Chapter 5: Consciousness Flashcards
Consciousness
A person’s subjective experience of the world and mind
Subjective
your own interpretation
Problems about studying consciousness
not tangible. every one has their own view
How to know if someone is conscious
1) Capacity to experience pain and hunger
2) Capacity to feel, think
3) Capacity for self control
Mind and body problem
They are really are seperate
Rene Descartes said
“I think, therefore I am”
Properties of consciousness (4)
Intension
Unity
Selectivity
Transience
Intension
Directed toward something
Unity
Consciousness is a whole
Selectivity
Pay attention to something
Transience
Constantly moving (william James)
Levels of Consciousness
Minimal Consciousness
Full Consciousness
Self Consciousness
Self Awareness
Minimal Consciousness
not asleep, but minimal
Full Consciousness
Rarely happens, never fully Conscious
Self Conscious
Looking at yourself as an object (How people see you)
Self Awareness
Do you understand you are a separate individual
Thought suppression
Fyoder Dostoyevsky 1821-1881
Fun Fact
Sometimes we make better decisions with our unconscious mind
Sleeping on it / deciding on the spot
Sleeping on it is always better
Collective Unconsciousness
C.G Jung
Joseph Campbell
Prof og mythology and religion
Sleep
We spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping
What is sleep?
Altered states of Consciousness
During sleep (NS)
Our nervous system is not inactive
When we sleep
New memories, including learning are established and integrated. Necessary for consolidation
During Sleep
- Body repairs itself
- Tissue grows
- Immune system strengthened
- Blood supply to muscles increase
- Growth Hormones released
Unhealthy weight gain
Sleeping less than 7-8 hours a night
Ghrelin
Tells you to eat more (Hormone)
Leptin
Tells you, you are full
When tired:
Your Ghrelin goes up and Leptin goes down
Sleep is like a washing machine
Your brain cells clean themselves, brain cells generate waste products during regular tasks
Glymphatic System
Flushes out toxins between your brain cells
When sleeping, what happens to brain cells?
They shrink by up to 60%
Sleep loss results in reduced:
Memory, sexdrive, alcohol tollerance
Cutting sleep affects
Mood and motivation
Cutting one hour of sleep
Greater risk for depression, less emotional control, amygdala and other circuits are 60% more reactive
Daylight Savings
Heart attacks, car accidents, workplace accidents, police harassment of cops
Sleep cycles
Circadian rhythm, certain stages of sleep correspond to different brainwave patterns
7 Sleep Cycles
Beta Alpha Theta Sleep spindles K Complexes Delta R.E.M
Beta
Normal waking Consciousness
Alpha
Drowsy, relaxed
Theta
Stage 1 of sleep, not quite sleep
Sleep Spindles
Stage 2 sleep, body temp decreases, heart rate slows,
More sleep spindles
Harder to wake you up
Delta
Stage 3/4 of sleep
Blood Pressure drops, breathing slows, no body temp drops, bed wetting, night terrors
REM
Rapid eye movement
blood pressure and pulse rise, increased brain activty
Pattern sleep cycles
90-120 minutes to complete, 4-5 times a night
Deprived of Delta sleep
feel groggy
Deprived of REM
Memory sucks, groggy, aggressive
Powernaps
Sleep 20 mins
Allows for: Clear thinking, increase alertness, decrease stress, improve memory, enhance creativity
Dreaming
Altered state of mind
Characteristics of dream Consciousness
Intense emotion, illogical thought, sensation fully formed, difficult to remember
Activation Synthesis
Dreams begin with random, we add meaning
Freud
Dreams begin with meaning, we add random
Sleep apnea
Stop breathing for 10 seconds at a time (Linked to depression)
Somnambulism
(Sleep walking) early in night, delta sleep, in between sleep stages
Narcolepsy
Intrusion of REM sleep into wakefulness
Sleep Paralysis
Wakefulness intruding REM sleep, accompanied by hallucinations
Exploding head syndrome
Patients experience loud noises
Sleeping with a stuffy
Allows one to get a goodnight sleep
Sleep Hygiene
Get outside, natural light, bedroom dark and cool
Drugs
Something that alters your sense of perception
Psychoactive drugs
Alter brain chemical messaging systems
Change awareness and mood
Influence nervous system
Mechanisms of influence
Agonists: Increase neurotransmitters
Antagonists: Block neurotransmitters
Why take drugs
To feel better, for religious reasons, conviviality (Socially), enhance experiences
Drug use and abuse
Physically and mentally addicted
Overdose occurs when
Too much or too strong
Take drugs in different setting
Compensatory responses
Classifications of Drugs
Classified by effects on psychology
Depressants
Reduce activity of CNS
Stimulants
Enhance Activity of CNS
Narcotics
Reduce pain, induce calm
Hallucingens
Alter perceptions of reality
Marijuana
Class all in its own
Depressants in depth
Effects Gaba
Calming, reduce stress, counteracts stimulants
Leading depressant
Alcohol
Expectancy theory
Placebo: Feed girls water, still act drunk
Stimulants in Depth
Effects of dopamine and norepinephrine
heightened arousal and activity
High doses of Stimulants
Insomnia, aggression, paranoia
Types of stimulants
Caffeine, meth, speed, nicotine
Caffeine
Most common stimulant
Caffeine causes: Nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness
Guarana
Natural caffeine
Caffeine is good for
Asthma attacks
Nicotine
Over 7,000 chemicals in a cigarettes
Negative affects of nicotine
Increased risk for heart attack, low birth rates
Cannabis
Contains psychoactive drug thc
THC works on
Anandamide neurotransmitters that regulate memory, mood, appetite, and pain
Medical uses for thc
Pain, seizures
Narcotics, Opiates
Used to reduce intense pain
induces lethargic euphoria
Highly addicted physically and psychologically
Know this
Hallucinogens
Alters perception and sensations
Unlikely to be addictive
effects vary person to person
Replacement therapy
Nicotine patch, methadone
Harm reduction
Pragmatic humane approach
reduce harmful consequences and consumption
