States of ConsciousnessCh. 5

AP PsychologyAlice F. Short

Hilliard Davidson High School

States of

Consciousness

The Nature of Consciousness• Defining Consciousness• Consciousness and the Brain• Levels of AwarenessSleep and Dreams• Biological Rhythms and Sleep• Why Do We Need Sleep?• Stages of Wakefulness and Sleep• Sleep and Disease• Sleep DisordersPsychoactive Drugs• Uses of Psychoactive Drugs• Types of Psychoactive DrugsHypnosis• The Nature of Hypnosis• Explaining Hypnosis• Uses of HypnosisConsciousness and Health and Wellness:

Meditation

The Nature of Consciousness

• Defining Consciousness• Consciousness and the Brain• Levels of Awareness

• stream of consciousness – term used by William James to describe the mind as a continuous flow of changing sensations, images, thoughts and feelings

Defining Consciousness

• consciousness – an individual’s awareness of external events and internal sensations under a condition of arousal, including awareness of self and thoughts about one’s experiences– awareness• global brain workspace

– arousal– metacognition – thinking about thinking• EXAMPLE: Thinking about why you are nervous before

an exam

Consciousness and the Brain• awareness – subjective state of knowing what’s going on,

as occurring in a global brain workspace includes awareness of self and thoughts about one’s experiences– global brain workspace – a collection of neurons from a variety

of brain areas working in parallel that include prefrontal cortex (the front-most part of the brain) and the anterior cingulate

• arousal – the physiological state of being engaged with the environment determined by the reticular activating system – refers to the ways that awareness is regulated

• high alert• low alert

– reticular activating system – a network of structures including the brain stem, medulla and thalamus

Levels of Awareness

1. Higher-Level Consciousness2. Lower-Level Consciousness3. Altered States of Consciousness4. Subconscious Awareness5. No Awareness

1. Higher Level Consciousness

• controlled processes – the most alert states of human consciousness, during which individuals actively focus their efforts toward a goal– require selective attention– involves prefrontal cortex (usually)– Example: Focusing on learning something new.

2. Lower-Level Consciousness

• automatic processes – states of consciousness that require little attention and do not interfere with other ongoing activities– Example: typing, texting, driving home, etc. after mastered

• daydreaming – – b/w conscious and sleep– begin spontaneously during low-focus activates– help make plans, solve problems or come up with creative

idea– help us to cope, create and fantasize

3. Altered States of Consciousness

• altered states of consciousness or awareness – mental states that are noticeably different from normal awareness– Range: losing sense of self-consciousness

hallucinating– Causes: trauma, fever, fatigue, sensory

deprivation, medication, hypnosis and psychological disorders

4. Subconscious Awareness

• waking subconscious awareness– incubation – subconscious processing that leads

to a solution to a problem after a break from conscious though about the problem• thinking about or doing something else solution

magically appears in mind!

• subconscious awareness during sleep and dreams– we retain some awareness during dreams

5. No Awareness

• unconscious – applies to someone who has been knocked out by a blow or anesthetized– a.k.a. nonconscious

• unconscious thought – according to Freud, a reservoir of unacceptable wishes, feelings, and thoughts that are beyond conscious awareness; Freud’s interpretation viewed the unconscious as a storehouse for vile thoughts

A SHORT Time to Ponder

• What are controlled processes and automatic processes?

Sleep and Dreams

• Biological Rhythms and Sleep• Why Do We Need Sleep?• Stages of Wakefulness and Sleep• Sleep and Disease• Sleep Disorders

• sleep – a natural state of rest for the body and mind that involves the rerevsible loss of consciousness

Biological Rhythms and Sleep

• biological rhythms• circadian rhythms– suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

Biological Rhythms and Sleepp. 143

• biological rhythms – periodic physiological fluctuations in the body, such as the rise and fall of hormones and accelerated and decelerated cycles of brain activity, that can influence behavior

• circadian rhythms – daily behavioral or physiological cycles, which involve

• sleep/wake cycle• body temperature• blood pressure• blood sugar level

– suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) – small brain structure that uses input from the retina to synchronize its own rhythm with the daily cycle of light and dark; the mechanism by which the body monitors the change from day to night (located in hypothalamus); sends information to:• hypothalamus & pineal gland (temperature, hunger, release of hormones –

melatonin)• reticular formation (sleep and wakefulness)

Desynchronized and Resetting• desynchronized biological clock –thrown off their

regular schedule– jet lag – result of two or more body rhythms being out of

sync– changing work shifts

• increased risk of heart disease• gastrointestinal disorders

– insomnia• resetting biological clock– daylight– melatonin

• useful in eastward travel• not useful in westward travel

A SHORT Time to Ponder

• Would a lot of these problems exist before industrialization?

Why do We Need Sleep?• avoid becoming prey• avoid injury at night• conserve energy• search for food in safer conditions (daylight)• restores, replenishing, rebuilds the brain and body• increased production of cells; reduced breakdown of

proteins• enhances synaptic connections between neurons• consolidates memory for specific information, for skills and

for emotional experiences• conducts activities that strengthen memory associations

long term memory (occurs in cerebral cortex)

Effects of Chronic Sleep Deprivation

• 8 hours sleep/night• sleep deprivation– decreases brain activity in thalamus and prefrontal

cortex– reduces complexity of brain activity • shorter pathways

– reduced abilities to make moral decisions• STUDY: 53 hours of wakefulness –> agree with decisions

that violated personal standards

A SHORT Time to Ponder

• Is sleep deprivation and American epidemic? If yes, what could be the long-term consequences?

Wakefulness and Sleep

• Wakefulness (2 total stages)• Sleep (5 total stages)

• electroencephalograph (EEG) – monitors brain’s electrical activity

Wakefulness

• beta waves – concentration and alertness– highest in frequency– lowest in amplitude– desynchronous

• alpha waves – relaxation and drowsiness– synchronous– slow down (lower frequency)– higher amplitude

Sleep (5)

• Stage 1• Stage 2• Stage 3• Stage 4• Stage 5 (REM sleep)

• Sleep Cycle (1-5): 90-100 minutes• Stages 1-4 sometimes referred to as

non-REM sleep – dreams (stages 1-4): less vivid, briefer, less emotionally charged– dreams (stage 5): more vivid, longer, more emotionally charged

Stages 1 and 2 Sleep

• 60% of a whole night’s sleep• light stages of sleep

– “I wasn’t asleep.”• Stage 1 – drowsy sleep

– myoclonic jerks (I see you!)– feeling of falling– theta waves (slower frequency; greater amplitude than alpha waves)– gradual change from alpha waves

• Stage 2 – muscle activity decreases; no longer consciously aware of the environment– theta waves interspersed with sleep spindles (sudden increase in

frequency)

Stages 3 and 4 Sleep• 20% of a whole night’s sleep• delta waves (slowest; highest amplitude)

– a.k.a. delta sleep– difficult to wake– deepest sleep– bed wetting, sleep walking, sleep talking– wake up: confused and disoriented

• difficult to distinguish b/w 3 and 4• Stage 3

– delta waves less than 50% of time• Stage 4

– delta waves more than 50% of time

REM Sleep

• 20% of a whole night’s sleep• REM (rapid eye movement) – figure 5.5, p.147– dreaming• longer REM more likely to remember

– waves similar to relaxed wakefulness– role in memory and creativity– progressively longer in later sleep cycles– most likely to wake just after REM sleep

Sleep Stages –

EEG Patterns

p. 147

Sleep Though the Life Span

• Children:– deep sleep growth hormone– sleep well:

• avoid caffeine• experience regular bedtime routine• have no TV in bedroom

• Adolescence– cerebral cortex developing (sleep linked to brain development)– 9 hrs 25 min

• shortfall attempt to “catch up” on weekends (can’t)

– melatonin secreted• 9:30 p.m. – early adolescents• 10:30 p.m. - later adolescents

– inattention in class– poor performance

Sleep Through Life Span

• adults– go to bed and wake up earlier– Middle Adult (40s-50s)• need less sleep

– Late Adult (60s +)• 50% report problems falling or staying asleep

Sleep and the Brain

• neurotransmitter activity– initiated in reticular formation (core of brain stem… damage

to this area can lead to coma or death)– serotonin– norepinephrine– acetylcholine

• Stages 1-4 neurotransmitters drop• REM– initiated by increase in acetylcholine– ends with increased serotonin and norepinephrine– most like to wake just after REM period

Sleep and Disease• Increased Occurrence During Sleep

– stroke– asthma attacks

• Sleeplessness– obesity– heart disease

• Fighting Disease– cells produce cytokines (powerfully sleep-inducing)

• Mental Disorders (freq. associated with sleeplessness)– depression– Alzheimer disease– stroke– cancer

Sleep Disorders

• insomnia• sleep walking and sleep talking (and eating)• nightmares and night terrors• narcolepsy• sleep apnea

Insomnia

• inability to sleep• 1/5 adults• more common in women and older adults• more common in people who are thin,

stressed or depressed• Mild Insomnia: treat with quality sleep habits

(same bedtime, sleep in dark and cool environment, avoiding caffeine and naps)

Sleepwalking and Talking

• somnambulism = sleepwalking– stages 3 & 4– linked to sleep deprivation and alcohol use– should wake individual

• somniloquy = sleep talking– not accurate

• sleep eating (rare) – Ambien side effect– buttered cigarettes, salt sandwiches, raw bacon

Nightmares and Night Terrors

• nightmare – a frightening dream that awakens the dreamer from REM sleep– peak at ages 3-6– experienced by college students 4-8 times per year

• night terror – features sudden arousal from sleep and intense fear– rapid heart rate– rapid breathing– loud screaming– heavy perspiration– movement– peak at ages 5-7– occurs during slow-save stage 4 (non-REM) sleep

Narcolepsy

• narcolepsy – sudden, overpowering urge to sleep– involves problems with hypothalamus and

amygdala– emerges in adulthood– may occur while talking or standing or any other

daily activity– can be triggered by extreme emotional reactions,

such as surprise, laughter, excitement or anger

Sleep Apnea

• sleep apnea – a sleep disorder in which individuals stop breathing because the windpipe fails to open or because the brain processes involved in respiration fail to work– loud snoring silence (not breathing)– 12 million Americans (2006)– more common in infants and adults 65+– more common in the obese, men, people with large

necks– may factor into sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Dreams

• manifest content – according to Freud (who was coo-coo-ca-choo), the surface content of a dream, containing dream symbols that disguise the dream’s true meaning

• latent content – according to Freud, a dream’s hidden content; its unconscious and true meaning

• 2 Most Prominent Dream Theories– cognitive theory– activation-synthesis theory

Dream Theories• cognitive theory of dreaming – theory

proposing that we can understand dreaming by applying the same cognitive concepts we use in studying the waking mind– dreams = subconscious cognitive processing

involving information and memory• metaphorically related to a person’s preoccupation

– CRITICISMS: lack of attention to the roles of brain structures and brain activity in dreaming

Dream Theories• activation-synthesis theory – theory that dreaming

occurs when the cerebral cortex synthesizes neural signals generated from activity in the lower part of the brain– dreams brain’s attempts to find logic in random brain

activity (internally generated stimuli) that occurs during sleep• primary motor and sensory areas of forebrain stimulated

(create sensation of running/feeling wind, etc.)• dreams = “cognitive trash”

– CRITICISM: damage to the brain stem does not necessary reduce dreaming; life-experiences stimulate and shape dreaming

Psychoactive Drugs

• U.S. has the highest rate of adolescent drug use of any industrialized nation.

• Why do you think this is the case?

Psychoactive Drugs• psychoactive drugs – drugs that act on the nervous system

to alter consciousness, modify perception and change mood– Reasons / Justifications:

• deal with life’s activities / escape from harsh realities of life• reduce tension• relieve boredom and/or fatigue• curious about effects

– Reasons Drug Use is Stupid• losing track on one’s responsibilities• problems in workplace and in relationships• increased risk for serious (sometimes fatal) diseases• tolerance• addiction• dependence• expensive• others to be discussed on later slides… it’s a long list

Psychoactive Drugs

• tolerance (need more)– need to take increasing amounts of a drug in order

to get the same effect• physical dependence – physiological need– withdrawal

• psychological dependence – strong desire– feeling of well-being / reduction of stress

• addiction – physical or psychological or both on a drug

How to Become an Addict… or Not (Not is Better)

• psychoactive drugs increase dopamine levels in brain’s reward pathways

• reward pathway (p. 155)– ventral tegmental area (VTA)• limbic and prefrontal areas activated by dopamine

produced here

– nucleus accumbens (NAc)

Reward Pathways for Drugs

Types of Psychoactive Drugs• depressants

– alcohol– barbiturates– tranquilizers– opiates (a.k.a. narcotics)

• morphine• heroin

• stimulants– caffeine– nicotine– amphetamines

• diet pills • crystal methamphetamine (a.k.a. crystal meth, crank, tina)

– cocaine– MDMA (a.k.a. Ecstasy, X, XTC)

• hallucinogens– marijuana– LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

Depressants

• depressants - psychoactive drugs that slow down mental and physical activity– alcohol– barbiturates– tranquilizers– opiates (a.k.a. narcotics)• morphine• heroin

Depressants• alcohol– inhibitions decrease and judgment becomes increasingly impaired– extreme intoxication coma and/or death– increases concentration of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)

• to cerebral cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens

– 2nd most widely used drug (after caffeine)• 2/3 of American adults drink; 30% binge drank in past year (5+ drinks)

– involved in 60% of homicides (either offender of victim)– 65% aggressive sexual acts against women – offender consumed– binge drinking increases during first 2 years of college decreases with permanent job,

marriage or cohabitation, parenthood• 11 times more likely to fall behind in school• 10 times morel likely to drive • 2 times as likely to have unprotected sex

• alcoholism – a disorder that involves long-term, repeated, uncontrolled, compulsive and excessive use of alcoholic beverages – impairs as drinker’s health and social relationships (1/9 drinkers)– one-third rule (1. dead/terrible shape; 2. still fighting addiction; 3. sober or drinking socially)– alcoholism recovery

• negative experience w/ alcohol• substitute dependency (meditation, exercise, overeating)• developing new positive relationships• joining a support group

Depressants

• barbiturates (examples Nembutal and Seconal)– decreased central nervous system activity– impaired memory and decision making– can be lethal– most often used in suicide attempts– treat insomnia• largely replaced by tranquilizers

Depressants

• tranquilizers (examples: Valium and Xanax)– reduce anxiety– induce relaxation– feeling of calm (small doses)– drowsiness and confusion– tolerance – takes only a few weeks– addictive– withdrawal symptoms

Depressants

• Opiates (a.k.a. Narcotics), examples: morphine and heroin– depresses central nervous system activity– affect synapses that use endorphins– euphoric and pain-free– increased appetite for food and sex– highly addictive– craving and painful withdrawal

Depressants

Stimulants

• stimulants – psychoactive drugs that increase the central nervous system's activity. The most widely used stimulants are caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines and cocaine.– caffeine– nicotine– amphetamines

• diet pills • crystal methamphetamine (a.k.a. crystal meth, crank, tina)

– cocaine– MDMA (a.k.a. Ecstasy, X, XTC)

Stimulants

• caffeine– most widely used drug in world– boosts energy and alertness– caffeinism – an overindulgence in caffeine• mood changes, anxiety, sleep disruption• 5 or more cups of coffee per day• symptoms: insomnia, irritability, headaches, ringing

ears, dry mouth, increased blood pressure, digestive problems• withdrawal last a couple days

Stimulants

• nicotine– addictive– improved attention and alertness– reduced anger and anxiety– pain relieve– withdrawal symptoms last months or longer – kills 400,000 people each year in U.S.• more than AIDS, alcohol, motor vehicles, homicide,

illegal drugs, and suicide combined

Stimulants

• Amphetamine (a.k.a. uppers)– boost energy, stay awake, lose weight– diet pills (increase release of dopamine)– Ritalin (ADD medication)– crystal methamphetamine (a.k.a. crystal meth, crank, tina)

• can be smoked, injected or swallowed• releases enormous amounts of dopamine (intense feeling of pleasure • damages dopamine receptors (chasing unattainable high)• “Take crystal meth, and never be that happy ever again…” – great sell?• household products (ingredients): battery acid, cold medicine, drain

cleaner, kitty litter… great sell?• devastating to rural areas

Stimulants

• cocaine– from coca plant (Bolivia, Peru)– snorted or injected (power or crystal)– flood bloodstream – euphoric for 15-30 minutes– depletes dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine

• agitated and depressed coming off of high

• crack – potent form of cocaine– chips of pure cocaine; usually smoked– believed one of the most addictive substances– “Once you go crack, you always go back.” Great sell?

Stimulants

• MDMA (a.k.a. Ecstasy, X, XTC)– both stimulant and hallucinogenic properties– “empathogen” – people “warm up” to others– releases serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine

• depletes body of serotonin (listlessness continues for days)

– impairs memory and cognitive processing• cognitive deficits for 2+ years after abstaining

– destroys axons that release serotonin• repeated use depression

Stimulants

Hallucinogens

• hallucinogens (a.k.a. psychedelics) – psychoactive drugs that modify a person’s perceptual experiences and produce visual images that are not real– marijuana– LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

Hallucinogens• marijuana – the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant Cannibis sativa

(Central Asia)– dried resin = hashish– active ingredient = THC (delta-9-terrahydrocannabinol)

• does not effect specific neurotransmitter• disrupts membranes of neurons• affects functioning of neurotransmitters and hormones

– increase pulse rate and blood pressure– reddening of eyes– coughing– dry mouth– smoke = more damaging than tobacco smoke– difficult to classify

• tiger spontaneous unrelated ideas• distorted perceptions of time and place• increased sensitivity to sounds, tastes, smells and colors• erratic verbal behavior• impairs attention and memory

– pregnant women neg. attention (including lower intelligence)– “gateway drug” = largely misnomer

Hallucinogens

• LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)– even low doses can produce striking perceptual changes

• objects and shapes glow• colors become kaleidoscopic and astonishing images unfold• sense of time influenced (time can seem crazy-long)• pleasurable OR grotesque• bad trip extreme anxiety, paranoia, suicidal or homicidal

tendencies• side effects: dizziness, nausea, tremors• emotional and cognitive effects: rapid mood swings, impaired

memory

– acts primarily on serotonin• can affect dopamine

Hallucinogens

Critical Controversy: Should Illicit Psychoactive Drugs Be

Legalized for Medical Use?p. 164

• Read and discuss.

Hypnosis

• hypnosis – an altered state of consciousness or a psychological state of altered attention and expectation in which the individual is unusually receptive to suggestions

• 4 Steps– minimize distractions– concentrate on something specific– informs person on what to expect– suggests certain events of feelings he or she knows will

occur or observes occurring “you are getting tired…”• hypnotizability

Explaining Hypnosis (2)

• divided consciousness view of hypnosis –– Ernest Hilgard’s view that hypnosis involves a

splitting of consciousness into two separate components, one of which follows the hypnotist’s commands and the other of which acts as a “hidden observer”

• social cognitive behavior view of hypnosis –– theory that hypnosis is a normal state in which the

hypnotized person behaves in the way he or she believes that a hypnotized person should behave

Uses of Hypnosis

• most effective when combine with psychotherapy

• reducing pain– sensory cortex was not activated in hypnotized

patients– the “ouch” signal never made it to awareness

• used to treat schizophrenia

Consciousness and Health and Wellness

• mindfulness meditation – used by yoga enthusiasts and Buddhist monks– increased activation in the left hemisphere (“happy brain”)

• hypnagogic reverie – an overwhelming feeling of wellness right before you fall asleep – a sense that everything is going to work out well

• meditation– initial increases in activation of the basal ganglia and prefrontal

cortex– decreases in the anterior cingulate (associated with conscious

awareness and acts of will)– controlling one’s thoughts in order to let go of the need to

control