PSY 3044 - LECTURES > States of Consciousness

I. WHAT IS CONSCIOUSNESS?

A. A person's awareness of feelings, sensations, and thoughts

1. Consciousness is like a stream that ebbs and flows

2. Daydreaming, normal, and altered consciousness are varieties

II. The RHYTHMS of LIFE

A. Circadian rhythms

1. Biological changes that occur on a daily basis

a. The sleep-wake cycle is an example

b. Body temperature is an example

B. Problems with circadian rhythms

1. Jet lag

a. Crossing time zones puts biological rhythms at odds with local time

2. Shift work

a. Changing shifts plays havoc with internal rhythms

III. The STUDY of SLEEP

A. A night in a sleep lab

1. Researchers measure electrical activity across many parts of the body

B. The stages of sleep

1. NREM sleep is characterized by four progressively deeper stages

a. Brain waves define these stages of sleep

2. REM sleep is characterized by rapid eye movements, paralysis, dreams

a. High brain activity is recorded during this stage

C. Differences in individual sleep patterns

1. Multiple sleep latency test measures sufficiency of sleep

2. Sleep efficiency index measures proportion of bed-time spent sleeping

D. Sleep deprivation

1. Long-term sleep deprivation may not produce permanent effects

a. Bursts of microsleep may help out

E. The functions of sleep

1. Growing evidence suggests REM consolidates or strengthens memories

2. Sleep in general functions adaptively to "refresh" an organism

F. Sleep problems

1. Insomnia

a. Sleep-onset insomnia is the most typical; trouble falling asleep

2. Hypersomnias

a. Narcolepsy and sleep apnea are both examples

3. Parasomnias

a. SIDS, sleepwalking, enuresis, sleep terrors, nightmares

G. Dreams: Nighttime theater

1. Why we forget our dreams

a. other activities upon waking interfere with our ability to recall

2. Interpreting dreams

a. Freud's manifest content/latent content distinction is one approach

b. Activation-synthesis offers a very different explanation

IV. HYPNOSIS

A. The history of hypnosis

1. Mesmer's demonstrations form the basis for hypnosis

B. Hypnotic induction

1. Hypnosis is a state of heightened suggestibility while relaxed

C. Hypnotic phenomena

1. Pain reduction and medical treatment

2. Memory effects

3. Perception

4. Age regression

D. Explanations of hypnosis

V. ALTERING CONSCIOUSNESS with DRUGS

A. Substance abuse characterized by a pattern of maladaptive behaviors

B. Substance dependence is more serious; marked by drug tolerance

1. Tolerance: Higher drug doses are needed to produce original effects

2. Withdrawal: Unpleasant symptoms following discontinuance of drug

C. Depressants - alcohol, barbiturates

D. Stimulants - amphetamines, caffeine, cocaine, crack, nicotine

E. Opiods - opium, morphine, codeine, heroin

F. Hallucinogens - LSD, PCP, MDMA (ecstasy), marijuana