Consciousness
What is the difference between
the brain and the mind?
• “The mind is what the brain does”
Dual processing and the two
track mind
• Upper - Consciousness
– Deliberate thought and action
• Lower - Unconscious
– Automatic
– Does most of the brain’s work “back stage”
then moves it into our consciousness
Upper conscious
• Only completely focus on one task at a time
• E.g. Tap 4 times with left hand and 3 times
with right (difficult)
Selective attention
• Cocktail party effect
• Driving and cell phone
• Inattentional blindness
– E.g. gorilla on court
• Change blindness
– Person or shirt color
Sleep
Circadian Rhythms
• 24 hour sleep cycle
• Changing from working nights to days
• Transpacific flight
– Tokyo to Seattle
– Going West to East is hardest
• Sun is moving East to West)
Brain Waves during Sleep
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Alpha waves
Sleep spindles
Delta waves
REM sleep
Brain Waves During Sleep
• Alpha waves
– Awake & relaxed
• Transition (Stage 1)
• Sleep spindles (Stage 2)
– Bursts of rapid rhythmic brain activity
– Lasts about 20 minutes
• Delta Waves (Stage 3 & 4)
– Deep sleep
– Slow waves
REM Sleep (Rapid Eye
Movement)
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90 Minute cycle
Dreaming
Helps consolidate memories
Sexual (genital) arousal
Typical nights sleep
Sleep Disorders
• Insomnia
– Persistent trouble falling or staying asleep
• Narcolepsy
– Sleep (seizure)
– Falling asleep immediately for about 5 minutes
– May occur at many inopportune (or serious)
times (e.g. having sex)
Sleep Disorders (Cont.)
• Sleep apnea
– You stop breathing while asleep
– Snort air and fall back asleep
• Night Terrors
– Mostly children
– Appear terrified - sits up or
walks around
– Usually remembers little or
nothing the next morning.
Sleep & the life cycle
Hypnosis
• A relaxed state in which the hypnotist
suggests certain perceptions and feelings or
thoughts.
• Some people may be more susceptible to
being hypnotized than others.
– Particularly if they strongly believe they can be
hypnotized.
• You can not be hypnotized against your
will.
Posthypnotic suggestion
• Suggestions given during hypnosis that you
will act a certain way after the session.
– Cigarettes or weight loss
Social influence theory of
hypnosis
• Hypnotized subjects are simply acting out
the role of a good hypnotic subject.
Drugs & Consciousness
• Tolerance
– Larger doses are needed to produce the same
effect.
Withdrawal
• Physical response to withdrawal of the drug
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Anxiety
Pain
Intense cravings
Difficulty sleeping
Headaches when you stop smoking
Misconceptions about addiction
• 1. Addictive drugs quickly corrupt
– A. Lower level drug use does not necessarily
lead to “harder” drugs.
– B. Medical use of drugs (e.g. Morphine) to
control pain rarely result in the patient
becoming addicted.
Misconceptions about addiction
• 2. Therapy is always needed to “kick the
habit”.
– Many people have quit drugs on their own although therapy may help
• 3. Other pleasurable activities
– (or a compulsion) and be “addictive”
• E.g. Gambling, internet, sex
Predictors of drug use
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Stress
Failure
Depression
Peers - Close friends who use drugs
– ( particularly among adolescents)