Chapter 7: States of Consciousness Flashcards
Consciousness
our awareness of ourselves and our environment. -
Biological Rhythms
Periodic physiological fluctuations. -
Circadian Rhythm
the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle. -
REM sleep
rapid eye movement sleep, a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. -
Alpha Waves
the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state. -
Sleep
periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness. -
Hallucinations
false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus. -
Delta Waves
the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep. -
Insomnia
recurring problems in falling or staying asleep. -
Narcolepsy
a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times. -
Sleep Apnea
a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings. -
Night Terrors
a sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during Stage 4 sleep, within two or three hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered. -
Dream
a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind. -
Manifest Content
according to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream. -
Latent Content
according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream. -
REM rebound
the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep). -
Hypnosis
a social interaction in which one person (the hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur. -
Posthypnotic Suggestion
a suggestion that is made to a person who is hypnotized that specifies an action he will perform (usually in response to a cue) after he has awakened. -
Dream
a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind. -
Dissociation
a split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others. -
Hidden Observer
Hilgard’s term describing a hypnotized subject’s awareness of experiences, such as pain, that go unreported during hypnosis. -
Psychoactive Drug
a chemical substance that alters perceptions and mood. -
Tolerance
the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug’s effect. -
Withdrawal
the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing the use of an addictive drug. -
Physical Dependence
a physiological need for a drug, marked by unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued. -
Psychological Dependence
a psychological need to use a drug, such as to relieve negative emotions. -
Depressants
drugs (such as alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions. -
Stimulants
drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, and the more powerful amphetamines, cocaine, and Ecstasy) that excite neural activity and speed up body functions. -
Hallucinogens
psychedelic (“mind-manifesting”) drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input. -
Barbituates
drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment. -
Opiates
opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety. -
Amphetamines
drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing speeded-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes. -
Ecstasy
a synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen. Produces euphoria and social intimacy, but with short-term health risks and longer-term harm to serotonin-producing neurons and to mood and cognition. -
LSD
a powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid. -
THC
the major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations. -
Near Death Experience
an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death such as cardiac arrest often similar to drug induced hallucinations. -
Dualism
the presumption that mind and body are two distinct entities that interact. -
Monism
the presumption that mind and body are different aspects of the same thing. -
Sleep Spindles
short bursts of brain waves (increased frequency) detected in stage 2 sleep -
Addiction
compulsive drug craving and use. -