States of Consciousness

Sleep

Hypnosis

Drugs

EQ: How do various levels of consciousness affect human behavior and mental processes?

When we are awake we are?

In a state of Consciousness

Our awareness of ourselves and our surroundings.

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Levels ofConsciousness

Conscious

Preconscious

Unconscious

NonconsciousN

onco

nsci

ous

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Levels ofConsciousness

• Conscious – Brain process of which we are aware

• Nonconscious – Brain process that does not involve conscious processing (e.g. heart rate, breathing, control of internal organs)

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

Unconscious – Many levels of processing that occur without awareness

Levels ofConsciousness

• Preconscious – Information that is not currently in consciousness, but can be brought into consciousness if attention is called to it

Why do we daydream?

• They can help us prepare for future events.

•They can nourish our social development.

•Can substitute for impulsive behavior.

Biological RhythmsBiological Rhythms

Annual Cycles: seasonal variations (bears hibernation, seasonal affective disorder)

28 day cycles: menstrual cycle.

24 hour cycle: our circadian rhythm

90 minute cycle: sleep cycles.

Sleep

The Great Equalizer !!!

Circadian Rhythm

• Our 24 hour biological clock.

• Our body temperature and awareness changes throughout the day.

• It is best to take a test or study during your circadian peaks.

How can the circadian rhythm help explain jet lag?

Knee pad light exposure experiment

Sunday night insomnia

Sleep Stages

• There are 5 identified stages of sleep.

• It takes about 90-100 minutes to pass through the 5 stages.

• The brain’s waves will change according to the sleep stage you are in.

• The first four stages are known as NREM sleep..

• The fifth stage is called REM sleep.

Stage One

• This is experienced as falling to sleep and is a transition stage between wake and sleep.

• It usually lasts between 1 and 5 minutes and occupies approximately 2-5 % of a normal night of sleep.

• eyes begin to roll slightly.• consists mostly of theta waves (high

amplitude, low frequency (slow)) • brief periods of alpha waves, similar to those

present while awake

Hallucinations can occur and feeling of falling.

Stage Two• This follows Stage 1 sleep and is the

"baseline" of sleep.

• This stage is part of the 90 minute cycle and occupies approximately 45-60% of sleep.

Stage Three & Four

• Stages three and four are "Delta" sleep or "slow wave" sleep and may last 15-30 minutes.

• It is called "slow wave" sleep because brain activity slows down dramatically from the "theta" rhythm of Stage 2 to a much slower rhythm called "delta" and the height or amplitude of the waves increases dramatically.

Stage Three and Four (continued) • Contrary to popular belief, it is delta sleep that is

the "deepest" stage of sleep (not REM) and the most restorative.

• It is delta sleep that a sleep-deprived person's brain craves the first and foremost.

• In children, delta sleep can occupy up to 40% of all sleep time and this is what makes children unawake able or "dead asleep" during most of the night.

Stage Five: REM SLEEP• REM: Rapid Eye Movement

• This is a very active stage of sleep.

• Composes 20-25 % of a normal nights sleep.

• Breathing, heart rate and brain wave activity quicken.

• Vivid Dreams can occur.

• From REM, you go back to Stage 2

REM• Body is essentially paralyzed during REM.• Genitals become aroused. Erections and

clitoral engorgement.• “Morning Erections” are from final REM

stage.A typical 25 year old man has an erection during half of his sleep.

A 65 year old- one quarter.

How much sleep do we need?

• We all need different amounts of sleep depending on our age and genetics.

• But we ALL sleep- about 25 years on average.

How do you feel when you don’t get enough sleep?

Can you just make up lost sleep in one night?

NO

Why do we need sleep?(Two theories)

1. Ecological Niche: back in the day, darkness meant death, those that slept did not go out, thus did not die. Sleep protects us.

Sleep helps us recuperate and restores the breakdown of our body.

Sleep Disorders

Insomnia

• Recurring problems in falling or staying asleep.• Not your once in a while (I have a big test

tomorrow) having trouble getting to sleep episodes.

• Insomnia is not defined by the number of hours you sleep every night.

• Primary versus Secondary insomnia.60 Million

Narcolepsy• Characterized by uncontrollable sleep

attacks.•Lapses directly into REM sleep (usually during times of stress or joy).

Sleep Apnea

• A sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and consequent momentary reawakenings.

Night TerrorsNight Terrors

• A sleep disorder A sleep disorder characterized by high characterized by high arousal and an arousal and an appearance of being appearance of being terrified.terrified.

• Occur in Stage 4, not Occur in Stage 4, not REM, and are not often REM, and are not often remembered.remembered.

Sleepwalking(Somnambulism)

• Sleepwalking is a sleep disorder effecting an estimated 10 percent of all humans at least once in their lives.

• Sleep walking most often occurs during deep non-REM sleep (stage 3 or stage 4 sleep) early in the night.

When we discovered the different stages of sleep, our dream research really took

off!!!WHY?

REM

Why do we Dream?

Three Theories

Freud’s wish-fulfillment Theory

• Dreams are the key to understanding our inner conflicts.

• Ideas and thoughts that are hidden in our unconscious.

• Manifest and latent content

Dreams

• A sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind.

Manifest Content: the remembered storyline of a dream.

Latent Content: the underlying meaning of a dream.

Information-Processing Theory

• Dreams act to sort out and understand the memories that you experience that day.

• REM sleep does increase after stressful events.

Physiological Function Theories

Activation-Synthesis Theory:

• during the night our brainstem releases random neural activity, dreams may be a way to make sense of that activity.

REM Rebound• The tendency for REM sleep to increase

following REM sleep deprivation.

• What will happen if you don’t get a good nights sleep for a week, and then sleep for 10 hours?

You will dream a lot.

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HypnosisHypnosis

Hypnosis – Induced state of altered awareness, characterized by heightened suggestibility and deep relaxation

Hypnotizability – Degree to which an individual is responsive to hypnotic suggestions

Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale

• There are 10 actual tests devised by Wilson and Barber.

• We tried two of them.

And This…• Close your eyes and

imagine you are cutting a lemon…a large…sour…bitter lemon…so full of juice that it drips over your fingers onto the floor.

• Now imagine sucking the juice from the lemon.

• What is happening? • Are you salivating?

Another One…• Interlock the fingers of both

hands.• Hold your palms against the top of

your head.• Pull downwards, keeping your

hands joined.• Now turn your hands over so that

your knuckles are against your head maintaining a downward pressure.

• You will be unable to unclasp your hands until I tell you to.

Research further indicates:

• Ability to experience it does not indicate weakness

• Participants retain the ability to control their behavior. They are aware of their surroundings.

• Posthypnotic amnesia is relatively rare.• It is not dangers when practiced by qualified

people• It does not increase your memory.• It does not create a reexperiencing of childhood

events.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

MeditationMeditation

Meditation – Form of consciousness change induced by focusing on a repetitive behavior, assuming certain body positions and minimizing external stimulation

Explaining Hypnosis

DRUGS

Drug Tolerance

• The diminishing effect with regular dose of the same dose.

Psychological v. Physical dependence

Psychoactive Drugs

• Depressants: slow down body functions.

• Stimulants: arouse body functions.

• Hallucinogens: distort perceptions or evoke sensation without sensory input.

DepressantsAlcohol• Slows down

sympathetic nervous system.

• Disrupts memory processing.

• Reduces self-awareness.

• Involved in up to 60% of all crimes.

• The worst drug from a macro perspective out there.

DepressantsBarbiturates• Tranquilizers• Taken to sleep (but

reduce REM sleep).• Taken with other

drugs- you can get a synergistic effect.

Depressants

Opiates

• Heroin and morphine

• Addiction comes fast and the withdrawal symptoms are bad

Stimulants

• Amphetamines (Speed)

• Cocaine

• Crack

• “the crash”

Hallucinogens

LSD (Acid)• Can cause

PTSD and schizophrenia.

• Geometric patterns

Hallucinogens

Marijuana• THC

(Tetrahydrocannabinl)• Difficult to classify• Can amplify senses• Is it addictive?

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Highly addictive; produce a sense of well-being and have strong pain-relieving properties

• Morphine• Codeine• Heroin• Methadone

OpiatesOpiates