14- Consciousness Flashcards
dualism
mind and brain are two separate things
consciousness
- our awareness of ourselves and our environment
- Wakefulness is necessary for consciousness (except in dreaming), but consciousness is not necessary for wakefulness
core consciousness
- overall arousal state of wakefulness not concerned with the past or the future
- being asleep or awake
extended consciousness
- content of processing in the aroused/ awake stat, providing a sense of self
- Our conscious experience
- Understanding that we are in our body and what we are feeling is ourselves feeling
core consciousness neural correlates
- RETICULAR ACTIVATING SYSTEM: involved with arousal, regulating sleep/wake cycles, and attention
- THALAMUS: intralaminar nuclei
- LOCUS COERULEUS: prevents sleep when active
- HYPOTHALAMUS: fatigue, sleep, and circadian rhythms
- PONS AND MEDULLA
extended consciousness neural correlates
-cerebral cortex (whole brain)
- Provides an elaborate sense of self
- Memories from past activities and emotions to predict future experiences
- Places us in context of our past and future
altered states of consciousness
- dreaming
- drug/alcohol
- meditation
- hypnosis
- persistent vegetative state
in what states do we lack consciousness
- undreaming sleep
- coma
- general anesthesia
- death
what do split brain patients all us about consciousness
- not just one system generating our consciousness
- Right brain has a narrower state of awareness without access to language
- Right brain can interact with the environment but can’t verbalize it
***There may be a difference btw verbal consciousness and nonverbal consciousness
what does blindsight reveal about consciousness
- That there is a difference between being able to act on information entering the brain and being consciously aware of it
- Visual consciousness may be separate
what does neglect reveal about consciousness
- right parietal lobe important in spatial awareness
- spatial consciousness may exist = being aware of what’s around us in space
what does Clive Wearing’s amnesia case tell us about consciousness
- hippocampus important for extended consciousness
- implicit memory outside the realm of consciousness
-something about a sense of our self doesn’t rely on memories
do normal individuals have unconscious cognitive processes
yes
- implicit memory
- cognitive control (\we are not aware oof how our brain is controlling all of our thoughts)
- dreams
- problem solving (epiphany)
- language
- motor control (walking)
subliminal perception
- A photo is flashed quickly, below the threshold for awareness (subliminal)
- When the subject is asked to describe the neutral picture below, they are biased by the previous photo
*little girl holding cake pink shirt
unconscious priming
- We see priming effects for both extended and brief presentations of a stimulus
- Brief presentations were not remembered consciously as being seen
- Both lead to priming even though one was consciously seen and one was not
