Consciousness

• Consciousness– A person's awareness of everything that is

going on around him or her at any given moment.

• Waking consciousness– State in which thoughts, feelings, and

sensations are clear, organized, and the person feels alert.

Consciousness

• Altered state of consciousness– State in which there is a shift in the quality

or pattern of mental activity as compared to waking consciousness.

Hallucination – is a perception in absence of any stimulus. Hallucinations can occur in any of the senses

Illusion - is a distortion of the senses, distorts reality and is generally shared by most people

Processing• Explicit processing - processing that

is conscious, you are aware of your thought process (effortful processing).

• Implicit processing - process that happens without conscious awareness (automatic processing).

Necessity of Sleep

• Circadian rhythm - a cycle of bodily rhythm that occurs over a 24-hour period.– “circa” – about– “diem” – day

• Hypothalamus – tiny section of the brain that influences the glandular system.

• Micro-sleeps - brief sidesteps into sleep lasting only a few seconds.Sleep deprivation - any significant loss of sleep, resulting in problems in concentration and irritability.

Functions of Sleep

• Adaptive theory - theory that animals and humans evolved sleep patterns to avoid predators by sleeping when predators are most active.

• Restorative theory – theory that sleep is necessary to the physical health of the body and serves to replenish chemicals and repair cellular damage.

Sleep Patterns of Infants and AdultsInfants need far more sleep than older children and adults. Both REM sleep and NREM sleep decrease dramatically in the first 10 years of life, with the greatest decrease in REM sleep. Nearly 50 percent of an infant 's sleep is REM, compared to only about 20 percent for a normal, healthy adult. (Roffwarg, 1966)

Stages of Sleep• Rapid eye movement (REM) - stage in

which the eyes move rapidly under the eyelids and the person is experiencing a dream.

• NREM (non-REM) sleep - any of the stages of sleep that do not include REM.

Brain Wave Patterns• Electroencephalograph (EEG)

– brain wave activity through various stages of sleep, determines what type of sleep the person has entered. Alpha waves - brain waves that indicate a

state of relaxation or light sleep. Theta waves - brain waves indicating the

early stages of sleep. Delta waves - long, slow waves that

indicate the deepest stage of sleep.

Stages of Sleep

• Non-REM Stage One – light sleep.– May experience hypnagogic images – vivid

visual events.

• Non-REM Stage Two – sleep spindles (brief bursts of activity only lasting a second or two).

Stages of Sleep• Non-REM Stages Three and Four –

delta waves pronounced.– Deep sleep – when 50%+ of waves are

delta waves.

• REM Paralysis – the inability of the voluntary muscles to move during REM sleep.

Brain Waves of Different State of ConsciousnessOur brains show different wave patterns depending on our state of consciousness. Notice how the brain waves are slower and longer when we are in a deeper state of sleep.

Figure 9.2 (continued) Brain Waves of Different State of ConsciousnessOur brains show different wave patterns depending on our state of consciousness. Notice how the brain waves are slower and longer when we are in a deeper state of sleep.

Figure 9.3 A Typical Night's SleepThe graph shows the typical progression through the night of Stages 1–4 and REM sleep. Stages 1–4 are indicated on the y-axis, and REM stages are represented by the green curves on the graph. The REM periods occur about every 90 minutes throughout the night (Dement, 1974).

REM Sleep and Dreaming• If we are wakened during REM sleep,

almost always report a dream.

• REM rebound - increased amounts of REM sleep after being deprived of REM sleep on earlier nights.

Stage Four Sleep Disorders1. Sleepwalking (somnambulism) -

occurs during deep sleep, an episode of moving around or walking around in one's sleep.

2. Night terrors - rare disorder in which the person experiences extreme fear and screams or runs around during deep sleep without waking fully.

Stage Four Sleep Disorders

3. Nightmares - bad dreams occurring during REM sleep.

4. REM behavior disorder - a rare disorder in which the mechanism that blocks the movement of the voluntary muscles fails.

Can Sleepwalking be a Crime Defense?

• Kenneth Parks case• Scott Falater case• Jules Lowe case

Problems During Sleep

• Insomnia - the inability to get to sleep, stay asleep, or get a good quality of sleep.

• Sleep apnea - disorder in which the person stops breathing for nearly half a minute or more.

Problems During Sleep

• Narcolepsy - sleep disorder in which a person falls immediately into REM sleep during the day without warning.

Sleep Disorders

Dreams

Freud believed that dreams acted as wish fulfillment.

Manifest content – the actual dream itself.

Latent content – the true, hidden meaning of a dream.

Meditation

• Meditation - mental series of exercises meant to refocus attention and achieve a trancelike state of consciousness.

• Concentrative meditation a person focuses the mind on a repetitive stimulus to clear the mind and relax the body.

• Receptive meditation – the surrounding environment causes an involuntary conscious behavior.

Hypnosis

• Hypnosis - state of consciousness in which the person is especially susceptible to suggestion.

Hypnosis

• Four Elements of Hypnosis:

– The hypnotist tells the person to focus on what is being said.

– The person is told to relax and feel tired.– The hypnotist tells the person to “let go”

and accept suggestions easily.– The person is told to use vivid imagination.

Facts about Hypnosis

Psychoactive Drugs

• Psychoactive drugs - drugs that alter thinking, perception, and memory.

• Physical and Psychological Dependence Can lead to a lifelong pattern of abuse. Risk of taking increasingly larger doses.

Stimulants

• Stimulants - drugs that increase the functioning of the nervous system.– Amphetamines – drugs that are

synthesized (made in labs) rather than found in nature.

– Cocaine – natural drug; produces euphoria, energy, power, and pleasure.

Stimulants

• Stimulants (continued)– Nicotine - active ingredient in tobacco.– Caffeine - the stimulant found in coffee,

tea, most sodas, chocolate, and even many over-the-counter drugs.

Depressants• Depressants - drugs that decrease the

functioning of the nervous system.

– Barbiturates – depressant drugs that have a sedative effect.

– Benzodiazepines - drugs that lower anxiety and reduce stress.

Alcohol

• Alcohol - Often confused as a stimulant but actually a depressant on central nervous system.

How Drinks Affect Behavior

Narcotics

• Narcotics– A class of opium-related drugs that

suppress the sensation of pain by binding to and stimulating the nervous system's natural receptor sites for endorphins.

Morphine - narcotic drug derived from opium, used to treat severe pain.

Heroin - narcotic drug derived from opium that is extremely addictive.

• Psychoactive drugs interfere with the physiology of neurons and the use of the neurotransmitters.

– Some drugs block the effects of neurotransmitters, while others increase neurotransmitters' effects.

Physical Dependence and treatment– Tolerance – more and more of the drug is

needed to achieve the same effect.– Withdrawal - physical symptoms that can

include nausea, pain, tremors and high blood pressure………….

– Psychological dependence - the feeling that a drug is needed to continue a feeling of emotional or psychological well-being.