AP PSYCHOLOGY

States of Consciousness

Chapter 7

Chapter 7- What is consciousness?

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

What is consciousness?

GPS STANDARD: SSPBF2- The student will compare the different states of consciousness.

Consciousness

What is the nature of reality?

How do we know we exist? “I think therefore I am”- Rene Descartes

Consciousness MOVIE REVIEW?

The Truman Show

Consciousness

Can people achieve altered states of consciousness?

Consciousness

Can we control the content of our dreams?

Consciousness

Can we control the content of our dreams?

YES

LUCID DREAMING or Conscious Dreaming is to dream and know you are dreaming. Here you will learn how to become aware of the dreaming state so you can take control of the dream.

Consciousness

Consciousness our awareness of ourselves and our

environments States of consciousness

levels of awareness ranging from being alert and awake to unconsciousness during deep sleep

Changing levels of awareness

Consciousness Focused awareness

our consciousness is selective we can fully focus on any important task we can learn to control and direct our

attention to certain objects, events, or experiences while filtering out extraneous stimuli

as we use the computer or send a text message we generally ignore or are not keenly aware of the tactile sensations of our fingers pressing on the keyboard

Consciousness Drifting consciousness

even though we have the ability for focused awareness, it is difficult to maintain a state of focused awareness for too long

our minds start drifting from thought to thought

drifting consciousness is a state of awareness characterized by drifting thoughts or mental imagery

Consciousness Drifting consciousness

daydreaming a form of consciousness when one is awake in which one’s mind wanders to dreamy thoughts or fantasies

Consciousness Divided Consciousness

a state of awareness characterized by divided attention between two or more tasks or activities performed at the same time

typically, one of these activities is a mechanical task such as driving a car

when we drive our brain seems to be on automatic pilot while we are free to think about other things [unless we are driving in a violent rainstorm]

Consciousness States of unconsciousness

unconsciousness a lack of awareness of our external surroundings or a loss of consciousness (due to sleep, head injury, surgical anesthesia, or coma)

Consciousness Altered States of consciousness

sense of time may seem to stand still or speed up

colors may seem more vibrant the person may see visions or hear

voices the person may claim to taste colors

or see sounds

Consciousness Altered States of consciousness

Altered states of consciousness a states of awareness that differ from one’s usual waking state daydreaming exercise- being “in the zone”; in which the

outside world fades out of awareness meditation hypnosis use of mind-altering drugs- alcohol, marijuana,

hallucinogens, other psychoactive substances

Consciousness Altered States of consciousness

all of the world’s major religious figures claimed to have experienced altered states of consciousness

they experienced altered states of consciousness when they had mystical experiences:

prophetic visions visitation by gods, or angels achieving a state of enlightenment were able to perform certain types of

miracles after prayer, or meditation, even though the miracle was performed through a supernatural method within that belief system

Dreams: Freud

Sigmund Freud--The Interpretation of Dreams (1900) wish fulfillment eliminate or deal with otherwise

unacceptable feelings Manifest Content

remembered story line of the dream Latent Content

underlying meaning of the dream

Dreams: Freud

Dreams sequence of images, emotions, and

thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind

hallucinatory imagery discontinuities- lack of logical

sequence incongruities- lack of harmony or

agreement; incompatible delusional acceptance of the content difficulties remembering

Dreams: Why do we Dream?

To satisfy a desire or wish dreams provide a psychological

safety valve that discharges otherwise unacceptable feelings

Dreams: Why do we Dream?

To satisfy a desire or wish dreams provide a psychological safety

valve that discharges otherwise unacceptable feelings

As Information Processing to file away memories REM sleep facilitates memories dreams help sift, sort, and fix the day’s

experiences in our memories

Dreams: Why do we Dream?

To develop and preserve neural pathways dreams may serve a physiological function

by providing the sleeping brain with periodic stimulation

To make sense of neural static dreams are activated from neural activity

that spreads upward from the brainstem This is called the activation-synthesis theory the signals from the brainstem are

processed and our brain creates a story to try to make sense of the random signals

Dreams: Why do we Dream?

To reflect cognitive development dreams may be a part of brain maturation and the

development of thinking dreams are created from our personal knowledge

and memories REM Rebound

We need REM sleep When deprived of REM, people return more and

more quickly to REM sleep when they finally get to sleep

REM sleep increases following REM sleep deprivation

When finally allowed to sleep undisturbed, people sleep deeply and experience REM Rebound

Sleep and Dreams Measuring sleep activity

Electroencephalogram

Brain Waves and Sleep Stages

Alpha Waves slow waves of a

relaxed, awake brain

Delta Waves large, slow waves

of deep sleep Hallucinations

false sensory experiences

Stages in a Typical Night’s Sleep

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4

3

2

1

Sleepstages

Awake

Hours of sleep

REM

REM occurs approximately

every 90 minutes

Sleep Across the Lifespan

Sleep and Dreams

Biological Rhythms periodic physiological fluctuations

Circadian Rhythm the biological clock regular bodily rhythms that occur

on a 24-hour cycle [23 hrs, 56 minutes], such as of wakefulness and body temperature

Sleep and Dreams REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep

recurring sleep stage (occurs approximately every 90 minutes)

vivid dreams “paradoxical sleep”

muscles are generally relaxed, but other body systems are active

a mechanism of the brainstem that controls sleep also inhibits spinal motor neurons thus preventing actual physical movement

PSYCHOLOGY

“Sleep, those little slices of death; Oh how I loathe them.”- Edgar Allan Poe

US short story author, editor, & poet (1809 - 1849)

Sleep DeprivationEffects of Sleep Loss

•fatigue• memory problems •impaired concentration•depressed immune system•greater vulnerability to accidents •promotes obesity

Sleep Deprivation

Effects of Sleep Loss continued….• makes our behavior mimic certain pathological psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia• can cause hallucinations• can cause delusional beliefs & paranoia

Sleep Deprivation

Effects of Sleep Loss continued….• makes us more primitive• makes us more violent• makes us more emotional• makes us more fearful• can lead to depression• suicidal thoughts or actions

•depressed immune system•greater vulnerability to accidents

Sleep Disorders

Night Terrors (not nightmares) occur within 2 or 3 hours of falling

asleep, usually during Stage 4 high arousal-- appearance of being

terrified usually occurs in children they may sit up and walk around they may talk incoherently heart rate and breathing rate

doubled

Night Terrors

Night Terrors occur within 2

or 3 hours of falling asleep, usually during Stage 4

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4

3

2

1

Sleepstages

Awake

Hours of sleep

REM

Sleep Disorders

Somnambulism (sleepwalking is also a Stage 4 sleep disorder) an abnormal condition of sleep in

which motor acts (walking) are performed

children are also most prone to sleepwalking

young children have the deepest and lengthiest stage 4 sleep which makes them more likely to experience sleepwalking

Sleep Disorders

Somnambulism (sleepwalking is also a Stage 4 sleep disorder) sleepwalking is usually harmless and

is not recalled the next morning sleepwalkers usually return to bed

on their own or are guided by a family member

it is not dangerous to wake them up after the age of 40, sleepwalking is

rare because stage 4 sleep diminishes

Other Sleep Disorders

Insomnia persistent problems in falling or

staying asleep Narcolepsy

uncontrollable sleep attacks Sleep Apnea

temporary cessation of breathing momentary reawakenings

Sleep Across the Lifespan

Brain Waves and Sleep Stages

Stages in a Typical Night’s Sleep

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4

3

2

1

Sleepstages

Awake

Hours of sleep

REM

REM occurs approximately every 90 minutes

Hypnosis

Hypnosis a social interaction in which one

person (the hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur

Posthypnotic Amnesia supposed inability to recall what one

experienced during hypnosis induced by the hypnotist’s suggestion

Hypnosis

Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) an Austrian physician Mesmer passed magnets over the

bodies of sick people some of the people would lapse into

a trancelike state this trancelike state became known

as being mesmerized

Hypnosis

Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) Benjamin Franklin was the head of a

commission which studied this phenomenon

the commission found no evidence that the phenomenon was “real”

instead the commission found that Mesmer’s “cures” were the “mere imagination” of his subjects

Hypnosis

Can anyone experience hypnosis? to some extent, nearly everyone is

suggestible however, about 20% are highly

hypnotizable the highly hypnotizable usually

have rich fantasy lives they very easily become absorbed

in the imaginary events in a novel or movie

Hypnosis

Hypnotic ability Many researchers refer to the highly

hypnotizable, those who are most susceptible to hypnosis, as having:

hypnotic ability- the ability to focus attention totally on a task, to become totally absorbed in it, to be able to exhibit an almost unrestrained imagination

Hypnosis

Unhypnotized persons can also do this

Hypnosis

Orne & Evans (1965) hypnotized subjects can be induced to

perform dangerous acts control group instructed to “pretend” unhypnotized subjects performed the

same dangerous acts as the hypnotized ones

Hypnosis

Orne & Evans (1965) continued… this illustrates an important concept of

social psychology illustrated by Solomon Asch’s experiments on group pressure and conformity

A person in a position of authority in a legitimate context or role can induce people through social influence to perform some unlikely or even dangerous acts

Hypnosis

Posthypnotic Suggestion suggestion to be carried out after the

subject is no longer hypnotized used by some clinicians to control

undesired symptoms and behaviors: headaches asthma stress-related skin disorders treatment of obesity (helps the person

adjust eating habits toward more healthy foods and eating in moderation)

Conversational Hypnosis ?

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) a series of well choreographed

strategies and verbal manipulations to bring others influence others to take a different point of view

NLP uses rapport, indirect suggestions, and confusions to induce a suggestible state of consciousness and to influence conformity

Conversational Hypnosis ?

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) the principles of conversational hypnosis

were first presented by the psychotherapist and hypnotist Milton Erickson

Erikson believed people are altering their state of consciousness constantly throughout the day:

thinking while waiting for the bus reading concentrating on a problem

Conversational Hypnosis ?

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Rapport- the first step in

conversational hypnosis is to establish rapport with the patient or subject by agreeing with what they have to say

If the subject says, “There’s no way out of this problem of mine. The therapist responds with, “You’re right. There is no way out.”

Conversational Hypnosis ?

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Confusion- the next step in

conversational hypnosis is to confuse the issue

The therapist says, “ Even though you are right and there is no way out, can you be absolutely sure that there is no solution to this problem?”

Conversational Hypnosis ?

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Suggestion- the final step in conversational

hypnosis is to make an indirect suggestion

The therapist finally says, “ You seem to be feeling a little less hopeless now, aren’t you? I don’t know why but it seems to me that you look more optimistic than you did when we started our session today.”

Conversational Hypnosis ?

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Tony Robbins travel from town to town

to teach their wisdom for a fee. Robbins is probably the most successful practitioner of NLP. He started his own empire after transforming from a self-described "fat slob" to a firewalker to (in his own words) "the nation's foremost authority on the psychology of peak performance and personal, professional and organizational turnaround."

Conversational Hypnosis ?

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) While I do not doubt that many people benefit from

NLP training sessions, there seem to be several false or questionable assumptions upon which NLP is based. Their beliefs about the unconscious mind, hypnosis and the ability to influence people by appealing directly to the subconscious mind are unsubstantiated. All the scientific evidence which exists on such things indicates that what NLP claims is not true. You cannot learn to "speak directly to the unconscious mind " as Erickson and NLP claim, except in the most obvious way of using the power of suggestion through regular hypnosis.

Conversational Hypnosis ?

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) NLP makes claims about thinking and

perception which do not seem to be supported by neuroscience. This is not to say that the techniques won't work due to the placebo affect. They may work and work quite well, but there is no way to know whether the claims behind their origin are valid.

Hypnosis

Can hypnosis alleviate pain? hypnosis can relieve pain in surgical experiments,

hypnotized patients: have required less anesthesia recovered sooner left the hospital earlier than the

unhypnotized

How does hypnosis alleviate pain?

Dissociation (a divided consciousness) a split between different levels of

consciousness allows some thoughts and behaviors to

occur simultaneously with others hypnosis separates the sensation of the

pain stimulus (of which the person is still aware) from the emotional suffering that defines our experiences of pain

How does hypnosis alleviate pain?

Hidden Observer- Ernest Hilgard’s term describing a hypnotized subject’s awareness of experiences, such as pain, that go unreported during hypnosis

Explaining Hypnosis

Drugs and Consciousness

Psychoactive Drug a chemical substance that alters

perceptions and mood Physical Dependence

physiological need for a drug marked by unpleasant withdrawal

symptoms Psychological Dependence

a psychological need to use a drug for example, to relieve negative emotions

Dependence and Addiction

Tolerance diminishing effect

with regular use Withdrawal

discomfort and distress that follow discontinued use

Small Large

Drug dose

Littleeffect

Bigeffect

Drugeffect

Response tofirst exposure

After repeatedexposure, moredrug is neededto produce same effect

Psychoactive Drugs

Depressants drugs that reduce neural

activity slow body functions

alcohol, barbiturates, opiates

Psychoactive Drugs

Barbiturates drugs that depress the

activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgement

Normal Brain Alcohol

Brain on depressants: Alcohol

Psychoactive Drugs Mixing Alcohol & Barbiturates

The most dangerous thing to mix with a sedative (alcohol) is another sedative or "downer".  The combination can lead to extreme depression of the Central Nervous System and be fatal. When combined with alcohol these drugs have a synergistic effect, meaning that the combined depression of the CNS is greater than the sum of the depression caused by alcohol and that of the sedative.

This effect can be expressed with the equation 1+1=3 (the combined effect is more intense than the separate effects combined).

Psychoactive Drugs

Stimulants drugs that excite neural activity speed up body functions

caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, cocaine

Psychoactive Drugs

Amphetamines drugs that stimulate neural

activity, causing speeded-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes

Amphetamine withdrawal is often accompanied by suicidal thoughts

Normal Brain Methamphetamine

Brain on stimulants: Methamphetamine

Psychoactive Drugs

Hallucinogens psychedelic (mind-

manifesting) drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input LSD

Perceived Marijuana Risk

‘75 ‘77 ‘79 ‘81 ‘83 ‘85 ‘87 ‘89 ‘91 ‘93 ‘95 ‘97 ‘99Year

100%

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Percentof

twelfthgraders

Perceived “great risk ofharm” in marijuana use

Used marijuana

Psychoactive Drugs

Ecstasy (MDMA) synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen both short-term and long-term health risks

LSD lysergic acid diethylamide a powerful hallucinogenic drug also known as acid

THC the major active ingredient in marijuana triggers a variety of effects, including mild

hallucinations

Normal Brain Marijuana

Brain on Hallucinogens: Marijuana

Psychoactive Drugs

Marijuana & Alcohol Prolonged marijuana & alcohol abuse

can lead to depression

Psychoactive Drugs

Mixing Marijuana & Alcohol Smoking pot when drinking alcohol

can suppress the drinkers sensations of nausea or need to vomit, making overdose more possible.

When a person has consumed enough alcohol that alcohol poisoning is a concern, their body needs to vomit.

Pot suppresses the instinct to vomit, and excess alcohol is not expelled, making overdose more likely.

Psychoactive Drugs

Opiates opium and its derivatives

(morphine and heroin) opiates depress neural

activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety

Cocaine Euphoria and Crash

Trends in Drug Use

1975 ‘77 ‘79 ‘81 ‘83 ‘85 ‘87 ‘89 ‘91 ‘93 ‘95 ‘97 ‘99Year

80%

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

High schoolseniors

reportingdrug use

Alcohol

Marijuana/hashish

Cocaine

Psychoactive Drugs

Meditation

Meditation is a process of focused attention that

induces a relaxed, calm, and thoughtful state of awareness

to attempt to remove all other thoughts from consciousness, practitioners of meditation narrow their attention to a single object or thought

Meditation

Meditation (a healthy practice) many people do not believe in the spiritual or

religious aspects of meditation but rather practice it for the health benefits that it can provide

scientific evidence shows that the regular practice of meditation helps relieve the effects of stress

others believe that it is a useful therapeutic treatment for:

alcohol & drug addiction anxiety disorders chronic pain headaches

Meditation

Meditation (testimony & science) people who practice meditation describe

it as a relaxed but alert state scientific evidence indicates that the

people are relaxed and alert the research indicates that they are much

more relaxed than people who just close their eyes and rest quietly

Meditation

Meditation as practiced in some religions the particular meditative technique which is

used varies among the different cultures that use it:

Ancient Egyptians stared at an oil-burning lamp

Hindu Yogis focused on the design on a vase or some other graphic symbol

Turkish “Whirling Dervishes” focus on their breathing as they spin themselves around & around in religious devotion

Meditation

Japanese Zen Buddhists sometimes use a musical chant

Many meditation practitioners repeat a phrase or sound like (ohhmmm) which is called a mantra

Meditation

Temporal lobe the temporal lobe is involved with mood

stability as well as rhythm and music

Singing is good for us… sing whenever you can

Humming and “Toning” are good for the brain humming & toning have a healing affect on

the temporal lobes as well as the limbic system (emotional center of the brain)

Meditation

Toning with mantras- toning balances brainwaves, deepens the breath, reduces the heart rate, and imparts a general sense of well-being. ( Daniel G. Amen, M.D. from Change Your Brain, Change Your Life)

Meditation

Certain sounds have effects on the body & emotions: ( Daniel G. Amen, M.D. from Change Your Brain, Change Your Life)

Ahhh- immediately causes a relaxation response Ee or ayyy- is the most stimulating of vowel

sounds; helps us with concentration, releasing pain and anger

Oh or ohm- considered the richest of sounds; can warm skin temperature and relax muscle tension

Meditation

Meditation (a spiritual practice) some people who practice meditation

believe it does more than just relax the body and mind

they believe that it can expand consciousness and help them achieve a state of pure awareness and inner peace

some believe it leads to a form of spiritual enlightenment (Buddhism- nirvana, Hinduism- moksha)

Near-Death Experiences

Near-Death Experience an altered state of

consciousness reported after a close brush with death

often similar to drug-induced hallucinations

Near-Death Experiences

Dualism the presumption that mind and body are two distinct entities that interact

Monism the presumption that mind and body are different aspects of the same thing