States of Consciousness
Levels of Consciousness
We know that various
levels exists beyond
the conscious level.
 Mere-exposure
effect
 Priming
 Blind sight
Levels of Consciousness
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Conscious Level
Nonconscious Level
Preconscious Level
Subconscious Level
Unconscious Level
Consciousness and Information
Processing
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Conscious processing
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Unconscious processing:
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Sequential, relatively slow and limited capacity
fast processing occurs simultaneously on
parallel tracks (not sequential)
Example?
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Meet someone: unconscious, instant reaction
to race, gender, appearance- then become
aware of our response
Biological Rhythms
Bodily (and mental) fluctuations over time
Provide an example for each:
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Annual Cycles
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Twenty-eight day cycles
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Women’s menstrual cycle
Twenty Four hour cycles
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Animal hibernation / SAD (humans)
Alertness, sleep, body temperature, growth
hormone
Ninety Minute cycles
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Sleep stages
Sleep
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Sleep is a state of
consciousness.
We are less aware
of our surroundings.
Circadian Rhythm
Circadian Rhythm
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Light affects Circadian Rhythm, by…
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Activating retinal proteins, which…

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The point is…
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Activates brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus in
hypothalamus, which…
o Activates Pineal Gland, which increases,
decreases melatonin (sleep inducing hormone)
Light strongly influences our circadian rhythm,
which governs our sleep patterns
What else, besides light can alter our
circadian rhythm?
Pineal Gland
Sleep Cycle
Click dude for alpha
Waves.
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Use an EEG machine
to measure stages of
sleep.
When you are at the
onset of sleep you
experience alpha
waves.
Produces mild
hallucinations, like a
feeling of falling.
(Jerk reaction!)
Stage 1
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Kind of awake and kind
of asleep. (“Sleep
onset”)
Only lasts a few
minutes, and you usually
only experience it once
a night.
Alpha Waves: high
frequency, low
amplitude.
“hallucinations”- (dreamlike- falling or rising)
Stage 2
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More Alpha Waves
that (get slower
frequency, higher
amplitude)
Sleep spindles:
short bursts of
rapid brain waves.
50% of your sleep!
Revisit multiple
times…
Stages 3 and 4
Delta Waves: (slower
wave = deeper sleep)
 Deep sleep (groggy,
disoriented if awakened).
 Releases child’s growth
hormones, restores
immune system.
 Bed wetting, sleepwalking
 Exercise increases stage
3 and 4!
 Visit less as night
progresses….
Click boys to see deep sleep.
From stage 4, your brain begins to speed up and you
go to stage 3, then 2….then ……
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REM Sleep
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“Rapid Eye Movement”
paradoxical sleepinternally aroused,
externally calm…
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Heart rate, breathing,
REM, brain waves increase /
external paralysis
Dream state. (95% of
those awakened
remember dream)
Genital arousal (both
genders)
REM Rebound
20-25% of night’s sleep!
Sleep Cycle
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90 minute cycle
From 1, 2, 3, 4, 3,2, REM…
As night progresses, four gets shorter,
REM gets longer…
Sleep Disorders
Insomnia
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Persistent problems
falling asleep
Effects 10% of the
population
Primary versus
Secondary Insomnia
Treatments:
Behavioral changes,
medication
Narcolepsy

See Skeeter the narcoleptic dog
http://www.insideedition.com/
videos/3/skeeter,-thenarcoleptic-dog.aspx !

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Suffer from
sleeplessness and
may fall asleep at
unpredictable or
inappropriate times.
Directly into REM
sleep
Less than .001 % of
population.
The most dangerous!
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Sleep Apnea
A person stops
breathing during
their sleep.
Wake up
momentarily, gasps
for air, then falls
back asleep.
Very common,
especially in heavy
males.
Can be fatal.
Stresses the heart
Night Terrors
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Wake up screaming /
physical movement
Early in sleep.
Most common in
children (boys)
between ages 2-8.
Usually stage 4 sleep
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Somnambulism
Sleep Walking
Most often occurs
during the first few
hours of sleeping and in
stage 4 (deep sleep).
If you have had night
terrors, you are more
likely to sleep walk when
older.
Most common in
children- rare after 40
Dreams
Freud’s Theory of Dreams
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Dreams are a
roadway into our
unconscious.
Manifest Content
(storyline)
Latent Content
(underlying meaning)
Psychological
(Psychoanalysis)
Activation-Synthesis Theory
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Biological Theory.
Cerebral Cortex
tries to interpret
random electrical
activity we have
while sleeping.
That is why dreams
sometimes make no
sense.
Information-Processing Theory
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Dreams are a way to
deal with the
stresses of everyday
life.
We tend to dream
more when we are
more stressed.
Integrate new
information into
memory
Hypnosis
Hypnosis
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How do we define hypnosis?
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Social interaction in which one person
(hypnotist) suggests to another (subject) that
certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts etc.
will spontaneously occur.
Hypnosis
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Altered state of
consciousness?
Posthypnotic
suggestion
Posthypnotic
amnesia
Hypnotic Theories
Role Theory
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Hypnosis is NOT an
altered state of
consciousness.
Different people have
various state of hypnotic
suggestibility.
A social phenomenon
where people want to
believe. (social influence
theory)
Work better on people
with richer fantasy lives.
State Theory
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Hypnosis is an altered
state of consciousness.
Dramatic health
benefits
It works for pain best.
Dissociation Theory
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Theory by Ernest
Hilgard.
We voluntarily divide
our consciousness up.
Stimulus of pain vs.
perception of, or
emotional suffering
of pain (PET Scans..)
Ice Water
Experiment.
Research has shown that…
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Ability to experience hypnosis does not indicate
gullibility or weakness
Hypnosis does not increase accuracy of memory
Spontaneous posthypnotic amnesia is relatively
rare
Does not foster a literal reexperiencing of
childhood events
Hypnotic subjects retain their ability control
behavior, maintain awareness of surroundings
Hypnosis if far more effective for acute pain
than chronic pain
Drugs
Are we a drug dependent
society?
Dependency and Addiction
True or false:
1. Medical drugs, (example- pain killers) are
powerfully addictive.
2. Addictions can only be overcome through
treatment.
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How do we define physical dependence?
How would you characterize psychological
dependence?
Drugs
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Our brain is
protected by a layer
of capillaries called
the blood-brain
barrier.
The drugs that are
small enough to pass
through are called
psychoactive drugs.
How do we define
psychoactive drugs?
Drugs are either….
Agonists (mimic, excite)
 Antagonists (inhibit,block)
 Reuptake inhibitors
If a drug is used often,
a tolerance is created
for the drug
(neuroadaptation: brain

adapts chemistry to
offset drug’s effect)
Thus you need more of
the drug to feel the
same effect.
If you stop using a drug
you can develop
withdrawal symptoms.
A Quick Review…
Psychoactive drugs operate at the brain’s
synapses…
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(Briefly (generally) explain the process of
neurotransmission.
Neurotransmitters:
Dopamine
 Serotonin
 Norepinephrine
 Endorphins

Depressants

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Explain how depressants affect nervous
system activity and behavior.
What types of drugs are classified as
depressants?
Depressants
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Slows down body
processes.
Alcohol
Anxiolytics
(barbiturates and
tranquilizers)
Alcohol
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More than 86 billion
dollars are spent
annually on alcoholic
beverages.
Alcohol is involved in
60% of ALL crimes.
Alcohol is involved in
over 70% of sexually
related crimes.
Is it worth the cost?
Opiates
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Has depressive and
hallucinogenic qualities.
Agonist for endorphins.
Derived from poppy
plant.
Morphine, heroin,
methadone and codeine.
All these drugs cross
the placental
barrier….teratogens.
Stimulants

Identify the major stimulants and explain
how they affect neural activity and
behavior.
Stimulants
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Speed up body
processes.
More powerful ones
(like cocaine) give
people feelings of
invincibility.
Hallucinogens

Describe the psychological and
physiological affects of hallucinogens and
summarize the effects of LSD and
marijuana.
Hallucinogens
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Psychedelics
Causes changes in
perceptions of
reality
LSD, peyote,
psilocybin
mushrooms and
marijuana.
Reverse tolerance or
synergistic effect
What factors promote drug use?
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Biological: Research studies indicate that
genetics are influential in drug
dependency (brain pleasure pathwaydopamine reward circuit)
psychological: life as meaningless,
directionless (significant stress, failure,
depression)
Social / cultural: cultural norms, social
pressures