chapter four consciousness. copyright © houghton mifflin company. all rights reserved. 4-2 did you...

Chapter Four

Consciousness

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 4-2

Did You Know That…

• Dividing your attention between driving and using a car phone is about as dangerous as driving with a blood alcohol level at the legal limit?

• Body temperature does not remain at a steady 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the day?

• The eye is sensitive to changes in light even in people without sight?


Did You Know That… (Cont’d)

• People with narcolepsy may be holding a conversation one moment and collapse on the floor the next, fast asleep?

• The average college student spends more money on alcohol than on textbooks?

• It can be dangerous – indeed deadly – to let a person who blacks out from drinking too much to “sleep it off”?


Did You Know That… (Cont’d)

• Coca-Cola once contained cocaine?

• You may be hooked on a drug you have with breakfast every morning?

Module 4.1

States of Consciousness


Module 4.1 Preview Question

• What are states of consciousness?



• William James: Described consciousness as a stream of thoughts

• Today’s View: Consciousness is a state of awareness of ourselves and of the world around us.



• Focused Awareness: A heightened state of alert wakefulness

• Drifting Consciousness: Characterized by drifting thoughts or mental imagery• May lead to daydreaming

• Divided Consciousness: Characterized by dividing attention to 2 or more tasks or activities performed at the same time


States of Unconsciousness

• States in which we are relatively unaware of our external surroundings• Includes sleeping and dreaming

• Altered States of Consciousness: States of awareness that differ from one’s usual waking state

Module 4.2

Sleeping and Dreaming


Module 4.2 Preview Questions

• How are our sleep-wake cycles regulated?

• What are the stages of sleep, and what functions does sleep serve?

• Why do we dream?

• What are sleep disorders?


Circadian Rhythm

• The pattern of fluctuation in bodily processes that occur regularly each day

• Sleep-wake cycle operates on a circadian rhythm close to 24 hours in length.• Cycle is regulated by the suprachiasmatic

nucleus in the hypothalamus.

• Jet lag is a disruption of sleep-wake cycles.


Figure 4.1: Brain Wave Patterns During Wakefulness and Sleep

Source: From "Behavior effects of blood alcohol levels" by O. Ray & C. Ksir, Drugs, society, & human behavior, 5/e Copyright © 1990 Times Mirror/Mosby College Publishing


REM Sleep

• After Stage 4 sleep, briefly cycle through Stages 3 and 2, entering REM sleep• Stage most associated with dreaming

• During REM sleep, brain becomes more active while muscle activity is blocked.• Person becomes practically paralyzed. • Also called “paradoxical sleep”


Figure 4.2: REM Sleep Through the Night


Why Do We Sleep?

• Protective function

• Energy conservation

• Restore bodily processes

• May bolster immune system


Why Do We Dream?

• May help to consolidate memories and new learning

• May help in problem solving

• May represent attempt by the cerebral cortex to make sense of random discharges of electrical activity occurring during REM sleep• Activation-synthesis hypothesis


Figure 4.3: Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis


Freud and Dreams

• Dreams represent form of wish fulfillment.• “Royal road” to the unconscious

• Two types of dream content:• Manifest content: Events that occur in the

dream• Latent content: True, underlying meaning of

the dream


Impact of Sleep Deprivation

• Slowed reaction times

• Impaired concentration, memory, problem solving

• Difficulty learning new information

• Impaired academic performance

• Accidents


Figure 4.4: Motor Vehicle Accidents in Relation to Time of Day

Source: Adapted from AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 1996


Sleep Disorders

• Insomnia

• Narcolepsy

• Sleep apnea

• Nightmare disorder

• Sleep terror disorder

• Sleepwalking disorder

Module 4.3

Altering Consciousness Through Meditation and Hypnosis



• What is meditation?

• What is hypnosis?

• What are the major theories of hypnosis?


Meditation

• A process of focused attention that induces a relaxed, contemplative state

• Transcendental Meditation (TM): Person focuses attention by repeating a particular mantra

• Mindfulness Meditation: Person focuses on moment-to-moment experiences without making judgments


Why Meditate?

• Relaxes body and mind

• Expand consciousness, awareness, peacefulness

• Find relief from everyday stress

• Therapeutic benefits


Hypnosis

• Altered state of consciousness characterized by:• Focused attention• Deep relaxation• Heightened susceptibility to suggestion

• Varied techniques for inducing hypnosis


Hypnotic Experiences

• Hypnotic age regression

• Hypnotic analgesia

• Distortions of reality

• Posthypnotic amnesia

• Posthypnotic suggestion


Theories of Hypnosis

• A trance state

• Role-playing model

• Neodissociation theory• Dissociated of a part of consciousness• Hidden observer


Characteristics of Highly Hypnotizable People

• Well-developed fantasy life

• Vivid sense of imagination

• Tendency to be forgetful

• Positive attitude toward hypnosis

Module 4.4

Altering Consciousness Through Drugs



• When does drug use cross the line from use to abuse and dependence?

• What are the different types of psychoactive drugs, and what effects do they have?

• What factors contribute to alcohol and drug-abuse problems?

• What treatment alternatives are available to help people with drug problems?


Psychoactive Drugs

• Chemical substances that act on the brain to affect emotional or mental states

• Used for a variety of reasons:• Change level of alertness• Alter mental states• Blunt awareness of the stresses and strains of

daily life• To seek some type of inner truth


Figure 4.5: Rates of Drug Use in the United States

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health. (2001). Mental health: Culture, race, and ethnicity: A supplement to Mental health: A Report of the Surgeon—Executive summary. General Rockville, MD: Author.


Drug Abuse

• Maladaptive or dangerous use of a chemical substance

• Drug abuse if drug:• Impairs one’s health or ability to function• Becomes associated with dangerous

behavior

• Polyabusers abuse more than one drug at a time.


Drug Dependence

• Characterized by impaired control over the use of the drug

• Usually, but not always, associated with physiological dependence• Signs include withdrawal syndrome and

tolerance

• Drug Addiction: Drug dependence accompanied by signs of physiological dependence


Psychological Dependence

• Pattern of compulsive or habitual use of a drug to satisfy a psychological need.


Depressants

• Drugs that reduce central nervous system activity• Depresses bodily processes

• Psychologically, induces feelings of relaxation and provides relief from stress

• High doses can kill

• Highly addictive

• Dangerous if mixed with other drugs


Alcohol

• Is an intoxicant• Behavioral effects of blood alcohol levels

• Directly affects the brain

• Has a disinhibiting effect• Associated with many forms of aggression

• Accounts for more than 100,000 deaths per year in the US


From O. Ray and C. Kasir, Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior. Fifth Edition, 1990. Copyright © 1990 by the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Reprinted with permission.

Table 4.1 Behavioral Effects of Blood Alcohol Levels

Return


Figure 4.6: Alcohol Use and Causes of Death


Alcoholism

• A chemical addiction characterized by:• Impaired control over the use of alcohol• Physiological dependence on it

• About 1 in 10 adult Americans suffers from alcoholism.• Only about 5% fit “skid-row” stereotype• Typically develops between ages of 20 and

40

• Can lead to physiological damage


Table 4.2: Alcohol Use Among College Students


Binge Drinking

• Defined as having 5+ (for men) or 4+ (for women) drinks on one occasion

• Patterns of early drinking and binge drinking predictors of later alcoholism

• Binge drinkers 3x more likely to engage in unsafe or unplanned sex

• Places person at risk of death from alcohol overdose• Blackouts and seizures can occur.


Table 4.3: Signs of Alcohol Overdose


Barbiturates

• Calming or sedating drugs that have legitimate medical uses• But they are highly addictive and are used

illicitly

• Examples: Amobarbital, pentobarbital, phenobarbital, and secobarbital

• Overdoses can lead to convulsions, coma, and death.• Especially if mixed with alcohol


Tranquilizers

• Widely used to treat anxiety and insomnia

• Less toxic than barbiturates, but still can be dangerous

• Examples: Valium, Xanax, Halcion


Opioids

• A narcotic • An addictive drug that has pain-relieving,

sleep-inducing properties

• Produces a euphoric “rush,” dampens awareness of personal problems

• Has legitimate medical uses as painkillers


Stimulants

• Drugs that heightens activity of the central nervous system

• Can produce both physiological and psychological dependence

• Examples:• Amphetamines• Cocaine• MDMA (Ecstasy)• Nicotine• Caffeine


Hallucinogens

• Drugs that alter sensory perceptions• Produces distortions or hallucinations in visual,

auditory, or other sensory forms

• Not known to lead to physiological dependence• But can lead to psychological dependence

• Types• LSD• Mescaline, psilocybin, and PCP• Marijuana


Understanding Drug Abuse

• Social and cultural factors• Ethnic and racial differences• Acculturation

• Genetic factors• Role of neurotransmitters

• Changes in biochemistry of brain• Suppressed production of endorphins

• Psychological factors• Cognitive factors Continue


Figure 4.7: Ethnicity and Drug Use

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001. Return


Drug Treatment

• Most effective treatment programs use a wide variety of approaches

• Detoxification

• Follow-up services, counseling

• Therapeutic drugs

• Self-help programs

Application: Module 4.5

Getting Your Z’s


Module 4.5 Preview Question

• What steps can you take to combat insomnia?


Healthy Sleep Habits

• Adopt a regular sleep schedule.

• Don’t try to force sleep.

• Establish a regular bedtime routine.

• Establish proper cues for sleeping.

• Avoid tossing and turning.

• Avoid daytime naps.• Don’t take problems

to bed.• Use mental imagery.• Adopt a regular

exercise program.• Limit intake of

caffeine.• Practice rational “self-

talk.”

chapter four consciousness. copyright © houghton mifflin company. all rights reserved. 4-2 did you...

Documents

stages of sleep

disruption of sleep

dreamingduring rem sleep

sleepwake cycles

states of awareness

states of consciousnessmodule

rem sleepstage

state of awareness