States of Consciousness
Explanation
William James described consciousness as a “stream”although always changing, consciousness is perceived
as unified and unbroken
Altered state of consciousness- a condition in which
changes in mental processes are significant enough
that the person notices changes in psychological and
behavioral functioning
Circadian rhythms are biological rhythms that occur
in the body every 24 hours
Biological Rhythms
Introduction
Term
Brain
waves
Application/Example/Extension
A stream is always flowing; sometimes the stream splits because of a
log, or other obstacle appears in the middle, but it is always flowinglike consciousness. Information is always reaching the brain.
If you were to take LSD, a hallucinengic drug, your consciousness
would be altered, as perceptions and thoughts would be distorted.
Body temperature fluctuates throughout a day shown, which is shown
through circadian rhythms. At certain times of the day body
temperature is slightly lower or higher. A person may feel awake at
certain times and tired at other times also shown through circadian
rhythms.
For example, a person who normally gets tired at 9:00 pm on the East
coast (internal set circadian rhythm) may have trouble sleeping on the
West coast when it is only 6:00 pm because it is hard to go to bed
when it is still light out (external environmental cue)
Jet lag- some people experience jet lag
when they fly, which is characterized by
fatigue, irritability, inattention, and
impaired sleeping, especially when
traveling across time zones. This occurs
because internal circadian rhythms do not
match external environmental cues
Brain waves are measured through a electroencephalograph (EEG), which shows different patterns of brain activity
Beta waves- associated with alert and full wakefulness
You “beta-er” be awake when taking an exam.
Alpha waves- relaxed, awake but drowsy
A teacher may yell, “Ahh (A-for alpha)” to awake a
student who starts to nod off and fall asleep in class.
Theta waves- slower waves than alpha
Delta waves- deep sleep- slowest waves
Think of DE-lta for DE-ep sleep
Submitted by Mike McLane, Sterling Heights High School, Michigan:
Permission to use for face-to-face instruction with students only.
The Study of Sleep
States of Consciousness
Sleep is an example of a circadian rhythm, which is
monitored by the hypothalamus.
The suprachiasmatic nucleus is a sensor located
in the hypothalamus, which receives information
from the retina concerning changes in light. The
suprachiasmatic nucleus then provides
information to the hypothalamus that either
prepares the body for sleep or wakefulness
through releasing melatonin, a hormone
manufactured by the pineal gland, which when
increased causes tiredness and when reduced
causes a person to awake.
Throughout the day you feel tired at certain times when
compared to other times of the day.
When it becomes dark out,
In the morning when you turn on
the suprachiasmatic nucleus
the lights, the suprachiasmatic
detects this reduction in
nucleus detects this change in
light, which then alerts the
light stimulation, which then
hypothalamus that notifies
alerts the hypothalamus that
the pituitary gland to cause
notifies the pituitary gland to
the pineal gland to increase
cause the pineal gland to
melatonin, when then
decrease melatonin making you
released causes tiredness.
feel more awake. This may be
(remember melatonin means why your mom or dad will often
mellow)
turn on the lights to wake you up
The sleep cycle takes about 90 minutes*After reaching
Sleep Cycle Sleep cycle- at the start of sleep, people
experience hypnagogic hallucinations,
called an ultradian rhythm, which is a
stage 4 NREM- the
vivid sensory phenomena- almost like they
rhythm that repeats more than once a day- cycle then goes
are falling, and a myoclonic jerk, a muscle
you go through several sleep cycles in a
back to stage 3
spasm, or twitch of an arm or leg, which
night- starting with NREM Stage 1, then
NREM, then to
often awakes the person.
going to NREM Stage 2, then NREM
stage 2 NREM, and
Stage 3, then NREM Stage 4 then back
then into REM
NREM Stage 3, NREM Stage 2, and then sleep (not stage 1
into REM sleep
NREM)*
NREM sleep- non-rapid eye movement, period of sleep identified through 4 stages, characterized by no eye movement or
vivid dreams
Stage 1 NREM- first 5 minutes, easy to awake, going from alpha waves to theta waves
Stage 2 NREM- lasts about 20 minutes, slower brain waves, and also experience sleep spindles- sudden bursts of brain
activity- spend half of sleep cycle in this stage
Stage 3 NREM- occurs after about 30 minutes of sleep, slow wave sleep- about 20% delta waves
Stage 4 NREM- 100% delta waves, can take about 15 minutes to awake, still capable of movement in this stage, which is
why sleep walking can occur, but usually no memory because the brain is asleep
Submitted by Mike McLane, Sterling Heights High School, Michigan:
Permission to use for face-to-face instruction with students only.
States of Consciousness
REM sleep- called paradoxical sleep because the brain is
If a person was to get 8 hours of sleep, the last 4 hours are
awake, but the body is asleep. Vivid dreams occur in REM
mainly spent in REM and Stage 2 NREM sleep
sleep.
Need for Restorative theory of sleep suggest that sleep restores the brain and body from the activities of the day
Sleep
NREM restores the body
A coach may tell a player to get a good night sleep to allow enough time to get
NREM sleep to make the body fresh
REM sleep restores the brain
You need to get at least 8 hours of sleep to ensure you get enough REM sleep
before a big test so your brain is well rested.
Sigmund Freud in his book, Interpretation of Dreams, believed dreams were key to understanding conflicts
Dreams
within the unconscious.
Manifest content- according to Freud, the A person remembers in their dream that he or she could not
remembered story line of a dream
yell out to their friend (manifest content)
Latent content- the underlying meaning
In the above example, this person may be losing touch with
of a dream, the disguised wish fulfillment- someone important in his or her life (latent content)
Freud was interested in the Latent content
Activation-synthesis theory- (Hobson and McCarley) suggest that dreams are nothing more that neural bursts
(activation) and our brain trying to make sense by piecing these bursts together, which often forms a type of story,
or dream (synthesis)
Physiological Function theory- neural activity
Babies tend to sleep for a longer period of time because
during REM sleep restores the brain. During delta
their brain and body are growing rapidly.
sleep the pituitary gland secretes a growth hormone.
Lucid dreaming is the belief that one can control the content and actions of their dreams.
REM sleep disorder- a person’s body does not stay
A person who has REM sleep disorder may fall out of
Sleep
Disorders relaxed during REM sleep, allowing the person to act bed from acting out his or her dreams. This is similar to
out dreams while sleeping
a dog when he or she sleeps that acts out their dream
Nightmares- occur during REM sleep and are often
During REM sleep, the brain is awake, which is why a
remembered
person may remember his or her nightmare.
Submitted by Mike McLane, Sterling Heights High School, Michigan:
Permission to use for face-to-face instruction with students only.
States of Consciousness
Drugs
Night terrors- occur during stage 4 NREM sleep, are
not remembered and very terrifying.
Since night terrors occur in Stage 4 NREM, the person
can’t remember the content, which makes it even more
frightening.
A student, who is very tired, may enter right into REM
sleep and start dreaming in class
REM rebound- occurs when a person does not get
enough sleep and enters right into REM sleep,
skipping the proper sequence of sleep.
Blood-brain barrier are comprised of blood vessels supplying
Some drugs are designed to pass through the blood-brain
nutrients to the brain, which allow only certain chemical and drugs barrier, which is their intent.
to pass through that will affect the brain.
Dependence- a state of physiological and psychological need take a drug
Physical dependency- physiological need to take a drug
Withdrawal symptoms- discomfort and distress that is
that is the result of the body now needing the drug to
produced when the body does not get the required
function. This then results in withdrawal symptoms when amount of a drug- could include headaches, nausea,
the amount of the drug is not being met in the body
shaking, for example, Delirium tremors (DTs) associated
with alcohol
Psychological dependency is the result of an obsession
Psychological dependency is what causes people to do
within the brain concerning consumption of a drug
“anything and everything” to get the drug, whether that is
steeling or committing other felonious crimes.
Tolerance- is the result of continued consumption of a drug resulting in more consumption of the drug in order to achieve the
desired affects
Classification
Examples
Depressants- drugs that reduce neural activity,
Alcohol,
People who drink and drive are prone to accidents because
slow down body function, inhibit the central
barbiturates their neural activity within their brain and body slows
nervous system, and increase the neurotransmitter
down, which does not allow a person to react quickly
GABA, which inhibits brain activity.
enough to adjust to oncoming traffic or pedestrians.
Stimulants- drugs that excite neural activity and
Caffeine,
A person who abuses cocaine could lead to induced
increase the neurotransmitter, dopamine, which is nicotine,
psychosis, characterized by hallucinations similar to
linked to pleasure, and also reduce GABAcocaine,
schizophrenia, a psychotic condition resulting from too
neurotransmitter that inhibits, or slows down brain meth,
much dopamine. Cocaine causes overactivity of
activity.
ecstasy
dopamine.
Submitted by Mike McLane, Sterling Heights High School, Michigan:
Permission to use for face-to-face instruction with students only.
States of Consciousness
Hypnosis
Opiates- depress neural activity, and temporary
lessen pain and anxiety through acting as an
agonist of endorphins, mimicking this
neurotransmitter, which is the body’s pain
medication
Morphine,
heroin,
codeine
People who abuse opiates affect the overall production of
their body’s natural pain killers- endorphins. When the
brain inventories the supply of endorphins within the body;
morphine, heroin, codeine can confuse the brain’s count by
making the brain believe there are more than enough
endorphins (because morphine, heroin, codeine mimic
endorphins) causing the brain to decrease the amount of
natural endorphin painkillers it produces.
Hallucinations are a symptom of schizophrenia- similar to
what LSD or marijuana cause. This is due to the excessive
release of dopamine.
Hallucinogens- psychedelic drugs that distort
LSD,
perception and evoke sensory images without
marijuana,
proper sensory input by affecting dopamine
PCP
receptors
Hypnosis- is a social interaction in which a hypnotist makes
Posthypnotic suggestions are suggestions that are carried
suggestions that alter perceptions, feelings, thoughts, and
out after the client awakens- these suggestion may center
behaviors of another person
around addiction and weight control
Social influence theory, also called Role theory, states that peer If a person truly believes that they can be hypnotized, or
pressure from the hypnotist and the client’s own expectations
want to be hypnotized, then they have an increased chance
responsible for the actual hypnotic perceptions are experienced
of being hypnotized
during hypnosis
State theory is the opposite of the Role theory and
Hypermnesia- is increased memory awareness during
suggests that hypnosis is an example of an altered
hypnosis. Hypnosis is sometimes used to help subjects
state of consciousness
remember details about crimes, lost items
Divided consciousness theory- also called the dissociation theory, was proposed by Ernst Hilgard, who believed that during
hypnosis a person’s consciousness splits with each type of consciousness unaware of the other consciousness.
Hidden observer- Hilgard believed that during
When a person awakes from a hypnotic session he or she
hypnosis, a hypnotist is able to produce a “hidden
is unaware of the “hidden observer” which during the
observer”- which is described as altered state of
hypnotic session is the “person” communicating with the
consciousness that the person is not aware of.
hypnotist. Some refer to this hidden observer as the
unconscious component.
Submitted by Mike McLane, Sterling Heights High School, Michigan:
Permission to use for face-to-face instruction with students only.