Chapter 9 Consciousness
I. Continuum of Consciousness
A. Consciousness – different levels of awareness of
thoughts & feelings.
B. Continuum of Consciousness – a wide range of
experience, from being acutely aware and alert to
being totally unaware and unresponsive.
1. Controlled Processes – activities that require full
awareness, alertness, & concentration to reach a
goal.
2. Automatic Processes – activities that require little
awareness, take minimal attention, & do not
interfere with other ongoing activities.
3. Daydreaming- - activity that requires a low level
of awareness, often occurs during automatic
processes & involves fantasizing or dreaming
while awake.
a. realistic fantasy
b. autistic fantasy
c. reverie
d. hypnogogic image
e. hypnopompic image
4. Cognitive Unconscious – consists of mental
structures & processes that, although we are
unaware of them, influence our conscious
thoughts & behaviors.
a. Freud’s theory of the unconscious – we
automatically defend our self-esteem by
placing psychologically dangerous thoughts
(threatening desires or wishes) into a mental
place, away from voluntary recall.
b. Preconscious – all personal knowledge
recalled at will
5. Unconsciousness – a state which results in total
unawareness & loss of responsiveness to the
environment
6. Sleep & Dreams
7. Altered States of Consciousness – result from using
a variety of procedures – meditation, hypnosis,
psychoactive drugs, sleep deprivation – produce an
awareness that differs from normal consciousness.
II. Rhythms of Sleeping & Waking
A. Biological Clocks – internal timing devices that are
genetically set to regulate various physiological
responses for different periods of time.
a. Circadian Rhythm – a biological clock that is
generally programmed to regulate physiological
responses within a time period of 24 – 25 hours.
a. This clock is located in the SCN
(suprachiasmatic nuclei) of the
hypothalamus.
b. The SCN regulates the secretion of
melatonin (hormone) from the pineal
gland.
c. Jet Lag
d. Light Therapy
III. World of Sleep
A. Stages of Sleep (see page 299)
1. Alpha Stage – relaxed & drowsy state, usually
with eyes closed. Alpha waves have low
amplitude & high frequency (8-12 c/s).
2. Non-REM Sleep – we spend approx. 80% of
our sleep time in this stage; may experience
images or brief periods of dreaming.
a. Stage 1 – transition from wakefulness to
sleep; lasts 1-7 mins.; theta waves present
(4-7 c/s).
b. Stage 2 – marks beginning of what we
know as sleep; sleep spindles
c. Stage 3- stage that occurs 30-45 mins.
After falling asleep; consists of delta
waves (high amplitude & low frequency
waves.
d. Stage 4 – deepest stage of sleep; delta
waves present (,4 c/s); sleepwalking &
sleeptalking occur.
3. REM Sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) – makes up
the remaining 20% of sleep time; occurs 5-6
times throughout the night; lasts for 15-45
mins. ; followed by non-REM sleep; low
amplitude/high frequency waves present that
are similar to beta waves (13-30 c/s)
a. REM rebound – suggests need for REM
sleep.
b. Also called paradoxical sleep due to
general state of arousal.
c. Consists of long, vivid, & complicated
dreams (nightmares).
B. Questions About Sleep
1. Morning or Evening Person?
a. body temperature
b. behavioral differences
2. Sleep Needed
a. Infancy/childhood – newborn: 17 hrs/
50%REM 4-yr.-old: 10 hrs/ 25-30% REM
b. Adolescence/adulthood – 7.5 hrs/ 20% REM
c. Old age (age 60) – 6.5 hrs / 20% REM
3. Theories for Sleep
a. repair theory – sleep is primarily a
restorative process. (proof: secretion of GH
during stage 4 non-REM).
b. Adaptive theory – sleep evolved because it
prevented early humans & animals from
wasting energy & exposing themselves to
dangers of predators.
4. Effects of Sleep Deprivation
a. On the body – immune system affected;
minimal effect on heart rate, BP & hormone
secretions
b. On the brain – interferes with
concentration; mild hallucinations (60 hrs or
>).
5. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) – a pattern
of depressive disorders that cycle with the
seasons.
a. Symptoms include: depression, lethargy,
excessive sleepiness, overeating, weight gain
& craving carbos.
b. Triggered by decrease in daylight. (FL –
1.4%; NY – 7.3%)
C. World of Dreams
1. Everyone Dreams
2. Theories of Dream Interpretation
a. Freud’s theory – we dream for wish
fulfillment disguised as symbols (manifest
content/latent content); no role in problemsolving.
b. Dreams are extensions of Waking Life –
dreaming is primarily a time for working out
problems (Cartwright).
c. Activation-Synthesis theory – dreaming is
the result of the random & meaningless
activity of nerve cells in brain; pons 
cortex  feelings, perceptions, images
(Hobson & McCarley).
d. Revision of theory (Hobson) – deep personal
significance; dreams reflect past memories
& personal view of world.
e. Dreams are ways to enter the spiritual world
– forces in spiritual world help a person
reflect on present or future events (Inuit
tribe).
D. Sleep Disorders & Treatments
1. Insomnia – difficulty in falling asleep or staying
asleep.
a. Drug treatment – benzodiazepines (Librium,
Valium, Xanax): reduce anxiety; relatively safe
for short periods of time.
2. Sleep Apnea – episodes during sleep when a person
stops breathing for 10 seconds or longer.
3. Sleepwalking – usually occurs in stage 4 or delta
sleep; sleepwalkers have poor coordination but can
avoid objects & engage in conversation.
4. Night Terrors – occur in stage 3 or 4 or delta sleep;
common in children aged 4-12.
5. Nightmares – occur during REM sleep; usually
involve great danger.
6. Narcolepsy – falling suddenly asleep throughout the
day; sleep attacks are accompanied by brief periods
of REM & muscle paralysis.
a. Cause is unknown; condition runs in
families.
b. Treatment – stimulant drugs.
7. SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) – a
sleeping baby stops breathing & dies.
a. About 1/2 the apparent SIDS cases may be
accidental suffocations.
b. Other cases may involve exposure to
cigarette smoke.
8. REM Behavior Disorder – the near paralysis that
accompanies REM sleep is absent.
IV. Altered States of Consciousness
A. Meditation – a method of refocusing attention to
produce relaxation or a heightened state of spirituality (to
enter an inner consciousness).
B. Hypnosis – a situation or set of procedures in which a
hypnotist suggests to another person that he/she
experience various changes in sensation, perception,
cognition, or control over motor behaviors.
1. Under hypnosis some people will carry out
suggestions in the subsequent waking state calling
post-hypnotic suggestion
2. By suggestion, even a memory can be suppressed
(post-hypnotic amnesia).
3. How hypnosis works:
a. Role (-enactment) theory – hypnosis is an
extreme form of role playing (cognitivebehavioral); it provides a socially acceptable
reason for following someone’s
suggestion(s).
b. State theory – hypnosis is an altered state of
consciousness; e.g. insensitivity to pain,
response to cue word.
c. Dissociation theory – consciousness splits
(dissociates) into several independent
systems. The hypnotist is allowed to control
some of these experiences – social
agreement.
4. Applications of Hypnosis
a. For some people, it relieves the pain
(hypnotic analgesia) of dental work,
childbirth, burns, abdominal surgery,
arthritis, nerve damage, migraines &
cancer.
b. May reduce nausea and vomiting due to
chemotherapy and asthma attacks.
c. Clients who are highly susceptible to
hypnosis generally respond better to
suggestions aimed at treating a wide range
of psychosomatic problems, which involve
mind-body interactions.
d. Hypnosis is not as successful with problems
of self-control: quitting smoking, overeating,
and drinking.
e. Useful in helping clients relieve tension,
reveal personalities, gain insight into their
lives, & arrive at solutions to their problems.
f. Not reliable in age regression and in
eyewitness testimony.
C. Psychoactive Drugs – change consciousness by altering
chemistry of the brain. (page 316)
1. Types (* = Highly addictive)
a. Depressants – Slow CNS functioning;
decreased alertness & reaction speed
(alcohol*, hypnotics, tranquilizers, narcotics
– barbiturates*)
b. Stimulants – increase heart rate, BP &
muscle tension, (i.e. nicotine*?, caffeine,
cocaine, amphetamines, MDMA)
c. Opiates* - effective painkiller & sleep
inducer (depresses activity in areas of
cerebral cortex) and creates euphoria
(opium, morphine, heroin, codeine).
d. Psychodelics (Hallucinogens/
Psychotomimetics) – Powerful visual &
sensory changes; produce hallucinations
(LSD, PCP, mescaline, peyote, psilocybin,
marijuana).
(i) Marijuana – Enhances sensory stimuli,
can heighten both pleasant & unpleasant
sensations; disrupts memory formation;
effects vary with person & setting.
(2) Effects- tolerance, addiction (physical
dependence), withdrawal symptoms,
psychological dependency.
(3) Effects on Nervous System
(a) Drugs increase the release of
neurotransmitters.
(cocaine  norepinephrine)
(b) They mimic the action of
neurotransmitters – agonists. (morphine =
endorphins)
(c) They block receptors – antagonists.
(LSD)
(d) Drugs block the removal of the
neurotransmitter.
(cocaine, amphetamines  decrease
reuptake)
The Truth About Hypnosis
Myth # 1 Loss of Consciousness
Myth # 2 Hypnotized people do odd and crazy
things.
Myth # 3 Surrender of the will, loss of control.
Myth # 4 Weakmindedness
Myth # 5 Revelation of secrets
Myth # 6 Fear of getting “stuck” in hypnosis.
Myth # 7 Hypnosis weakens the will.
Myth # 8 Hypnosis is habit forming.
Myth # 9 Repeated inductions weaken the
mind.
Myth # 10 A person can be hypnotized against
their will.
Myth # 11 Criminal and immoral acts can de
induced by hypnosis.