ConsciousnessChapter 6

The awareness of one’s self and one’s environment.

Consciousness

External Sensory Perception Awareness of

sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and touch sensations in the environment.

Types of awareness that make up our consciousness

The ability to internally experience sensory information from a remembered event or to create sensory representations of events we’ve never experienced, but only imagined.

déjà vu- A type of Internal Sensory Perception. Feeling that you are doing

something that you have done before.

Many theories for what causes this Dreams Misfiring of neurons Out of body experiences. Malfunction of the Matrix

Internal Sensory Perception

The symbols we use to represent big ideas. Not normally thought to be processed as visual perceptions.

Ideas or theories that are not naturally tied to a certain visual representation.

Example: You can visualize freedom, but what it is means different things to different people It’s not necessarily a tangible thing

Abstract Awareness

Cogito Ergo Sum “I think, therefore, I am.”

One of the most influential philosophers in regards to consciousness.

If you have thoughts, you exist. Believed in studying

consciousness.

Rene Descartes

You are aware of yourself as an individual apart from other individuals and objects in your environment.

You are aware of your thoughts and feelings.

Awareness of self

Philosopher that questioned whether consciousness exists because you cant see it.

No point in studying it.

William James

Behavioral Psychologist that focused solely on the observable behaviors of a person and did not believe in studying the unconscious.

John Watson

Levels of Consciousness

This state includes whatever we are aware of in the present.

It can vary from daydreaming to intense concentration.

You can choose a lot of what you attend to in this state. For example, thoughts,

feelings, perceptions you have while you are awake.

Normal or Waking Consciousness

Thoughts, emotions, and behaviors available to us, but not presently in our awareness.

Two types: Preconscious

Knowledge and memories present in our minds but are not being accessed.

Example: You can give someone your phone number, but you are unaware of that information unless your inner attention is directed toward it.

Non-conscious Behaviors and thoughts that we process

automatically, without conscious effort. Examples include speaking and blinking.

Subconscious

• According to Freud, the unconscious mind contains desires, conflicts, and memories with which our conscious mind cannot easily deal.

• Freud felt that those behaviors we are often unable to explain about our actions are the result of the unconscious.

Unconscious

• The study of the effects of time on life processes. The timing of various biological events, including levels of consciousness.

• Biological clock • a tiny portion of brain tissue known as

(SCN) that is located near the intersection of the optic nerves from each eye.

• It also programs changes in body to occur at certain times of the day.

Chronobiology

A 25 hour cycle that controls preferences your body needs such as when you prefer to go to bed and when you prefer to get up.

Circadian Rhythms

• Entrainment- The alteration of a natural cycle to fit a different rhythm.

• Infants will change theirs naturally as they become toddlers: No naps.

• Other ways changes in Circadian Rhythms take place: Shift work and jet lag.

Changes in Circadian Rhythms

Sleep

Physical or Mental Recuperation- During sleep, the production of new cells is at

its highest rate, and chemicals used up during the day in the brain and body are replenished.

Consolidation of thoughts and experiences- The level of mental activity during some sleep

is extremely high. Some stages of sleep nerve cells fire five to ten

times more quickly than during being awake. Adaptation-

An adaptive behavior that kept our ancient ancestors quiet during hours of darkness, when predators were roaming.

Why we sleep

Five stages of sleep have been identified: Four of the stages have non-rapid eye

movement, or NREM stages. It takes about 90 minutes to move through the five stages.

Stage 1: Light Sleep Stage 2: Person may talk in their sleep Stage 3: Complete Sleep. Difficult to awake. Stage 4: Deeply asleep and most difficult to

awake.

Stages of sleep and brain waves

REM, Rapid Eye Movement is the fifth.

When awoken from REM sleep, 85-90 percent of people report that they were dreaming and can recall contents of the dream.

Periods of REM are longest during the last sleep cycles of the night.

REM

Dreaming

Dreams can occur in NREM and REM sleep. REM dreams tend to be the longest and are

primarily visual. Most take as long as the actual events Most are about ordinary experiences and

emotions

Dream facts

Why do we dream?

Freud’s view: Dreams are the creation of the unconscious mind, producing in symbol what a person is unable to deal with consciously.

Scientists who study the body processes during sleep and dreaming conclude that the reason people dream is because. . .well. . .actually we don’t know.

Although the functions of dreaming are not fully known or understood, scientists do agree that REM sleep and dreaming are essential for good health.

Importance of Dreams

Sleep Disorders

Sleep Apnea In one form, a person with sleep apnea

experiences sudden and regular breathing stoppages during sleep. That’s right. . .you stop breathing

Causes (don’t write this) Your throat muscles and tongue relax more

than normal. Your tongue and tonsils (tissue masses in the

back of your mouth) are large compared to the opening into your windpipe.

You're overweight. The extra soft fat tissue can thicken the wall of the windpipe. This causes the inside opening to narrow and makes it harder to keep open.

The shape of your head and neck (bony structure) may cause a smaller airway size in the mouth and throat area.

The aging process limits the ability of brain signals to keep your throat muscles stiff during sleep. This makes it more likely that the airway will narrow or collapse.

Treatment Lifestyle changes, mouth guard, CPAP,

or surgery

Sleepwalking A sleepwalker may

interact or talk with people while asleep.

Sleepwalking occurs in NREM sleep.

A person who is sleepwalking awakens with no memory of the activity.

This has been successfully used as a murder defense

Insomnia Insomnia is difficulty

getting to sleep or staying asleep.

A person with insomnia awakens un-refreshed, even after sufficient sleep.

Causes of insomnia include diet, exercise, sleeping environment, worry, or concern.

Hypersomnia A person with

hypersomnia experiences chronic, excessive sleeping; drowsiness and napping during the day.

Someone who has hypersomnia experiences difficulty in waking up.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome The sudden death of an infant under one

year of age that remains unexplained after investigation.

New research suggest that the cause may be linked to decreased levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain.

SIDS

Acting out dream activity and in severe cases may endanger him or herself and others in movements.

In a person with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), the paralysis that normally occurs during REM sleep is incomplete or absent, allowing the person to "act out" his or her dreams.

RBD is characterized by the acting out of dreams that are vivid, intense, and violent.

Dream-enacting behaviors include talking, yelling, punching, kicking, sitting, jumping from bed, arm flailing, and grabbing

REM Behavior disorder (RBD)

The sleeper will be terrified and may have eyes open but is not awake.

When awakened, the person remains very frightened but in many cases does not remember why.

Night terrors occur during NREM sleep stage 4.

Night Terrors

Narcolepsy A person falls asleep

suddenly, unpredictably, and uncontrollably.

It is thought to have a biological basis.

The person may exhibit sudden loss of muscle control.

Occur during REM sleep.

Sleeper often awaken and recall an apparently long and movie-like frightening dream.

Nightmares

Hypnosis

A process that allows a person to enter a trance-like state during which time he or she becomes highly suggestible.

The individual is encouraged to focus on a single stimuli and to relax.

With practice, many people can enter a light hypnotic trance on their own.

Hypnosis

Some psychologists claim that hypnosis is not truly and altered state, they feel one is simply relaxed and highly focused.

Some psychologists feel that it is very different from sleep or waking states, though this is not backed up by brain wave analysis.

Controversy exists

Scientific Studies On an EEG, hypnotized people have the

same pattern as those in a normal, relaxed state of consciousness.

Heightened suggestibility- A person has the tendency to perceive what the hypnotist suggests.

Dissociation- A person becomes separated from the sensations

connected to external reality. For example: Someone that has gone through a

traumatic event in a war may be able to work through the problem in hypnosis.

Vivid Imagery- A person is convinced that something exists that does

not presently exist (like a smell) or vice versa.

Five Qualities of a hypnotic state

Enhanced Memory- A person mentally returns to past events and describes these events in detail.

Posthypnotic Suggestion- Suggestions made to a person during a hypnotic trance that may remain after the trance.

Often used to help people diet or quit smoking.

More qualities of hypnosis

Some psychologists believe that people willing to be hypnotized are highly suggestible.

Some believe that any changes that occur are a result of self-deception.

Despite television and movies portrayals, studies have shown that people who are hypnotized are just as likely as people who have not been able to recall details of a crime.

Reliability?

Antonio Damasio- Psychologist who suggests we have two types of consciousness.

Core Consciousness The one that gives one a sense of self in the here and now. Simple and does not depend on memory, language or

reasoning. Extended Consciousness-

Provides an organism with an elaborate sense of self-identity and placed a person in a given time as well as makes you aware of the past and future and world outside of your own.

New research (Contemporary) in consciousness