consciousness. descartes believed that the mind and the brain were two separate things the mind is...
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Consciousness
Descartes
Believed that the Mind and the Brain were
two separate things
The mind is not made of matter, it is akin to the soul or the spirit
This position became known as Dualism
According to Descartes our ability to think proved our existence – Cogito Ergo Sum – ‘I think therefore I am’
Likewise the ability to conceive of god must itself constitute the existence of God
Problems with Cartesian Dualism
Brain damage leads to a change in phenomenology – conscious experience
Drugs effect conscious experience
Exactly how the mind (non material) interacts with the brain (material) cannot be demonstrated – magic is not a scientific answer
What is the mind made of?
If we have a Mind why do we need a brain?
Studies show that neural activity precedes conscious awareness of such activity – your brain ‘thinks’ then you become aware of it!
William JamesConsciousness can be likened to a stream
Continuous, Flowing, changing, with many levels
Essays in Radical Empiricism (1912) he set out the metaphysical view most commonly known as “neutral monism,” according to which there is one fundamental “stuff” that is neither material nor mental.
Reality or Pure experience, as he called it comes about when two bodies or minds interact, and reality is only accessible in the relations into which they enter
States of Consciousness
Put the folowing states of consciousness in order from most aware to least aware:
• Hypnotised
• Anaesthetised
• Complete lack of awareness
• Total awareness
• Daydreaming
• Focused attention
• Asleep
• Unconscious (coma)
• Meditative state
• Normal wakefulness
1. Total awareness
2. Focused attention
3. Normal Wakefulness
4. Daydreaming
5. Meditative State
6. Hypnotised
7. Asleep
8. Anaesthetised
9. Unconscious (coma)
10.Complete lack of awareness
States of Consciousness
Many things bombard our brain with information but it is our state of consciousness or level of awareness that filters this information and what we pay attention to.
Consciousness is NOT an all or nothing thing. Consider daydreaming or falling asleep.
The are TWO types of consciousness: Normal Waking Consciousness and Altered States of Consciousness.
Normal Waking Consciousness
The states of consciousness associated with being awake and aware of our thoughts, memories, feelings and the sensations we are experiencing from the outside world.
Normal waking consciousness includes all states of consciousness in the upper half of the continuum that involve heightened awareness.
Characteristics of NWC
AttentionSelective attention
Divided Attention
Content LimitationsWhat you think about is normal, logical and ordered
Controlled Processes (tasks)Require selective attention
Automatic processes (tasks)Can be completed with divided Attention
Normal Waking Consciousness -
AttentionSelective Attention Divided Attention
•Involves selectively attending to certain stimuli while ignoring other stimuli.•The focus of our awareness is limited •We notice very little of the information that is not attended to •“Cocktail Party Phenomenon”
•Refers to the ability to distribute our attention and undertake two or more activities simultaneously•Eg- completing a gym workout while listening to music and having a conversation with a friend
The Cocktail Party Phenonemenon
The ability to divide your attention across a range of stimuli.
Specifically if you are in a conversation with a group of people and someone in another conversation mentions your name, you will shift your attention to the alternate conversation.
Imagine being at a party and listening to two conversations at once.
Characteristics of Consciousness
The following characteristics of consciousness vary considerably depending on the state of consciousness.
Content Limitation
Controlled and Automatic Processes
Perceptual and Cognitive Distortions
Emotional Awareness
Self Control
Time Orientation
Characteristics of Consciousness
Activity- Complete the mix and match activity outlining the
characteristics of consciousness
Characteristic of an ASCDistortions of Perception & Cognition
- Vivid or dulled, drugs can cause hallucination
- Cant think straight, hard to make decisions
Disturbed sense of time
- Teleportation home from that party
Changes in emotional awareness
- more emotional…. I love you guys…slur
Changes in self control
- Hypnosis more suggestible,
- control pain response,
- or maybe do something really stupid
Examples of ASC’s
Sleep/Dreams
Daydreaming
Meditative state
Alcohol induced state
Other psychoactive drugs
Daydreaming
Shift in attention from external to internal stimuli (thoughts feelings and emotions)
More likely to occur when still
More likely when alone
More likely when tired
Possibly allow us to fulfil fantasies (freud)
Assist with problem solving – try out alternatives
Meditative states
studies show decreased blood flow to the parietal lobes which control our sense of space
Often attention selectively focused on one thing
Brain wave patterns often resemble early stages of sleep
Can help relieve pain
Stress management
Benefits that rest alone can not give
Alcohol induced states
Alcohol is a psychoactive drug – change consciousness perception and mood
Alcohol is a depressant – blocks or retards neural transmission
Excessive acute use can cause death
Drunk people show all elements of ASC
How can you study consciousness?
EEG
How can you study consciousness?
Heart rate
Body temp
GSR - sweating
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