brain of activities, lead to a dream

-REM: several parts of brain activated

-triggers sensations, memories

-synthesize this activity into visual images and stories

Hypnosis

-altered state of consciousness

-narrowed attention and increased openness to suggestions

-blend of conformity, relaxation, imagination, obedience, suggestion,

role-playing

-began with Mesmer in the 1700’s

-80% of people can be hypnotized, but only 4 will be good subjects

-often these with good imagination and those prone to fantasy

-when hypnotized, people remain in control of behavior

-do not do things that are immoral or repulsive to themselves

-used for pain relief

Sensory Deprivation

-any major reduction in the amount or variety of sensory stimulation

-can cause bizarre sensations, lapses in attention, distorted perceptions

-can misjudge time, color distortion, heightened visual illusions, slower

reactions

-true hallucinations are rare

Benefits of Sensory Restriction

-temporary increase in sensory acuity

-relaxing for brief periods

-change habits (smoking, drinking)

-increase creative thinking, increase performance in skilled sports

-relieve chronic pain and decrease stress

Drug-Altered Consciousness

Psychoactive Drug: substance capable of altering attention, judgment, memory,

time sense, self-control, emotion or perception

-influences activity of brain cells; imitate or alter neurotransmitters

-stimulant: increases activity in body and nervous system

-depressant: decreases activity in body and nervous system

Dependence

-physical dependence (addiction)

-most common with drugs that cause withdrawal symptoms

(alcohol, barbiturates, opiates)

-when accompanied by drug tolerance, need larger doses for

desired effect

-psychological dependence: drug is necessary for feelings of comfort,

well-being

Patterns of Abuse

-experimental: short-term curiosity

-social-recreational: occasional social use for pleasure

-situational: cope with specific problem

-intensive: daily use with some dependence

-compulsive: extreme use with extreme dependence

Table 7.4

Uppers: amphetamines, cocaine, MDMA, caffeine, nicotine

-drug tolerance

-amphetamines: synthetic stimulants (narcolepsy, ADHD)

Cocaine: CNS stimulant

-effects last 15 to 30 minutes

-one of the most dangerous drugs of abuse

-highly addictive

MDMA (“Ecstasy”)

-1 in 20 college students

-damages serotinergic brain cells

-don’t score well on tests of memory and mental functioning

Caffeine

-most frequently used psychoactive drug in North America

-abuse causes irritability, insomnia, can intensify anxiety

Nicotine

-natural stimulant found in tobacco

-most used psychoactive substance after caffeine

-addictive, carcinogenic

-quit by tapering off

Downers: sedatives, tranquilizers, alcohol

Barbiturates

-sedative drugs

-decrease brain activity

-can overdose because forget you already took them

Tranquilizers

-decrease anxiety, reduce tension

-Valium, Xanax, Halcion, Librium

-normal does can cause confusion, drowsiness

-strong addictive potential

-Rohypnol: date rape drug

-drug interaction (with alcohol) multiplies effects of both

Alcohol

-depressant

-70% of college students have engaged in binge-drinking

-impairs memory in young adults

-genetic factors

-abusers drink to cope with negative emotions

Danger signs

-morning drinking

-increasing consumption

-regretted behavior

-black outs

Detox

Alcoholics Anonymous

Hallucinogens

LSD: hallucinations

Marijuana

-sense of euphoria

-paranoia, hallucinations at high doses

-psychological dependence, not addiction

-with frequent use, small decrease in learning, memory, attention

-5 or more joints a week score 4 points lower on IQ test, regain in

1 month

Drug Abuse

-curiosity, desire to belong, escape from feelings of inadequacy

Predictors of adolescent drug use

-having friends who use drugs

-parental drug use

-delinquency

-troubled family life

-poor self-esteem

-social nonconformity

-stressful life changes

-impulsive, antisocial behavior, school failure

-immediate pleasure, delayed, punishment

-advertising of medication

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