Ch. 4: Consciousness, pt. II Flashcards
Manifest content
content of dreams that is what the dreamer remembers of it.
Latent content
What the dream symbolizes; the content that is hidden behind symbolism so that the dreamer doesn’t have to confront the conflict directly.
Activation-synthesis theory of dreams
(Hobson) posits that random neural firing activates mechanisms that normally interpret sensory input, and then the brain tries to make sense of this by synthesizing it with stored memories. Also, the limbic system –responsible for emotion and reward– is activated while dreaming, which is the source of the emotional content of dreams. Also posits that the deactivation of the prefrontal cortex is why the dreams are allowed to have their illogical structure.
Hypnosis
A social interaction during which a person, responding to suggestions, experiences changes in memory, perception, and/or voluntary action. Psychologists disagree on whether hypnosis is really an altered state of conscience.
Posthypnotic suggestions
The hypnotist suggests that the subject of the hypnotization experiences a change in memory or perception after the end of their hypnosis session. It is usually accompanied by an instruction to not remember the suggestion after the hypnosis session.
Sociocognitive theory of Hypnosis
Psychologists believe that people under hypnosis “play the role of the hypnotized person”. They are not faking being under hypnosis, but rather acts as if the hypnotist is the director and they are part of the cast of a metaphorical play. In other words, hypnotized people behave as they expect hypnotized people to behave. What’s more they
neodissociation theory of Hypnosis
acknowledges the social context to hypnosis while also positing that hypnosis is an altered state of conscience. According to this theory, hypnosis is a trancelike state in which consciousness and awareness are separated (ie. disassociated) from other aspects of consciousness.
Hypnotic analgesia
Uses hypnosis to basically reduce pain, allowing for less chemical anesthesia to be used.
Meditation
A mental procedure that focuses attention on an external object or a sense of awareness. There are two main types: concentrative meditation, and mindfulness meditation.
Transcendental meditation description and benefits
Meditating with intense concentration for at least 20 min twice a day. Studies have found that TM: lowers blood pressure, fewer reports of stress, and changes the hormonal response to stress.
Runners high
occurs because of a shift in consciousness and is partially mediated by a biological process that includes endorphin release.
Religious ecstasy
People lose themselves in the chanting and dancing of religious worship, which decreases awareness of the external world. This is also a shift in consciousness.
Flow
A type of experience that is so engrossing and enjoyable that it is worth doing for its own sake even though it can have no consequence outside itself. A person experiencing flow might completely forget to eat, lose track of time, and the person’s skills are well matched with the problem at hand. People can participate in flow activites both to escape their worries, but they mainly participate in order to achieve personal fulfillment.
Addiction
Drug use that remains compulsive despite its negative consequences.
3 types of depressants
sedatives: have calming effects, Hypnotics: drug that induces sleep, and sedative hypnotics.