Consciousness
1. Analyze the nature of consciousness
2. Describe the stages of sleep and list possible
sleep problems
3. Explain how meditation, biofeedback, and
hypnosis relate to consciousness
4. Describe the various kinds of drugs and their
effects on consciousness
You are getting sleepy, very – very
sleepy….
Levels of Consciousness
The Study of Consciousness
• Psychologists have not always thought that
consciousness should be part of the study of
psychology. In 1904, William James wrote an
article called “Does consciousness Exist?” In
this article, James questioned the value of
studying consciousness because he could not
think of a scientific way to observe or measure
another person’s consciousness. His point was
that even though we can see other people
talking or moving around, we cannot actually
measure their consciousness.
Consciousness as a Construct
• Construct is something that you
cannot see or touch, but it is
measured through other
behaviors.
• Consciousness can be studied
many believe because it can be
linked with measurable behaviors
Meaning of Consciousness
• Consciousness as Sensory Awareness
– Your senses allow you to be aware of the things
around you
• Consciousness as Direct Inner Awareness
– You do not hear, see, smell, or touch thoughts,
images, emotions, or memories – yet you are still
conscious of them
• Consciousness as Sense if Self
– Being aware of yourself as a unique individual
separate from the world around you
Levels of Consciousness
• The Preconscious Level
– Not in your immediate awareness but by directing your
attention towards it you can bring it to your
consciousness
• The Unconscious Level/Subconscious Level
– Level of awareness that remains hidden because you
want to block it out
• The Nonconscious Level
– Controls biological functions
Quick Quiz 1
1. Explain what is meant by a psychological
construct.
2. List and describe three levels of
consciousness at which awareness is
limited.
3. CRITICAL THINKING: Do you think that
a person can study or understand the
consciousness of another person? Why
or why not?
Sleep and Dreams
• Much of how people, animals, and even plants
function is governed by circadian rhythms. The
human circadian rhythms usually operate on a 24hour day. The most studied circadian rhythm is that
of the sleep-wake cycle. Because people normally
associate periods of wakefulness and sleep with the
rotation of the earth.
The Stages of Sleep
• Sleep cycles are measured by brain waves: Alpha, theta, and
delta
• Stage 1
– The patient is less aware of their surroundings then just a
few minutes ago. They may waken by a whisper, or noise.
They are relaxed, their breathing is more regular and there is
more slow, rolling eye movement noticed. The patient may
also have what are know as "hypnogogic experiences" dream-like sensations of falling, hearing voices, or seeing
flashes of pictures.
– It takes 5 – 10 minutes to progress to Stage 2. Stage 1
accounts for only about 5% of the total sleep time.
– Brain waves slow down from alpha to theta
• Stage 2
– Stage two is the first stage of true sleep and accounts for about
50% of total sleep. The patient is even less aware of their
surroundings and is characterized by as light sleep since
individuals are easily aroused from this sleep state.
– Stage 1 & 2 are “transitional” stages of sleep. It takes
approximately 30 minutes to complete these stages and enter Stage
3.
• Stages 3 & 4
– Stages 3 & 4 are also referred as “SLOW WAVE SLEEP”.
– As the patient is in a very relaxed state, they have a slow,
regular heartbeat and respiratory rate. Their muscles are
very relaxed. It is very difficult to arouse a patient in “Slow
Wave Sleep”. If they are awakened, they are confused and
slow to react. It is normally easy for they to go back to sleep.
• After perhaps half an hour of stage 4 sleep, we begin a relatively
quick journey back to stage 3 to stage 2 to stage 1, finally we enter
the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep
• Healthy young adults first experience REM sleep within 90 minutes
of falling asleep. It recurs about every 90 minutes throughout the
night and each time it recurs, we spend a little bit longer in this
stage
• In this stage, the patient’s eyes move in a rapid, flickering,
twitching motion while their eyelids are closed. The patient is
temporarily paralyzed during this stage. This temporary paralysis
includes the patient’s respiratory muscles, except for the diaphragm.
It has been suggested that this paralysis is a clever device that lets
the mind explore the realms of its subconscious, while preventing us
from acting out dream events. Blood flow to the brain is also
increased during this stage of sleep
Why Do We Sleep?
• To revive the tired body and to build up resistance to
infection
• To relieve self of stress
Dreams
• The Freudian View
– Your dreams reveal your inner wants and urges
• The Biopsychological Approach
– The brain fires neurons and depending on the part
of the brain that it effects you dream about
different things
Sleep Problems
• Insomnia
– The inability to sleep
– Occurs usual in times of high stress
– Can get worst if you try to force yourself to sleep and focus
on the problem
• Nightmares and Night Terrors
– People who are anxious or depressed are more likely to have
nightmares
– Nightmares are usually during REM Night terrors are usually
during sleep cycles 3 & 4
• Sleepwalking
– More common in children
– May seem fully aware of what they are doing and answer
questions then not be able to remember once they wake up
• Sleep Apnea
– A person stops breathing in their sleep
– Some believe it is linked to SIDS
• Narcolepsy
– Person is totally normal one minute and in REM
sleep the next
– No known cause
Quick Quiz 2
1. Describe the five stages of sleep.
2. Describe three kinds of sleep problems.
3. CRITICAL THINKING: Compare and
contrast nightmares and night terrors.
Why might it be difficult to differentiate
between the two in a young child?
Meditation, Biofeedback, and Hypnosis
• People who are asleep and dreaming are in an altered
state of consciousness. Other altered states of
consciousness occur when we are awake. These states
of consciousness can be achieved through meditation,
biofeedback, and hypnosis
Meditation: Narrowing Consciousness
• Focus on a peaceful, repetitive stimuli
– Flame
– Pattern
– Mantra
• By narrowing ones consciousness you can
suspend fears and worries and achieve a
calmness
• Often used in Religions
Biofeedback: Feeding Back Information
• The word "biofeedback" was coined in the late 1960s to
describe laboratory procedures then being used to train
experimental research subjects to alter brain activity, blood
pressure, heart rate, and other bodily functions that
normally are not controlled voluntarily.
• Biofeedback places unusual demands on patients. They
must examine their day-to-day lives to learn if they may be
contributing to their own distress. They must recognize that
they can, by their own efforts, remedy some physical
ailments. They must commit themselves to practicing
biofeedback or relaxation exercises every day. They must
change bad habits, even ease up on some good ones.
Most important, they must accept much of the
responsibility for maintaining their own health.
Hypnosis: Myths and Realities
• What is Hypnosis
– Some believe it is an altered state of consciousness in
which people act as if they are in a trance
– However studies have shown hypnotized peoples
brainwaves resemble that of a woken person
– Invented by Franz Mesmer in the late 1700s
• How Can we Explain Hypnosis
– Freud theory, we allow ourselves to revert to being childish
– People believe they are playing a part
• How can Hypnosis be Achieved
– Focus on an object
– The hypnotists voice
Is Hypnosis Effective?
• Hypnosis and Memory
– People make mistakes under hypnosis and can
recall events as well as those who are not under
• Hypnosis and Pain Prevention
– Used as an anesthetic
• Hypnosis and Quitting Habits
– Posthypnotic suggestion, imagine the habit
repulses you
Quick Quiz 3
1. Define meditation.
2. Explain how biofeedback works.
3. CRITICAL THINKING: Why do you think
hypnosis is not used more often to
relieve pain or help people change
habits?
Drugs and Consciousness
• Drugs have a wide range of effects. Some of them
slow down the nervous system. Others spur it into
rapid action. Some drugs, such as alcohol and
nicotine, are believed to be connected with serious
diseases, including cancer and heart disease. Many
drugs are addictive. Drugs also have a number of
effects on consciousness. They may distort people’s
perceptions, change their moods, or cause them to see
or hear things that are not real. Categories of drugs
that affect consciousness include depressants,
stimulants, and hallucinogens.
Drugs and Consciousness
• Depressants
– Alcohol
– Narcotics
• Stimulants
– Nicotine
– Amphetamines
– Cocaine
• Hallucinogens
– Marijuana
– LSD
Treatments for Drug Abuse
•Detoxification
•Maintenance Programs
•Counseling
•Support Groups
Quick Quiz 4
1. Describe the effects of depressants,
stimulants, and hallucinogens. Give
examples of each kind of drug.
2. CRITICAL THINKING: DO you think
people use drugs to heighten
consciousness or to escape from it?
Explain you answer.
•At the count of three you will wake-up
and remember everything that was
presented to you in this PowerPoint!
1…….2……..3……
The End