CHAPTER 9 – CONSCIOUSNESS

Consciousness - Awareness of the outside world and of one’s own mental processes, thoughts, feelings, and perceptions

* Consciousness is a property of many mental processes rather than a unique mental process itself.  We observe how consciousness is influenced by hypnosis, meditation, and sleep

MIND-BODY DILEMMA

* Brain vs. mind

o Dualism – 



o Materialism –



* What is the nature of consciousness – one thing or many?

o Theater view –



o Parallel-distributed processing model–



* What is the relationship between mental activity and conscious awareness?




LEVELS - VARIATIONS IN THE QUANTITY OF AWARENESS

* Conscious level – 



* Nonconscious level – 




* Cognitive unconscious – 


o Preconscious –


o Unconscious (Freud) – 



STATES - VARIATIONS IN THE NATURE OF MENTAL PROCESSING

* Active states – 



* Passive states –



* Waking state – 



* Altered state –



MENTAL PROCESSING WITHOUT AWARENESS

* Priming – 



* Subliminal messages in media


STAGES OF SLEEP

* EEG (Electroencephalograph) records brain’s electrical activity
* Activity changes as person progresses through stages of sleep (see p. 319)

* Slow wave sleep/Non-REM sleep

o ________ breathing; blood pressure and heartbeat _________

o Brain waves _________ and with __________ amplitude

o Stage 4 – 


* REM sleep (active sleep, paradoxical sleep, rapid eye movement)

o EEG resembles ________________ (BP, HR, breathing)

o Eyes move rapidly, near-__________ (almost no muscle tone)

o Time of _____________


CHARACTERISTICS OF SLEEP

* Number of full cycles -


* Pattern of sleep - 


* Time per cycle - 


* Sleep patterns and age - 



SLEEP DISORDERS

* Insomnia – 


* Narcolepsy –


* Sleep apnea –


* Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) –


* Nightmares – 


* Night terrors – 


* Sleepwalking – 


* REM behavior disorder –


WHY DO WE SLEEP?

* Circadian rhythms – 

o Cycle time –


o Light and day –


o Disruptions – 


* Biological goings-on – “biological clock” in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the _____________, send signals into ___________________


FUNCTIONS OF SLEEP

* Deprivation effects –



* Restore body – 



* Norepinephrine – 



* Nerves – 


* Learning -


DREAMS - STORY-LIKE COMPOSITION OF IMAGES AND FEELINGS

* How long? Seconds to minutes

* When? During stage 4 and REM sleep

* Daytime events often reflected

* Lucid dreaming – 


WHY DO WE DREAM?  THEORIES ABOUND!

* Survival – 


* Wish fulfillment – Freud



* Activation-Synthesis theory –



HYPNOSIS

* Altered state of consciousness brought on by various techniques or suggestions that change behaviors

* Susceptibility and willingness


* Under the influence

o Age regression

o Posthypnotic suggestions and amnesia


How can we explain hypnosis?

State theory – 



Role theory – 

Dissociation theory – 



When is hypnosis used?

* Pain blocking


* Recover “lost” memories…


ADDITIONAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES

* Define meditation. List the common characteristics of meditation techniques, and describe their effects. (see Linkages:  Meditation, Health, and Stress)
* Define psychoactive drugs and psychopharmacology. Explain the function of the blood-brain barrier and discuss how agonist and antagonist drugs work. (see Psychoactive Drugs)
* Define substance abuse. (see The Varying Effects of Drugs)
* Define psychological dependence and physical dependence, or addiction. Explain the mechanisms of withdrawal syndrome and tolerance. (see The Varying Effects of Drugs)
* Explain the role of expectations in the influence of drugs on behavior. (see Expectations and Drug Effects)
* Define depressant. Describe the effects of alcohol and barbiturates on the nervous system and behavior. (see Depressants)
* Define stimulant. Describe the effects of amphetamines, cocaine, caffeine, nicotine, and MDMA on the nervous system and behavior. (see Stimulants)
* Define opiates. Describe the effects of opium, morphine, codeine, and heroin on the nervous system. (see Opiates)
* Define hallucinogens. Describe the effects of LSD, ketamine, and marijuana on the nervous system and behavior. (see Hallucinogens)
* Discuss research on the level of danger associated with marijuana use. (see Thinking Critically:  Is Marijuana Dangerous?)