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Chapter 5: States of
Consciousness
Consciousness
 The awareness of
sensations,
thoughts, and
feelings being
experienced at a
given moment
– Waking
consciousness
– Altered states of
consciousness
Stages of Sleep
 Stage 1
– The stage of transition
between wakefulness and
sleep that is characterized
by relatively rapid, low
voltage brain waves
 Stage 2
– Characterized by a slower,
more regular wave pattern
and momentary
interruptions of sharply
pointed spiky waves called
sleep spindles
Stages of Sleep
 Stage 3
– Waves become slower, with
higher peaks and lower
valleys in the wave pattern
 Stage 4
– Waves are even slower and
more regular, and people
are least responsive to
outside stimulation
The Sleep Cycle
REM Sleep:
The Paradox of Sleep
 Sleep that occupies a
little over 20% of adult’s
sleeping time and is
characterized by
Rapid eye
movement
Increased and
irregular heart rate
Increase in blood
pressure
Increase in
breathing rate
Erections in males
Usually
accompanied by
dreams
Person’s body is
typically
“paralyzed”
REM Sleep:
The Paradox of Sleep
The Function and Meaning of
Dreaming
 Unconscious wish fulfillment theory
(Freud 1900)
– Proposed that dreams represented
unconscious wishes that dreamers
desire to see fulfilled
 Latent content refers to the “disguised”
meaning of the dream
 Manifest content refers to the actual
story line of the dream
The Function and Meaning of
Dreaming
 Dreams-for-survival
theory
– Dreams permit
information that is
critical for our daily
survival to be
reconsidered and
reprocessed during
sleep
The Function and Meaning of
Dreaming
 Activations-synthesis theory
– The brain produces random
electrical energy during REM
sleep that stimulates memories
lodged in various portions of the
brain which are put together to
make a logical story line
Sleep Disturbances
 Insomnia
 Sleep apnea
 Sudden infant
death syndrome
 Narcolepsy
 Sleepwalking
Therapy For Insomnia
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Exercise during the day
Choose a regular bedtime
Don’t use your bed as an all purpose area
Avoid caffeine after lunch
Drink a glass of warm milk at bedtime
Avoid sleeping pills
Try not to sleep
Talk yourself into sleeping
Circadian Rhythms: Life Cycles
 Biological
processes that
occur repeatedly on
a 24-hour
cycle
– Seasonal
affective
disorder
– Jet lag
Hypnosis
 Hypnosis
– Originated by Franz Mesmer in the 18th
century, it is described as being in a trancelike state of heightened susceptibility to the
suggestion of others
 Applications
– Control pain, reduce smoking, treating
psychological disorders, assisting law
enforcement, improving athletic performance
Meditation
 Meditation
– A learned technique for
refocusing attention that
brings about an altered
state of consciousness
 Mantra
– Repetition of a word, a
sound, or a syllable
Drug Use: The Highs and Lows
of Consciousness
 Psychoactive drugs
– Influences a person’s emotions,
perceptions, and behavior
 Addictive drugs
– Produce a biological or psychological
dependence in the user, and withdrawal
from them leads to a craving for the drug
that, in some cases, may be nearly
irresistible
– Biologically and psychological based
Stimulants: Drug Highs
 Affect the central nervous system by
causing a rise in heart rate, blood pressure,
and muscular tension
– Caffeine
– Nicotine
– cocaine
– Amphetamines
 Methamphetamine– most dangerous street drug
Stimulants: Drug Highs
 How much caffeine do you consume?
Depressants: Drug Lows
 Impede the nervous system by causing neurons to
fire more slowly
– Alcohol
 Rohypnol
 Binge drinking
– Barbiturates
 Nembutal
 Seconal
 Phenobarbital
Depressants: Drug Lows
Narcotics:
Relieving Pain and Anxiety
 Increase relaxation and relieve pain and
anxiety
 Heroin
– Methadone treatment
 Morphine
Hallucinogens: Psychedelic Drugs
 Drugs that are capable of producing
hallucinations, or changes in the perceptual
process
– Marijuana
– MDMA (Ecstasy)
– LSD