Chapter 7
Altered States of Consciousness
Chapter 7 Section 1
Sleep and Dreams
Consciousness – a state of awareness, including a person’s feelings, sensations, ideas &
perceptions.
A person who is not completely aware is in a different level of consciousness – an altered
state of consciousness. Sleep illustrates an altered state of consciousness.
I.
Why do we sleep?
A. Sleep is restorative; it allows people to “charge up their batteries”
1.
Sleep is a time when the brain recovers from exhaustion & stress
B. Sleep is a type of primitive hibernation
1.
We sleep to conserve energy.
C. Sleep is an adaptive process
1.
In earlier times, sleep kept humans out of harm’s way at night when humans
would have been most vulnerable to animals with better night vision.
D. We sleep to clear our minds of useless information.
E.
We sleep to dream.
II.
Stages of sleep
A. Falling asleep
1.
2.
3.
4.
Body temperature decreases
Pulse rate
Breathing becomes slow and even
Body may twitch, eyes roll & brief visual images flash across your mind
B. Stage I
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pulse slows a bit more & muscles relax
Breathing become uneven & brain waves grow irregular
If awaken during this stage, people would say they are “just drifting”
Lasts for up to 10 minutes
C. Stage II
1.
2.
3.
Brain waves shift
Eyes roll slowly from side to side
Lasts for about 30 minutes
D. Stage III
1. Deep slow brain waves
2. Transitional period between light sleep and very deep sleep
E. Stage IV
1.
2.
3.
4.
Deepest sleep of all & difficult to wake up
Feeling disoriented will result if awoke during this stage
Talking out loud, sleepwalking & bed-wetting may occur at this stage
Lasts for approximately 30 minutes
F. Stage V (REM sleep)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Active sleep
Rapid eye movement
Breathing and pulse rate becomes irregular
Face or fingers twitch & large muscles in arms & legs are paralyzed
Almost all dreaming normally takes place during this stage
Lasts from about 15 to 45 minutes
G. Sleep cycles occur every 90 minutes or so and happens 4 or 5 times a night
III. How much sleep?
A. The amount of sleep a person needs to function effectively varies considerably
from individual to individual and from time to time within a person’s life.
Chapter 7 Section 1-2
Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders may interfere with our quality of life and personal health, as well as endanger public
safety because of their role in industrial or traffic accidents.
Insomnia
A. A prolonged and usually abnormal inability to obtain adequate sleep.
B. Three different types
1. Transient – lasts for less than a week
2. Acute – lasts for less than a month
3. Chronic – lasts for more than a month
C. Varying patterns of insomnia
1. Trouble getting to sleep
2. Waking up and having trouble falling back to sleep
3. Waking up several hours early in the morning
D. Causes
1. Alcohol and/or drugs
2. Stress
3. Anxiety/Depression
4. Medical conditions
5. Change in environment or work schedule, temperature of room, noise, etc.
E. Treatments
1. Cognitive/behavioral treatments, medication
Sleep Apnea
A. A sleep disorder in which a person has trouble breathing while asleep.
B. Causes
1. Physical problem which blocks airway – enlarged tonsils, repeated infections
in the throat or middle ear or obesity.
C. Symptoms
1. Snoring – not everyone that snores has sleep apnea
2. Morning headaches
3. Memory/learning/concentration problems
4. Feeling irritable, depressed, mood swings or personality changes
5. Dry/sore throat when waking
D. Treatments
1. CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure)
machine
1. Mouthpiece to keep airway open
2. Losing weight and other lifestyle changes
Narcolepsy
A. A condition characterized by suddenly falling asleep or feeling very sleepy during
the day.
B. Causes
1. Unknown but genetic studies show there may be a genetic link.
C. Symptoms
1. Persistent drowsiness
2. Sudden, uncontrollable need to sleep during the day which may occur several
times during the day.
3. Awake & refreshed feeling after each episode
4. Sudden loss of muscle tone usually associated with emotional reactions
D. Treatment
1. There is no known cure for narcolepsy. Treatment is aimed at controlling the
symptoms.
A 25 year old hairdresser went to her GP with the problem of increasing difficulty staying awake during the day. Her sleepiness had
developed over the past 3 years. It had reached the stage where she was falling asleep during work breaks, and sometimes needed
rousing by her boss to return to her clients. On days off she would regularly sleep half the day away. This was not an immediate problem,
but she and her husband were hoping to start a family and she was worried that her sleepiness would make this impossible.
She was also experiencing embarrassing symptoms of sudden leg weakness whenever she laughed (cataplexy). On a number of
occasions she had collapsed to the floor behind clients in the middle of doing their hair. She had begun to avoid interacting with
customers and it had been commented to her boss that she had developed an aloof manner.
Nightmares
A. Unpleasant dreams that occur during REM sleep that typically occur during the later
part of the night & will usually awaken the sleeper who will recall the nightmare.
Usually occurs in childhood and decreases into adulthood.
B. Causes
1. Stress, anxiety, major life event
2. Fever, adverse reaction or side effect of a drug
3. Excessive use of alcohol or drug or alcohol withdrawal
C. Treatments
1. Psychotherapy to pinpoint causes of nightmares
Night Terrors
A. Sleep disruptions that occur during Stage IV of sleep, involving screaming, panic or
confusion and inability to recall the bad dream & usually occur between ages 3-8.
B. Causes
1. Sleep deprivation, fatigue, stress, anxiety, fever
C. Treatment
1. Typically just comfort & reassurance. Medication is generally not recommended.
Sleepwalking
A. Walking or carrying out behaviors while asleep.
B. Causes
1. Fatigue, stress & anxiety
2. Mental disorders or medical conditions
3. Reactions to drugs/alcohol
C. Treatment
1. No specific treatment is needed
Sleep Talking
A. Talking which can occur in any stage of
sleep
B. Causes
1. Medications, emotional stress, fever,
mental health disorder, substance
abuse
C. Treatment
1. No specific treatment is needed
Sleep Paralysis
A. A person’s inability to move upon waking. May or may not have hallucinations as
well.
B. Causes
1. Fatigue, sleep deprivation, certain drugs or medications
C. Treatment
A. No known treatment other than education along with relaxation
techniques.
B. Some people associate sleep paralysis with paranormal activity.
Chapter 7 Section 1-3
Dreams
Dreams are the mental activity that takes place during sleep. Everyone dreams, although
most people are able to recall only a few, if any, of their dreams.
Why do we dream?
A. Dreams are the window to our unconscious feelings & desires (Freud)
B. Dreaming is the bodies way of “self-edification”, which is the building up of the
mental, spiritual and physical well-being. Dreaming allows us to reach our fullpotential.
C. During sleep, our brains organize all the information gathered through the day
and dreams are a small amount of information that is being scanned and sorted.
D. Dreams are used as a way of clearing out memories, making room for new.
Content of Dreams
We incorporate our everyday activities into our dreams. Most dreams occur in such
commonplace settings as living rooms, cars & streets. Most dreams involve either
strenuous recreational activities or passive events such as sitting and watching. A large
percentage of emotions experienced in dreams are negative or unpleasant and they
correspond to a realistic time scale.
Dream Interpretation
In many of the ancient societies, such as Egypt and Greece, dreaming was considered a
supernatural communication or a means of divine intervention, whose message could be
interpreted by those with certain powers. Nowadays there are a wide variety of resources
that an individual can use to decipher their dreams.
Chapter 7 Section 2
Hypnosis, Biofeedback &
Meditation
Hypnosis – a form of altered consciousness in which people become highly suggestible
to changes in behavior and thought.
• Hypnosis does not put the participant to sleep but they become highly receptive &
responsive to certain internal & external stimuli & are able to focus their attention
on one tiny aspect of reality & ignore all other inputs.
Uses for hypnosis
• pain management
• weight loss
• skin disease
• soothing anxious surgical patients
• psychological therapy
• habit control
• a way to relax
• sports performance
• fears and phobias
Hypnosis Myths
Myth 1: When you wake up from hypnosis, you won’t remember anything that happened when you
were hypnotized.
• While amnesia may occur in very rare cases, people generally remember
everything that occurred while they were hypnotized.
Myth 2: Hypnosis can help people remember the exact details of a crime they witnessed.
• Research has found that hypnosis does not lead to significant memory
enhancement or accuracy,and hypnosis can actually lead to false or distorted
memories.
Myth 3:You can be hypnotized against your will.
• Despite stories about people being hypnotized without their consent, hypnosis
requires voluntary participation on the part of the patient.
Myth 4:The hypnotist has complete control of your actions while you’re under hypnosis.
• While people often feel that their actions under hypnosis seem to occur without
the influence of their will, a hypnotist cannot make you perform actions that are
against your values or morals.
Myth 5: Hypnosis can make you super-strong, fast or athletically talented.
• While hypnosis can be used to enhance performance,it cannot make people stronger
or more athletic than their existing physical capabilities.
Meditation
The focusing of attention to clear one’s mind and produce relaxation.
Three major approaches:
1. Transcendental meditation – mental repetition of a mantra for 15-20 minutes twice
a day
2. Mindfulness meditation – developed from a Buddhist tradition & focuses on the
present moment moving the focus throughout the body from the tips of the toes to
the top of the head.
3. Breath meditation – concentrating on one’s respiration.
Difference between Meditation & Hypnosis
Meditation is commonly described as the absence of all thought. Aim is to have a
still mind, free from conscious thought. If any conscious thoughts in words enter your mind,
you must find a way of making them disappear.
Hypnotherapy is aimed at a specific therapeutic outcome. This might be weight loss,
quitting smoking, removing phobias etc. At the beginning of a hypnotherapy session, the
hypnotherapist may employ some meditation-like techniques in order to quiet the
conscious part of the mind. Once the chattering conscious mind is still, they are then more
able to give the subconscious part of the mind pre agreed therapeutic suggestions.
Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet.
It is a way of entering into the quiet that is already
there buried under the 50,000 thoughts
the average person thinks every day.
~ Deepak Chopra
Chapter 7 Section 3
Drugs & Consciousness
Psychoactive Drugs interact with the central nervous system to alter a person’s mood,
perception, and behavior.
How Drugs Work
Drugs are absorbed into the blood & the drug molecules act like neurotransmitters,
attach onto the ends of nerve cells and send out their own chemical messages.
Marijuana
Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and
flowers of the hemp plant. Marijuana has a chemical in it called tetrahydrocannabinol, better
known as THC. All forms of marijuana are mind-altering (psychoactive). In other words,
they change how the brain works.
It’s difficult to know how marijuana will affect a specific person at any given time, because its
effects vary based on individual factors: a person’s genetics, whether they’ve used marijuana
or any other drugs before, how much marijuana is taken, and its potency. Effects can also be
unpredictable when marijuana is used in combination with other drugs.
Physical effects include:
rapid heart rate
increased blood pressure
increased rate of breathing
red eyes
dry mouth
increased appetite, or "the munchies"
slowed reaction time
Psychological effects include:
euphoria
distorted sense of time
paranoia
magical or “random” thinking
short-term memory loss
anxiety and depression
Long term effects of Marijuana
Increase risk of cancer. The amount of tar, carbon monoxide, and cancer causing
chemicals inhaled in marijuana smoke are three to five times greater than that inhaled from
the same amount of tobacco smoke.
Damage to lungs and airways. Just like cigarette smokers, people who smoke marijuana
often develop breathing problems – coughing, wheezing. They tend to have more chest
colds as non-users and are at greater risk of getting lung infections like pneumonia.
Weakened immune system. Studies have shown that THC can damage the immune
system – the cells and tissues in the body that help protect against disease. When the
immune cells are weakened, you are more likely to get sick.
Difficulty remembering things and concentrating.
Lack of motivation.You could lose interest in school, work and activities that you enjoy.
Risk of mental health problems – depression, anxiety, schizophrenia
Risk of addiction. Today, more teens enter treatment for marijuana dependency than for
all other illicit drugs combined.
Hallucinogens
Affects, in a dramatic way, the perception, thought/mental processes, self-awareness,
sensations and emotions/mood. LSD is the most well known, and most powerful of this
class of drugs. Also includes PCP, Ketamine, Mushrooms, and Peyote.
Short – Term Effects
Each hallucinogen has specific effects, and effects are variable, but generally speaking:
• Short-term memory impaired
• Thinking and concentration impaired
• Intensification of smells, vision and hearing
• Can experience “depersonalization”, where a person can feel as though they are
observing themselves from outside their body
• Effects have been described as pleasant, with a sense of insight
• Effects have been described as unpleasant, causing feelings of panic and/or distress
Long - Term Effects
• Flashbacks weeks, months, or even years after the drug use
• Decreased motivation
• Prolonged depression and/or increased panic
• Impaired memory and concentration
• Possible severe mental disturbances and/or psychosis
• Increased delusions
Opiates (downers)
Drugs that alleviate pain, depress body functions and reactions and when taken in large
doses, causes a strong euphoric feeling and are very highly addictive. Can be found naturally
or are synthetic and include heroin, morphine, opium, OxyContin, codeine, Fentanyl,
methadone, Darvocet, Dilaudid, Norco, Lortab,Vicodin, Tylenol 3. Some opiate addicts use
cocaine at the same time to counteract the effects of the opiate which is known as
speedballing.
Short – Term Side Effects
• Mood changes
• Impaired mental functioning and alertness
• Constricted pupils
• Depression and apathy
• Impaired coordination
• Physical fatigue and drowsiness
• Nausea, vomiting and constipation
• Impaired respiration
Long – Term Side Effects
• Tolerance which could potentially lead to death
• Users ignores personal hygiene and health
• IV users at a greater risk for hepatitis or HIV
• Greater chance of overdose
Withdrawal symptoms
Usually start with 12 hours of last usage
• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Muscle aches
• Increased tearing
• Insomnia
• Runny nose
• Sweating
• Abdominal cramping
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
Withdrawal symptoms are extremely uncomfortable but are not life-threatening.
Withdrawal is treated with medications to control the symptoms but can lead to a
dependence or misuse. (Methadone)
Stimulants (uppers)
Stimulants are substances that increase, or stimulate the normal activity of the central
nervous system. In other words, they increase the normal level of awareness, alertness and
energy in one's mind and body. Illegal stimulants such as methamphetamine, crack, cocaine
or ecstasy are extremely addictive. Legal stimulants include caffeine and nicotine and
prescription medications for ADHD such as Adderall, Conserta and Ritalin.
Short – Term Side Effects
• elevated body temperature
• increased heart rate and blood pressure
• decreased appetite
• nervousness
• sweating
• abnormally high energy
• dilated eyes
• irritability
Long – Term Side Effects
Cocaine & Crack
Irregular heartbeat
Chest pain
Stroke
Abdominal pain and nausea
Heart attack
Respiratory failure
Seizures and headaches
Overdose
Methamphetamines
violent behavior
auditory hallucinations
delusions and paranoia
brain damage
psychotic behavior
mood disturbances
homicidal or suicidal thoughts
anorexia and/or skin diseases
Tranquilizers
Tranquilizers are prescription drugs used to treat anxiety or problems with sleep. They
have a calming effect by depressing the nervous system in a way similar to alcohol. The
most commonly known forms of tranquilizers are the benzodiazephines (benzos) which
include Xanax, Ativan and valium.
Short – Term Side Effects
• difficulty concentrating
• a “floating” or disconnected sensation
• depressed heartbeat
• depressed breathing
• excessive sleep & sleepiness
• mental confusion and memory loss
Long – Term Side Effects
• increased aggressiveness
• memory loss
Withdrawal Symptoms
rapid heartbeat
insomnia or disturbed sleep
irritability
extreme depression
brain shrinkage
shaky hands
sweating
anxiety & agitation
Alcohol
Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug in the US, more than tobacco and
illicit drugs. It is a depressant and the effects are dependant on a variety of factors such as a
person’s size, weight, age and gender, as well as the amount of food and alcohol.
Short – Term Side Effects
• uninhibited leading to risky sexual behaviors
• dizziness
• talkativeness
• slurred speech
• disturbed sleep
• nausea
• vomiting
• impaired judgment
• increase in aggressiveness
Long – Term Side Effects
• addiction
• dementia
• stroke or heart attack
• depression, anxiety, suicide
• cancer
• liver diseases – cirrhosis, hepatitis
Withdrawal Symptoms – The more heavily you drink everyday, the more likely you will
have withdrawal symptoms when you stop.
anxiety and/or depression
irritability
nightmares
headaches
nausea and vomiting
sweating
fever
fatigue
shakiness
mood swings
insomnia
rapid heart rate
seizures
delirium
Binge Drinking
Consuming large amounts of alcohol over a short period of time with the intention of
becoming intoxicated. Most people who binge drink are not alcohol dependent.
Effects
injuries
STD’s and/or unintended pregnancy
neurological damage
alcohol poisoning
liver disease
high blood pressure, stroke and other
cardiovascular diseases