PsychSmart
INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
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CHAPTER FOUR:
STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
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Consciousness

Awareness of the sensations, thoughts,
and feelings we experience at a given
moment
Waking consciousness
 Altered states of consciousness
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Sleep and Dreams
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What are the different states of
consciousness?

What happens when we sleep, and what
are the meaning and function of dreams?

What are the major sleep disorders, and
how can they be treated?
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The Stages of Sleep
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Stage 1
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Stage 2
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Slower, more regular wave pattern
Sleep spindles
Stage 3
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Characterized by rapid, low-amplitude brain waves
Higher peaks and lower valleys of waves
Stage 4
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
Slower and more regular wave pattern
Least responsive to outside stimulation
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The Sleep Cycle
Stages of Sleep Brain Waves Graph
Figure 1 of Chapter 4
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REM Sleep: The Paradox of
Sleep

Rapid Eye Movement
Back-and-forth movement of one’s eyes
 Accompanied by dreams
 Muscles appear to be paralyzed
 Rebound effect
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Why Do We Sleep, and How
Much Sleep Is Necessary?

The exact reason for sleep is unknown
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Several theories exist
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Most people sleep between seven and
eight hours per night

Varies among individuals
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Why Do We Sleep, and How
Much Sleep Is Necessary?
Number of Hours People Sleep Each Night
Figure 3 of Chapter 4
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The Function and Meaning of
Dreams
What Do People Dream About?
Figure 4 of Chapter 4
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The Function and Meaning of
Dreams
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Unconscious Wish Fulfillment Theory
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Sigmund Freud
Latent content of dreams
 Manifest content of dreams
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Dreams-for-Survival Theory
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Permit one to reconsider and reprocess during
sleep information that is critical for one’s daily
survival
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The Function and Meaning of
Dreams

Activation-Synthesis Theory
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The brain produces random electrical energy
during REM sleep possibly as a result of
changes in the production of particular
neurotransmitters. This change then
stimulates random memories that are turned
into a storyline.
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The Function and Meaning of
Dreams
Three Theories of Dreams
Figure 5 of Chapter 4
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Sleep Disturbances
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Insomnia
Sleep Apnea
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Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Narcolepsy
Night Terrors
Sleep Talking
Sleep Walking
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Circadian Rhythms

Biological processes that occur regularly
on approximately a twenty-four-hour cycle
Figure 6 of Chapter 4
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Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
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Exercise during the day
Choose a regular bedtime and stick to it
Avoid drinks with caffeine after lunch
Drink a glass of warm milk at bedtime
Try not to sleep
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Hypnosis and Meditation
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What is hypnosis?
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Are hypnotized people in a different state
of consciousness?
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What are the effects of meditation?
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Hypnosis:
A Trance-Forming Experience?
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A trance-like state of heightened
susceptibility to the suggestions of others
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Susceptibility to hypnosis varies greatly
5-20% of people can’t be hypnotized
 15% very easily hypnotized
 Daydreamers and people who are easily absorbed
in books and music are more easily hypnotized


People cannot be hypnotized against their
will
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Hypnosis:
A Trance-Forming
Experience?

A Different State of Consciousness?
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Uses
Controlling pain
 Reducing smoking
 Treating psychological disorders
 Improving athletic performance
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Meditation: Regulating Our
Own Consciousness
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Learned technique for refocusing attention that
brings about an altered state of consciousness
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Repetition of a mantra
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Meditation: Regulating Our
Own Consciousness
Brain Scans of Expert and Novice Meditators
Figure 7 of Chapter 4
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Drug Use: The Highs and Lows
of Consciousness

What are the major classifications of
drugs, and what are their effects?
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Drug Use: The Highs and Lows
of Consciousness
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Psychoactive Drugs
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Influence a person’s emotions, perceptions, and
behavior
Examples: coffee, alcohol, cocaine
Addictive Drugs
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Produce a biological or psychological dependence in
the user
Examples: nicotine, heroin
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Drug Use: The Highs and Lows
of Consciousness
Drug Use by High School Seniors
Figure 8 of Chapter 4
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Drug Use: The Highs and Lows
of Consciousness
Effects of Drugs on Neurotransmitters
Figure 9 of Chapter 4
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Stimulants: Drug Highs
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Drugs whose effect on the central nervous
system causes a rise in heart rate, blood
pressure, and muscular tension
Caffeine
 Nicotine
 Amphetamines
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Methamphetamine
Cocaine
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Stimulants: Drug Highs
Levels of Caffeine in Common Beverages and
Drugs
Figure 10 of Chapter 4
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Drug Use and Their Effects
Figure 11 of Chapter 4
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Depressants: Drug Lows
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Impedes the nervous system by causing
neurons to fire more slowly
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Alcohol
Intoxication
 Binge drinking
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Alcohol
Effects of Alcohol
Figure 13 of Chapter 4
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Barbiturates
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Form of Depressant
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Prescribed by physicians to induce sleep or
reduce stress
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Rohypnol
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“Date rape” drug
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Narcotics:
Relieving Pain and Anxiety
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Morphine
Heroin
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Methadone
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Synthetic chemical that satisfies a heroin user’s
physiological cravings for the drug without
providing the high that accompanies heroin
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Hallucinogens:
Psychedelic Drugs
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Produces hallucinations, or changes in
the perceptual process
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Marijuana
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Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
MDMA (Ecstasy)
 Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
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Hallucinogens:
Psychedelic Drugs
Teenage Marijuana Use
Figure 14 of Chapter 4
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