Consciousness PDF

Consciousn ess  What is consciousness ? Consciousness is our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment. This includes our awareness of internal and external stimuli. internal - hunger, thirst, sleepiness, thoughts, emotions external - warmth of a room,...

Consciousn ess  What is consciousness ? Consciousness is our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment. This includes our awareness of internal and external stimuli. internal - hunger, thirst, sleepiness, thoughts, emotions external - warmth of a room, hearing a friend’s voice, smelling a flower Altered States of Consciousness Being asleep Having a dream Hypnosis Meditation Anaesthesia Psychoactive drugs Components of Consciousness States of Contents of Consciousness Consciousnes s Level of awareness for Specific thoughts we our external are aware of about surroundings and our internal states or internal states external surroundings  Conscious Awareness and the Brain We must pay attention and be aware we are paying attention  Conscious Awareness and the Brain Inattention blindness if you aren’t paying attention to something visual, you are unable to report on the details of what the visual stimuli contain  Levels of Awareness Highest level of awareness: Focused attention Middle level of awareness: Automatic processes—requires minimal attention to do (like driving, eating) Daydreaming Low level of awareness: Unconscious mind—painful memories or thoughts and feelings that you repress or don’t think about Unconscious body—coma, etc. Sleep (some call this an altered state of consciousness)  Conscious Awareness and the Brain Different areas of the brain are responsible for attention and awareness of that attention Damage to the brain impacts conscious awareness Reticular formation – loss of consciousness Hypothalamus – disturbances of wakefulness Thalamus – lack of conscious awareness Cerebral cortex – lack of awareness Conscious Awareness and the Cerebral Cortex—Split Brain Patients  Brain Lateralization The Split Brain Development of Consciousness The Rouge Experiment or Mirror Test Do babies or animals recognize themselves in the mirror? Conscious awareness of self seems to develop around 18 months Full conscious awareness develops at around 22 months  The Mirror Test Do Animals Know Who They are? Preconscious and Unconscious States Preconsciousness Level of awareness in which information can become readily available to consciousness if necessary Example: What did you do last weekend? Automatic Behaviours A type of preconscious behaviour Example: Do you remember every step each time you brushed your teeth last week? Unconscious State State in which information is not easily accessible to conscious awareness Example: What did you eat last weekend?  Memory and Consciousness Explicit Memory Implicit Memory Involves pieces of Knowledge that we knowledge that we have stored in are fully aware of memory that we are high school not typically aware of graduation or able to recall at will moving here riding a bike information we typing study for a test speaking a second language Unconscious Decision Making Quick, intuitive judgements that help us make immediate decisions. What kind of decisions might be unconscious? Freud and the Unconscious Conscious - things we are immediately aware of Preconscious - things we can become aware of with a little effort Unconscious - things we are unaware of and have often repressed. Altered States of Consciousness: Sleep Why Do We Sleep? Adaptive theory of sleep – theory that organisms sleep for the purpose of self-preservation, to keep away from predators Biological theory that sleep is needed for growth - the pituitary gland releases growth hormones as we sleep. Restoration theory – holds that sleep restores our brains and bodies  The Circadian Rhythm Circadian rhythm (biological clock) – pattern of sleep-wake cycles that in human beings roughly corresponds to periods of daylight and night Body temperature, pain tolerance, stress, hormone secretion, and blood pressure are also regulated by this rhythm. The use of stereotypes may also be related to our circadian rhythm. We tend to rely on them more when we are tired. It can be disrupted - i.e. jet lag. Controlling the Clock Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) A small group of neurons in the hypothalamus Directs the pineal glad to secrete melatonin  90 to 100 minutes per sleep cycle One cycle consists of five stages Sleep Cycles Over the latter part of the night, we spend most time in stages 1 and 2 and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep N-REM or Non-REM Sleep Stages of Sleep Pre-sleep period (hypnagogic Alpha waves state) Hypnagogic hallucinations Myoclonic jerk Stage 1 - a few minutes Bridge between wakefulness and sleep Alpha waves change to slower theta waves Feel very groggy and disoriented if we’re woken up Stage 2 - 15-20 minutes More relaxed Rhythmic breathing Sleep spindles (burst of rapid brain waves) Stages of Sleep Stage 3 Deep sleep 20%-50% delta waves Sleepwalking more likely Stage 4 Heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rates at lowest levels Muscles relax Sleepwalking more likely Stage 5 Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep Associated with vivid dreaming, as brain activity becomes more similar to wakefulness. Muscle tone decreases significantly leading to temporary paralysis Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep A stage of sleep is associated with rapid and jagged brain wave patterns, increased heart rate, rapid and irregular breathing, rapid eye movements, and dreaming Brain activity in NREM vs REM sleep Dreaming Information Processing Theory of Dreaming Dreams involve processing information from the day (i.e., encoding memory and problem solving) Dreams could be a mental realm where we can solve problems and think creatively Activation-Synthesis Model of Dreaming During sleep, the brain has a lot of random activity via brainstem activity that activates the sensory systems of the cortex Dreams reflect the brain’s efforts to make sense out of or find meaning in the neural activity that takes place during sleep  Freudian Dream Theory Dreams represent the expression of unconscious wishes or desires, conflicts, and unresolved issues ⚬ manifest content ￭ literal actions in the dream ⚬ latent content ￭ hidden psychological meaning of the dream Dream analysis is a key component to psychoanalysis - a therapeutic technique developed by Freud  Nightmares, Lucid Dreams, and Daydreams Nightmares – dreams filled with intense anxiety Nightmare or dream disorder anxiety – frequent or distressing nightmares Lucid Dreams – the sleeper fully recognizes that her or she is dreaming and occasionally actively guides the outcome of the dream Daydreams – fantasies that occur while one is awake and aware of external reality, but is not fully conscious Sleep Disorders The Effect of Age on Sleep How Much Sleep do We Need? How Long Can I Go Without Sleep? The longest anyone has gone is about 11 days. After 24 hours drowsy, irritable, impaired decision- making, memory deficits, vision and hearing impairment After 36 hours extreme fatigue, hormonal imbalance, decreased motivation, risky decision making, inflexible reasoning After 48 hours microsleeps, immune functioning disruptions After 72 hours+ Common Sleep Disorders: Insomnia Most common sleep disorder ⚬ 43% of adults Difficulty going to sleep or staying asleep Often caused by stress More common in older people due to medical conditions, pain, medications, and depression and anxiety Common Sleep Disorders: Sleep Apnea Second most common Repeatedly stops breathing during night leading to frequent awakenings Carbon dioxide builds up in the blood causing momentary awakening in which sleeper gulps in air. Breathing may stop for 10 seconds Possible to have hundreds of attacks per night Can lead to cardiac arrest Common Sleep Disorders: Excessive Daytime Sleepiness Chronically tired, even if slept well People may ⚬ regularly nap during the day ⚬ fall asleep during the day ⚬ still sleep for long hours at night Different from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) ⚬ severe fatigue that is not the result of activity, is not relieved with rest, and was not present before becomming ill ⚬ symptoms that worsen after physical or mental activity  Common Sleep Disorders: Narcolepsy Uncontrollable urge to fall asleep Suddenly fall into REM sleep during the day Can last up to 15 minutes Genetic factors involved Appears to be an autoimmune disorder No cure Diagnosing Narcolepsy Harvard Medical School  Common Sleep Disorders Delayed sleep phase syndrome ⚬ Long delay in ability to fall sleep Advanced sleep phase syndrome ⚬ Fall asleep between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. and wake between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. Restless leg syndrome ⚬ Strong urge to move legs before sleep Periodic limb movements of sleep ⚬ Strong urge to move legs Common Sleep Disorders: Somnambulism Typically occurs within 3 hours of falling asleep. Person moves about in a slow, poorly coordinated manner with a blank look on their face. Wake up unaware of what happened. Can be hard to wake them, but they do respond to verbal suggestion Most common in children. Welcome to Sleep Dancing @CelinaSpookyBoo Common Sleep Disorders: Night Terrors Occurs in stages 3 and 4 of sleep Child screams in panic; goes back to sleep immediately and does not remember the event in the morning Resolves by adolescence May be genetic Common Sleep Disorders: REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder Acting out the dream while in bed and sleeping Most common in middle-aged and older men Often in response to intense and violent dreams Hypnosis  Will This Hypnotize You? ASAP Science  Hypnosis Hypnosis – altered state of consciousness, with heightened suggestibility, deep relaxation, and intense focus ⚬ Posthypnotic responses ⚬ Posthypnotic amnesia ⚬ Hypnotic hallucinations ⚬ Decreased activity in anterior cingulate cortex when used to reduce pain  How Hypnosis Works Two Possible Mechanisms  How Hypnosis Works The Brain Neuroimaging research suggests that the brain’s anterior cingulate cortex may be particularly involved when hypnosis is used to anaesthetize or reduce pain Anterior cingulate cortex is involved in cognitive control emotional regulation pain processing autonomic function social cognition  Being Hypnotized for The First Time ASAP Science Psychoactive Drugs  Some Key Terms Addiction – a psychological or physical compulsion to take a drug, resulting from regular ingestion and leading to maladaptive patterns of behaviour and changes in physical response Tolerance – mark of physical dependence on a drug, in which the person needs to take incrementally larger doses to achieve the same effect Withdrawal symptoms – unpleasant and sometimes dangerous side effects of reducing intake of a drug after a person has become addicted  Medicinal drugs that are used to treat or manage medical conditions Types of Illicit Drugs drugs that are illegal to possess, sell, or use in many countries. Recreational drugs that are often used for their pleasurable or mind-altering effects.  Classification of Drugs Depressan Opioids Stimulant Hallucinogen ts s s substances that broad category substances that produce reduce arousal of pain relieving increase arousal changes in and stimulation drugs and stimulation perception, mood, and slow down reduce pain and speed up cognitive messages produce feelings messages processes. between the of well-being travelling brain and body and euphoria between the alter all senses brain and body and can cause alcohol, oxycodone, hallucinations benzodiazepine fentanyl, heroin, caffeine, s nicotine, LSD, cocaine, mushrooms, amphetamines ecstasy, ketamine, Reward Learning Pathway Psychoactive drugs activate a reward learning pathway, or “pleasure pathway,” in the brain. Reward-deficiency syndrome – people might abuse drugs because their reward centre is not readily activated by usual life events.