Download States of Consciousness

Cognitive Neuroscience
 Cognitive Neuroscience –
An interdisciplinary field
involving cognitive
psychology, neurology,
biology, computer
science, linguistics and
specialists from other
fields who are interested
in the connection
between mental
processes and the brain.
Consciousness
 Consciousness – The
process by which the
brain creates a model of
internal and external
experience.
 Can take many forms.
Nonconscious Processes
 Nonconscious Processes –
Any brain process that
does not involve
conscious processing.
 Preconscious memories
 Unconscious Processes
Conscious and Nonconscious
Minds
 What Consciousness Does For Us:
 Restricts our attention
 Provides a mental “meeting place” where sensation can
combine with memory, emotions, etc.
 Allows us to create a mental model of the world that we
can manipulate.
Levels of the Nonconscious Mind
 ThePreconscious :
 Preconscious memories – Information that is not
currently in consciousness but can be recalled to
consciousness voluntarily or after something calls
attention to them.

Example – Salem is the capital of Oregon.
Levels of the Nonconscious Mind
 The Unconscious – A part
of the mind that houses
memories, desires, and
feelings that would be
threatening if brought to
consciousness.
Levels of the Nonconscious Mind
 The Unconscious:
 Many modern psychologists view the unconscious in
less sinister terms.
 Merely a collection of mental processes that operate
outside of awareness, but not suppressing info or
working at odds with consciousness.
Daydreaming
 Daydreaming – A
common (and quite
normal) variation of
consciousness in which
attention shifts to
memories, expectations,
desires, or fantasies and
away from the immediate
situation.
Sleep
 Mysterious in many ways
 Perceptual window still open:
 Move about your bed but you don’t fall out.
 Roaring vehicles may not disturb your sleep, but a baby’s
cry wakes you instantly.
 The sound of your name wakes you!
Circadian Rythms
 Circadian Rhythms – Bodily patterns that repeat
approximately every 24 hours, such as sleeping and
waking.
 Our biological clock.
 Body temperature rises in the morning to wake us up,
then falls at night to put us to sleep.
 Disruptions:



Light
Staying up late
Sleeping in late
Sleep Stages
 5 Stages
 Stage 1 – Hallucinations occur: Falling, floating, being
pinned down. Start to relax.
 Stage 2 – Sometimes sleep walking occurs, you become
more relaxed.
 Stage 3 and Stage 4 – Deep sleep, hard to awaken.
 Stage 5 – REM Sleep. Eyes move rapidly, heart rate and
blood flow increase.
Sleep Paralysis
 Sleep Paralysis – A
condition in which a
sleeper is unable to move
any of the voluntary
muscles, except those
controlling the eyes.
 Normally occurs during
REM sleep.
Why sleep?
 Sleep affects:
 Memory
 Concentration
 Mood
 Hunger
 Immune System
 If you struggle with any of these things, add 1 hour of
sleep per night and they will improve!!!
Why Sleep?
 Sleep:
 Helps us recuperate
 Makes memories
 Feeds creative thinking
 Plays a role in the growth process
Sleep Debt
 Sleep Debt – A sleep
deficiency caused by not
getting the amount of
sleep that one requires for
optimal functioning.
Sleep Disorders
 Insomnia – Persistent problems in falling or staying
asleep.
 Narcolepsy – Experience periodic, overwhelming
sleepiness.
 Sleep Apnea – Trouble breathing during sleep.
 Night Terrors – Deep sleep episodes that seem to
produce terror.
Dreams
 Start during REM Sleep
 Humans spend 600 Hours a year dreaming, experience
1500 dreams a year, and more than 100,000 dreams in a
lifetime.
What We Dream
 Dreams – Hallucinations of the sleeping mind.
 Manifest Content - The story line of a dream, taken at
face value without interpretation.
 Latent Content – The symbolic meaning of objects and
events in a dream.
 Usually an interpretation based on Freud’s
psychoanalytic theory.
Why We Dream
 To satisfy our own wishes.
 To file away memories.
 To develop and preserve neural pathways.
 To make sense of neural static.
 To reflect cognitive Development.
Activation-Synthesis Theory
 Activation Synthesis Theory – The theory that dreams
begin with random electrical activation coming from
the brain stem
 Dreams, then, are the brain’s attempt to make sense of –
to synthesize – this random activity.
Hypnosis
 Hypnosis – An induced
state of awareness,
usually characterized by
heightened suggestibility,
deep relaxation, and
highly focused attention.
 Uses of hypnosis
Meditation
 Meditation – A state of
consciousness often
induced by focusing on a
repetitive behavior,
assuming certain body
positions, and
minimizing external
stimulation.
 May be intended to
enhance self –
knowledge, well-being,
and spirituality.
Psychoactive Drugs
 Psychoactive Drugs –
Chemicals that affect
mental processes and
behavior by their effects
on the brain.
Psychoactive Drugs
 Hallucinogens – Drugs
that create hallucinations
or alter perceptions of the
external environment
and inner awareness.
Opiates
 Opiates – Highly
addictive drugs, derived
from opium, that can
produce a profound sense
of well-being and have
strong pain-relieving
properties.
Depressants
 Depressants – Drugs that
slow down mental and
physical activity by
inhibiting transmission
of nerve impulses in the
central nervous system.
Stimulants
 Stimulants – Drugs that
arouse the central
nervous system, speeding
up mental and physical
responses.
Psychoactive Drugs
 Tolerance – The reduced effectiveness a drug has
after repeated use.
Psychoactive Drugs
 Physical Dependence – A process by which the body
adjusts to, and comes to need, a drug for its everyday
functioning.
Psychoactive Drugs
 Addiction – A condition in which a person continues
to use a drug despite its adverse effects – often despite
repeated attempts to discontinue using the drug.
 Can be physical or psychological
Psychoactive Drugs
 Withdrawal – A pattern of uncomfortable or painful
physical symptoms and cravings experienced by the
user when the level of drug is decreased or the drug is
eliminated.
Psychoactive Drugs
 Psychological dependence – A desire to obtain and use
a drug even though there is no physical dependence.