Ch 3 Consciousness Flashcards
Conscious expirieneces
KNOWING about your (and others) unique neural connections and associations in brain (mental activity)
Using senses
entirely subjective
Introspection
Researchers analyze people’s retrospective thoughts on an experience (usually sense)
Subjective and not reliable for recording SIMILAR psychological process
* because we describe things differently, but maybe we all actually do think the same?
Instead- observable behavior _ supposedly more objective (which then becomes subjective when the researcher describes/ classifies it)
Brain imaging is truly objective but again that lil subjective kick
Threshold effect with consciousness
Consciousness varies because awareness threshold changes
Normal waking state of consciousness
Regular sober mind
Altered state of consciousness
Any deviation from waking state
EX: meditation, moments before sleep, after you wake up, drugs
Drowsy and not hyper aware of senses
Aware but not consciousness to where you actually process the little burst of awareness that made you able to process
Objective consciousness
Something that we will ALL similarly and INITIALLY (before analysis takes place) describe/ label
EX: we all SEE a chair
EX: knives are for cutting
* ofc not truly objective
Exceptions to objectivity
- Ofc never truly objective because organized and overarching societal rules are alr established and we abide by them
- also mentally ill ppl might actually see something else (vision can be subjective too)
Circadian rhythms
Circadian- about a day
In which brain activity, sleep/ wake cycles, Body temperature and hormone levels
Influenced by the perception of light and dark (not totally dependent)
Maintained by brain regions
EX: see hypothalamus card
Hypothalamus on circadian rhythm
Info about light is sent to small region here called suprachiasmatic nucleus
Then pineal gland (endocrine)
Releases melatonin
bright light stops production of melatonin
Melatonin and circadian rhythms
Helps regulate accuracy of our biological clock
Taking supplements helps recover from disruptions in circadian rhythm (jet lag)
Sleep fact s
Sleep less as we age and still gain energy, BUT normally bad to function on so little sleep
MS:
- Adults- 9-10 to feel rest
- babies- much of day
- @@old ppl don’t go back to sleep easily and spend less time in stage N3@@
Conscious and biological in sleep
Asleep= Different Conscious experiences and biological processes
Conscience exp- To some extent you remain aware of surroundings (tossing and turning- but not falling after infancy)
Biological - brain doesn’t sleep when you do
Really active
Beta waves (sleep)
Waking state
Neurons are super active (SHORT FREQUENT irregular electrical signals —beta waves)
Alpha waves (sleep)
Just BEFORE N1 conscious ness (focus attention on falling asleep or relaxing, brain activity becomes more REGULAR- alpha waves
Healthy sleep (4 stages)
Non-REM= NREM
1. Stage N1 sleep (first NREM)- slowly unaware of outer world AND thoughts- theta
2. Stage N2 sleep- all thoughts stop
3. Stage N3 sleep- deep sleep
4. REM sleep- dream- beta
Cycles 5 times
Stage N1
THETA waves
Before actual sleep where you see crazy shit but still have inches of conscious thought (for me its a thinking train spiraling down)
Hypnic jerks
Geometric shapes (is this because when you boil down our consciousness its all the shapes we see in the world OR our thoughts are really shapes)
Stage N2
Sensitive sleep
Sudden loud noises-> K-complexes (large waves) - signals from brain functions that keep you asleep by shutting out the outside world
Sleep spindles -> occasional bursts of energy
K-complex
Sudden loud noises-> K-complexes (large waves) - signals from brain functions that keep you asleep by shutting out the outside world
Sleep spindles
Sleep spindles -> occasional bursts of energy
Stage N3
Large regular DELTA waves (slow-wave sleep)
MS: hard to wake up, Disorientated when wake up
BUT still biologically keeping aware of potential dangers (perceived sounds WORTH getting up or accounted for)
REM (stage R/ paradoxical sleep)
After 90s minutes -> reverses ALL the way back to N1 sleep
Flurry of beta waves that usually are for awake state, BUT its only certain UNUSED parts of brain that are awake now
Rapid eye movements
Muscles are paralyzed expect for genital arousal
Dreams
Sleep cycle
Go through stages 5 times
Nearing the morning, cycles shorten and N3 is little to none but MORE REM than anything
Hypnosis
When responding to suggestions, a persons memory, perception and free will changes
“Suggestions” but really manifestation mantras
Post-hypnotic suggestion
AFTER hypnosis session the hypnotist demands a change
AND demands that they forget this suggestion