Chapter 7
States of Consciousness
Consciousness
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Consciousness is our state of psychological awareness
We have two levels of information processing
– Conscious and subconscious
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Much of what we do goes on at the subconscious level
Levels of Information Processing
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Conscious processing
– Everything you are aware of both internally and externally
• What your are paying attention to around you
• Your internal states such as hunger as long as you are aware of them
• What you are thinking about
– Awareness allows us to voluntarily control our activities
• You have to think about it to do it
• For example trying to solve a new math problem
– You think about each step as you do it
Levels of Processing….
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Subconscious processing
– Occurs in many parallel tracks at the same time
• While you’re reading this, your conscious processing is aware of the words while at the
subconscious level, you’re also processing the letters, color and style of the type (print
vs. cursive), position on the page, etc.
– There is no awareness of this unless something/someone brings it to our attention
• Allows you to automatically take care of events you do routinely such as walking or
driving a car
• Also allows your conscious attention to be devoted to other things
– For example, when driving a car, you can consciously focus on the road and potential
obstacles while your subconscious processing takes care of the mechanics of driving
Ways to Alter Consciousness
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Sleep
Drugs
Hypnosis/meditation
We are going to review the information on sleep
Although the information on drugs and hypnosis will not be covered
on the test, I want you to read more information about hypnosis
(link)
The text has excellent discussions on the other two but you will not
be responsible for that information
Biological Rhythms
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Circadian rhythms are twenty-four hour repeating body
cycles
– Wake/sleep cycle regulated by light
– Jet lag and shift work disrupt circadian rhythms
– Read more here
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There are other rhythms such as annual
–
The change in the amount of light associated with the winter
months can produce SAD
•
Learn more about SAD (link)
Stages of Sleep
Stage
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Awake /alert
State of deep relaxation
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Stage 1
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– Transition to sleep
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First stage of sleep
Light sleep
Easily awakened
Hypnogogic sensations – falling, floating
EEG Pattern
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Random, fast (beta waves)
Alpha waves
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Irregular waves
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Stages….
Stage
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Stage 2
– Deeper sleep
– Harder to awaken
– Large portion of night
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Stage 3
– Transition between stage 2 and stage 4
EEG Pattern
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Sleep spindles
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Beginning delta waves
Stages….
Stage
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Stage 4
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–
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Very deep sleep
Very difficult to awaken
If awakened, often dazed and confused
Large portion of night
EEG Pattern
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Delta waves
Stages….
STAGES
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REM
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Rapid Eye Movement (REM)
Dream stage
Deep sleep
Difficult to awaken
If so, often dazed and confused
Vivid and detailed dreams
EEG Pattern
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Active pattern similar to awake
REM
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REM often called paradoxical sleep
– Deeply asleep but EEG pattern similar to awake
– It is the stage during which you dream
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For more information on dreaming, go here (link)
Sleep Cycles
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Sleep occurs in 90 minute cycles
First cycle begins with stage 1 and proceeds through
stages to stage 4
Then in reverse order, person returns to stage 2
Person then has first dream state (REM)
– Cycles continue until person awakens
Sleep Cycles….
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First three 90 minute cycles generally contain all four
stages
Remainder of cycles generally do not go below stage 3 for
most adults
– Usually alternate between REM
– And stage 2
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Most of your stage 4 sleep occurs early in your sleep cycle
Most of your dream states occur late in your sleep cycle
Dream Facts
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Everyone dreams on average about two hours every night
People are not likely to move or talk during their dreams
Most dreams are accompanied by sexual arousal
regardless of content of dream
Both males and females have sex dreams with orgasm
Dream Factoids….
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Outside material can be incorporated into dreams
– Music playing or someone talking
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Most dreams are similar to what happens to us when we
are awake
Most dreams last as long as the actual event
Some people are capable of lucid dreams
– Influencing the outcome of their dream
– Aware that they are dreaming
Common Dreams
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Falling dream
Chase dream
Repetitive dream
Virtually everyone has had at least one of the three
Theories of Sleep
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We sleep on average about one third of our lives
– How much per night varies by one’s age
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Sleep deprivation causes us problems
– Increased rate of accidents
– Limited ability to concentrate
– Overall performance suffers as does our sense of well being
– May suppress the immune system
Theories….
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Restorative theory of sleep – we sleep to restore our bodies and
minds
– Sleep deprivation causes negative effects
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Sleep as adaptive inactivity (evolutionary theory)
– Protected us from danger at night
• Limited food, poor vision, night predators
– Allowed for survival of species
• Those who developed sleep survived to pass on their genes
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Sleep may play a role in the growth process
Sleep Disorders
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Sleep talking
– Talker unlikely to remember
– More common among children
– Likely to happen in stage 4
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Sleep walking
– Happens in stage 4
– More common in children
– Walker not likely to remember
– Not dangerous in and of itself
– If found, direct back to bed
Sleep Disorders….
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Night terrors
– “Dream like” experience accompanied by a high state of arousal
– Often including screaming and behavior designed to protect
one’s self from danger
– Memory of event unlikely and unlikely to awaken
– More common in children
– If observed, protect person from danger
Sleep Disorders….
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Narcolepsy
– Suddenly falling asleep without warning
– Usually following an/any emotional event
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Sleep apnea
– Person stops breathing while asleep
– Awakens enough to start breathing again and then returns to
sleep
– Happens several times during the night
– Associated with heavy snorers and obesity
Sleep Disorders….
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Insomnia
– Failure to go to sleep
– Failure to stay asleep
– Frequent awakenings
– People who have the disorder experience the problem virtually
every night
– Most common adult problem
Sleep Disorders….
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Take one or all of the sleep disorders tests (link)
The same page has many links to information about sleep
disorders (link)
Why We Dream
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We know for sure that we need REM sleep
– We experience REM rebound (an increase in REM) if we don’t
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Freud’s theory
– Manifest content is the actual content of dream
• Not representative of dreams “true” meaning
– Latent content is the meaning of the dream
• Expression of unconscious wishes
– “Royal road to the unconscious”
• Reason why dreams are not remembered
• Meaning must be inferred from manifest content
Physiological Hypotheses
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Dreams allow us to reprocess material gathered during the
day
– Dreams strengthen memory
– Spend more time in REM if you have studied difficult material
– Better able to remember information if you sleep right after
studying
– Implications for this class
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Activation-synthesis – Brain tries to make sense
(synthesis) of random brain activity (activation) occurring
Stimulation for a sleeping brain