Psychology in
Action
States of Consciousness
Lecture Overview

Understanding Consciousness

Sleep and Dreams
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Psychoactive Drugs
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Healthier Ways to Alter Consciousness
Understanding
Consciousness

Consciousness: an
organism’s awareness
of its own self and
surroundings
Mental Imaging

We can use our conscious mind to “zoom in”
on an image.
Lets try it….
Close your eyes.
Picture a cat.
The Non-conscious Process

The non-conscious mind is great at
multitasking.

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-chewing gum and walking
-autonomic processes of body being in a coma
Conscious Mind

Conscious: what we are aware of
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Preconscious memories:

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Information that is not currently in consciousness, but can
be recalled voluntarily.
Unconscious: Cognition (thought) without
awareness.

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Can you be made aware of some thoughts that influence
behavior
I am late for my blind date that my friend is making me go
on
Understanding Consciousness

Alternate States of
Consciousness (ASCs):
mental states, other than
ordinary waking
consciousness, found
during sleep, dreaming,
psychoactive drug use,
hypnosis, etc.

One Volunteer:
Speak continuously for one minute
about anything that comes to your
mind. DO NOT think about a white
bear, however.
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Results
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This experiment was done with college students.
The vast majority of them could not speak for a
minute without talking about the white bear? Why?

Trying to suppress a thought, or keep it out of your
mind can result in an obsession over the very
thought you seek to escape. Yet, when you do not
try to sensor your thoughts, but let them wonder,
unwanted and unpleasant thoughts often become
less prominent.
Sleep and Dreams:
Circadian Rhythms

Circadian Rhythms: biological
changes occurring on a 24-hour
cycle



Our energy level, mood, learning,
and alertness all vary throughout
the day.
Sections of the hypothalamus
called the suprachiasmatic nucleus
(SCN) and the pineal gland
regulate these changes.
Melatonin- hormone released when
we sleep
Sleep and Dreams:
Circadian Rhythms (Continued)

Disrupted circadian rhythms
from shift work, jet lag, and
sleep deprivation may cause
alterations in mood,
concentration, motivation,
attention, and motor skills.
Pause and Reflect:
Critical Thinking

What happens
to humans and
other animals
while we sleep
and dream?
Sleep and Dreams: Stages of Sleep

NREM (Non-Rapid-Eye-Movement) Sleep:
 Stage 1 (lightest sleep)
 Stage 2 (deeper sleep)
 Stages 3 and 4 (deepest sleep)

REM (Rapid-Eye-Movement) Sleep:
 Light sleep (also called paradoxical sleep)
Originally psychologists thought we slept because
our neurons disconnected from each other causing
us to simply “drift off.”
In reality, we do not have complete answers as to
what causes us to sleep.

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Sleep and Dreams: Stages of Sleep
(Continued)

NREM (non-REM) sleep:
 includes Stages 1 through 4
 involves lower-frequency brain waves,
decreased pulse and breathing, and
occasional, simple dreams
 serves a biological need (NREM needs
met before REM needs)
Sleep and Dreams:
Stages of Sleep (Continued)

REM (Rapid-Eye-Movement) sleep:
 also known as paradoxical sleep.
 involves high-frequency brain waves,
increased pulse and breathing, large
muscle .
 serves a biological need.
 may play a role in learning and
consolidating new memories.
Sleep and Dreams:
Stages of Sleep in a Typical Night
Sleep and Dreams: Research

The EEG,
EOG, and
EMG are
common
tools for
sleep
research.
Sleep and Dreams:
Stages of Sleep & Brain Waves
Pause and Reflect:
Check & Review

Judging by the
cat’s posture,
can you identify
the photo
showing REM
sleep?
Sleep and Dreams: Over the Life Span
Sleep and Dreams: Average Daily
Hours of Sleep for Different Mammals
Sleep and Dreams:
Why Do We Sleep?

Repair/Restoration Theory: sleep helps us
recuperate from daily activities

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Evolutionary/Circadian Theory: sleep
evolved to conserve energy and as protection
from predators
Cognitive Theory: dreams improve
information processing
Sleep Deprivation
Effects of Sleep Loss
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Fatigue
Impaired concentration
Depressed immune system
Greater vulnerability to accidents
•
Sleep-Deprivation Psychosis:
•
Confusion, disorientation,
delusions, and hallucinations
that occur because of sleep
loss
Epworth Sleepiness Scale
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
0= would never doze
1= slight chance of dozing
2= moderate chance of dozing
3= high chance of dozing
Sitting and reading
Watching TV
Sitting inactive in a public place, ex: class
As a passenger in a car for an hour without a break
Lying down to rest in afternoon
Sitting and talking to someone
Sitting quietly after lunch
In a car, while stopped in traffic
Sleep and Dreams: Sleep Disorders
Two major categories:
1.
Dyssomnias: problems
in amount, timing, and
quality of sleep
2.
Parasomnias:
abnormal disturbances
during sleep
Sleep and Dreams:
Three Forms of Dyssomnias


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Insomnia: persistent
problems in falling
asleep, staying asleep,
or awakening too early
Sleep Apnea: repeated interruption of
breathing during sleep
Narcolepsy: sudden and irresistible onsets
of sleep during normal waking hours
Sleep and Dreams: Narcolepsy in Dogs
Sleep and Dreams:
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Sleepwalking/Somnambulism:

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The sleepwalker can walk, talk and see, but will
have little or no memory of the event when they
wake up.
(REM) sleep behavior disorder


Is manifested by vivid, often frightening dreams
associated with simple or complex motor behavior
during REM sleep.
Patients appear to “act out their dreams,” in which
the exhibited behaviors mirror the content of the
dreams, and the dream content often involves a
chasing or attacking theme.
Sleep and Dreams:
Two Forms of Parasomnias

Nightmares: anxiety-arousing dreams
occurring near the end of sleep, during REM
sleep

Night Terrors: abrupt awakenings from
NREM sleep accompanied by intense
physiological arousal and feelings of panic
Sleep and Dreams:
Why Do We Dream?
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Psychoanalytic Theory: dreams are
disguised symbols (manifest versus
latent content) of repressed desires and
anxieties
Biological Theory (activation-synthesis
hypothesis): dreams are simple byproducts of random stimulation of brain
cells
Why we don’t remember our dreams:

For us to remember something it needs to be
repeated over and over to enter our long term
memory store and yet we do remember
snippets of our dreams which is usually
enough for us to get the gist of what the
dream was about
The manifest content is the
actual literal subject-matter
of the dream, while the latent
content is the underlying
meaning of these symbols.
Dreams
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Why do you have dreams that seem random?
Typically the first dream connects with events from
the previous day. Later dreams tend to build on a
theme in the previous dream.
Often times, the final dream is remembered most
vividly, but has very little to do with the previous
days events, or events that lay ahead.
Lucid Dreams


Person feels fully awake within the dream and feels
capable of normal thought and action
Activation-synthesis: Our brain’s attempt to make
sense of random neural firings in various parts of
our brain.
Truth About Dreams
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Despite his theories there is no
solid evidence to support
Freud’s interpretations of latent
dream content.
Dreams, do however, vary by
age, gender and culture.
Children are more likely to
dream about animals that are
large and threatening, while
adults dream more about pets.
Women are more likely to
dream about men and women;
men are more likely to dream
about men.
Psychoactive Drugs

Psychoactive Drugs:

chemicals that
change conscious
awareness, mood, or
perception
Psychoactive Drugs:
Important Terms


Addiction: compulsion to
use a specific drug or to
engage in a certain
activity
Drug Abuse: drug taking
that causes emotional or
physical harm to the
individual or others
Psychoactive Drugs:
Important Terms (Continued)


Tolerance: decreased
sensitivity to a drug
brought about by its
continuous use
Withdrawal: discomfort
and distress experienced
after stopping the use of
addictive drugs
Psychoactive Drugs: Four Categories
Depressants:
1.
1.
Depressant drugs reduce neural
activity and slow body functions.

Common depressants are
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Alcohol
Barbiturates
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Opiates
ALCOHOL
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Most used psychoactive drug in
Western societies
Although used in moderation, about 14
million Americans have problems with
alcohol
Men are three times more likely to be
problem drinkers
Highly addictive
ALCOHOL
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Even moderate amounts can affect
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Perception
Motor processes
Memory
Judgment
Visual acuity
Depth perception
Cognitive functioning
Overall effect is to calm the nervous system
Sometimes perceived as a stimulant because
it relaxes inhibitions
Psychoactive Drugs:
Depressants (Continued)
Psychoactive Drugs: Stimulants
Stimulants:
2.
–
excite the CNS to
increase bodily
processes (e.g.,
caffeine, nicotine,
cocaine, ecstasy,
amphetamines,
methamphetamines

You’ll know how
methamphetamine
destroys the teeth
and gums of
chronic users.
Psychoactive Drugs: Opiates
3.
Opiates:
1.
act as an analgesic
or pain reliever (e.g.,
morphine, heroin)
Psychoactive Drugs: Hallucinogens
4.
Hallucinogens:
produce sensory or
perceptual distortions
called hallucinations
(e.g., LSD, marijuana)
Club Drug Alert!

Popular “Club Drugs”:
 Date Rape Drug
(Rohypnol)
 MDMA (Ecstasy)
 GHB (GammaHydroxybutyrate)
Psychoactive Drugs: How They Work

Step 1). Alter the production or synthesis of
neurotransmitters.

Step 2). Change the storage or release of
neurotransmitters.

Step 3). Alter the reception of neurotransmitters.

Step 4). Change the deactivation (block the
reuptake or break-down) of excess
neurotransmitters.
Healthier Ways to Alter Consciousness

Meditation: group of
techniques designed to
refocus attention, block
out all distractions, and
produce an ASC
HYPNOSIS
Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a social interaction in which one
person (the hypnotist) suggests to another
person (the subject) that certain perceptions,
cognitions or behaviors will spontaneously
occur.

Does it work?


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To a degree everyone is suggestible
20% are highly suggestible
The real power of hypnosis is not in the hypnotist,
but in the subject’s own openness to suggestion.
http://youtu.be/KMowzG885c8
Healthier Ways to Alter Consciousness

Hypnosis is used
to treat chronic
pain, severe
burns, dentistry,
childbirth,
psychotherapy.
Pause and Reflect:
Why Study Psychology?
You’ll recognize the following
myths about hypnosis:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Forced hypnosis
Unethical behavior
Exceptional memory
Superhuman strength
Fakery