Chapter 7States of Consciousness

Consciousness: All the sensations, perceptions, memories and feelings you are aware of in any instantWaking Consciousness: Normal, alert

awareness Altered State of Consciousness:

Awareness that is distinctly different in quality or pattern from waking consciousness

Some Early Definitions

Microsleep: Brief shift in brain wave patterns similar to those during sleep

Sleep Deprivation: Sleep loss; being deprived of needed amounts of sleep

Sleep-Deprivation Psychosis: Confusion, disorientation, delusions and hallucinations occur because of sleep loss

Sleep

Figure 8.3 Development of sleep patterns. Short cycles of sleep and waking gradually become the night-day cycle of an adult. Although most adults don’t take naps, midafternoon sleepiness is a natural part of the sleep cycle. (After Williams et al., 1964.)

Electroencephalograph (EEG): Brain wave machine; amplifies and records electrical activity in the brain

Beta Waves: Small fast waves associated with alertness and awakeness

Alpha Waves: Large, slow waves associated with relaxation and falling asleep

Measuring States of Consciousness

Figure 8.5Changes in brain wave patterns associated with various stages of sleep. Actually, most wave types are present at all times, but they occur more or less frequently in various sleep stages.

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Stage 1: Small, irregular waves produced in light sleep. People may or may not say they were asleep

Stage 2: Deeper sleep; sleep spindles (bursts of distinctive brain wave activity) appear

Stage 3: Deeper sleep. Delta waves appear; very large and slow

Stage 4: Deepest level of normal sleep; almost purely delta waves

Stages of Sleep

Rapid Eye Movements (REM): Associated with dreaming. Sleep is very light here

Non-REM (NREM) Sleep: Occurs during stages 2, 3 and 4; no rapid eye movement occurs Seems to help us recover from daily

fatigue Body is very still during REM sleep

Lack of muscle paralysis during REM sleep is called REM Behavioral Disorder

States of Sleep

Insomnia: Difficulty in getting to sleep or staying asleepSleeping pills exacerbate insomnia; cause

decrease in REM and Stage 4 sleep and may cause dependency

Drug-Dependency Insomnia: Insomnia that follows withdrawal from sleeping pills

Tryptophan: Amino acid (chemical) that produces sleep

Sleep Walking (Somnambulism): Occurs during NREM Sleep

Sleeptalking: Speaking while asleep; occurs in NREM Sleep

Sleep Disturbances

Nightmares: Bad dreamsOccur during REM sleep. May occur once or twice a month; brief and

easily (unfortunately) remembered Imagery Rehearsal: Mentally rehearse the

changed dream before you go to sleep again; may help to eliminate nightmares

Night Terrors: Total panic and hallucinations may occurOccurs during Stage 4 sleepMost common in childhood; may occur in

adults

Sleep Disturbances Continued

Narcolepsy: Sudden irresistible sleep attackRare; runs in families Lapse immediately into

REM sleep

Physiological Sleep Problems

Sleep Apnea: Interrupted breathing during sleep; cause of very loud snoringHypersomnia: Extreme daytime sleepinessApnea can be treated by

SurgeryWeight lossBreathing mask

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS; Crib Death): Sudden, unexplained death of healthy infant. Infants should sleep on back or on side to try to prevent

Other Physiological Sleep Problems

REM Rebound: Extra rapid eye movement sleep following REM Sleep deprivation

Psychodynamic (Freudian) Theory: Emphasizes internal conflicts, motives and unconscious forces

Wish Fulfillment: Freudian belief that many dreams are expressions of unconscious desiresMuch evidence to refute this

Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis: Dream content may be affected by motor commands in the brain that are not carried out

Dreams

Altered state of consciousness characterized by intensely narrowed attention and increased openness to suggestion Mesmer: Believed he could cure diseases by passing

magnets over body; true “animal magnetism.” Mesmerize means to hypnotize

Must cooperate to become hypnotized Hypnotic Susceptibility: How easily a person can be

hypnotized Basic Suggestion Effect: Tendency of hypnotized people to

carry out suggested actions as though they were involuntary Hidden Observer: Detached part of the hypnotized subject’s

awareness that silently observes events

Hypnosis

Hypnosis CAN: Help people relax Reduce pain Get people to make better progress in therapy

Hypnosis CANNOT: Produce acts of superhuman strength Produce age regression Force you to do things against your will

Hypnosis Can’s and Cannot’s

Any major reduction in amount or variety of sensory stimulation

Benefits include: Sensory enhancement Relaxation Changing habits

Hypnogogic Images: Images similar to those that occur just before sleep

Sensory Deprivation

Figure 8.10 A sensory isolation chamber. Small flotation tanks like the one pictured have been used by psychologists to study the effects of mild sensory deprivation. Subjects float in darkness and silence. The shallow, body-temperature water contains hundreds of pounds of Epsom salts, so that subjects float near the surface. Mild sensory deprivation produces deep relaxation.

Psychoactive Substance: Substance capable of altering attention, judgment, memory, time sense, self-control, emotion, or perception

Stimulant: Substance that increases activity in body and nervous system

Depressant: Substance that decreases activity in body and nervous system

Physical Dependence: Physical addiction based on drug tolerance and withdrawal symptoms Drug Tolerance: Reduction in body’s response to a drug Withdrawal Symptoms: Physical illness following withdrawal of

the drug Psychological Dependence: Drug dependence based on

psychological or emotional needs

Drugs and Altered States of Consciousness

Figure 8.11 Spectrum and continuum of drug action. Many drugs can be rated on a stimulation-depression scale according to their effects on the central nervous system. Although LSD, mescaline, and marijuana are listed here, the stimulation-depression scale is less relevant to these drugs. The principal characteristic of such hallucinogens is their mind-altering quality.

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Amphetamine: Synthetic stimulants that stimulate nervous system Dexedrine and Methamphetamine are two types of

stimulants Amphetamine Psychosis: Loss of contact with reality

because of amphetamine use; user tends to be paranoid

Stimulants

Central Nervous System stimulant derived from leaves of coca plant; also used as local anesthetic From 1886-1906, Coca-Cola did indeed have cocaine in it! Highly addictive drug Anhedonia (Loss of pleasure): Common after short-term

cocaine use

Cocaine

Most frequently used psychoactive drug in North America; present in colas, chocolate, coffee, tea

Causes tremors, sweating, talkativeness, tinnitus, suppresses fatigue or sleepiness, increases alertness May be hazardous to pregnant women if used

excessively

Caffeine

Natural stimulant mainly found in tobacco; known carcinogen May cause stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, confusion,

tremors Nicotine is addictive Responsible for 97% of lung cancer deaths in men, 74% in

women Sum: DON’T SMOKE; SMOKING KILLS (SO DOES

CHEWING TOBACCO)

Nicotine

Barbiturates: Sedative drugs that depress brain activity Seconal and Amytal are two types

Tranquilizers: Lower anxiety and reduce tension Valium, Xanax and Librium are some types Rohypnol: Related to Valium; lowers inhibitions and

produces relaxation. In larger doses can induce short-term amnesia and sleep

Date rape drug because it’s odorless and tasteless Drug Interaction: Combined effect of two drugs that exceeds

the addition of one drug’s effects to the other

Sedatives

Ethyl Alcohol is the intoxicating element in fermented and distilled liquors Alcohol is NOT a stimulant but it DOES lower inhibitions

Detoxification: Withdrawal of the person from alcohol; occurs in a medical setting and is tightly controlled. This is oftentimes necessary before long-term treatment begins

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA): Worldwide self-help organization comprised of recovering alcoholics; emphasizes admitting powerlessness over alcohol usage and wanting to try to recover. Has a spiritual component Free; around for over 70 years!

Alcohol

Figure 8.12 The behavioral effects of alcohol are related to blood alcohol content and the resulting suppression of higher mental function. Arrows indicate the typical threshold for legal intoxication in the United States. (From Jozef Cohen, Eyewitness Series in Psychology, p. 44. Copyright © by Rand McNally and Company. Reprinted by permission.)

Hallucinogen: Substance that alters or distorts sensory perceptions

Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana; pot): Leaves and flowers of the hemp plant Active chemical is THC

Effects include relaxation, time distortion, perceptual distortions

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD): Hallucinogen that can produce hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms

Hashish: Resinous material scraped from leaves of the hemp plant; has higher concentration of THC

Marijuana (Pot) and Other Hallucinogens

Freud identified four dream processes (mental filters) that hide true purposes of dreams Condensation: Combining several people, objects, or

events into a single dream image Displacement: Directing emotions or actions toward safe

or unimportant dream images Symbolization: When feelings or ideas are expressed

symbolically in dreams; not literal expression Secondary Elaboration: Making a dream more logical and

adding details while remembering it Perls: Most dreams are a special message about what is

missing in our lives, what we avoid doing when awake, or feelings that we need to re-own

Dream Interpretation

Lucid Dreaming

Person feels fully awake within the dream and feels capable of normal thought and action