Chapter 8 - Consciousness and Sleep Flashcards
Interdisciplinary applications of consciousness
The application of the concept of consciousness in separate fields of study such as physics philosophy and computer science.
Explain:
Dynamic
Visualized by the stream of consciousness instead of a static object it is in constant flux.
Explain:
Utility of self-reports, physiological measures, and behavioural measures.
Methods of measuring consciousess, based off the assumption that consciousness itself would express itself throught these forms in the human experience of consciousness.
Mirror-Rouge Test
Observing a childs behavior in front of a mirror and how they relate their own reflection to their conscious and physical being, placing a red dot on the childs forehead and seeing if they recognize the red dot on their own forehead.
Explain:
Consciousness (Cognitive Psychology)
Analogous of being an information processor, like a computer where the computing software is the mind and the hardware is the brain. Differs among different cognitive psychologists.
Controlled Processing
Mental processing that needs effort from an individual to be completed.
Automatic Processing
Mental activities that require little to no mental attentiveness.
Divided Attention
the ability to perform more than one activity at the same time - made difficult when tasks require similar cognitive resources.
Divided attention e.g.
texting and walking, walking (automatic), texting (controlled)
States of consciousness
Different states at which the mental abilities and functions differ from one another.
Circadian rhythm
Cyclical changes that occur on roughly 24 hour basis in many biological processes, Regulated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), located in the hypothalamus AKA the biological clock, pineal gland releases melatonin.
Consequences:
Sleep deprivation
difficulties learning, poor attention, lethargy, hearing voices, weight gain, diabetes, heart problems, weakened, immune system.
World record sans sleep
a little over 11 days
Stages of sleep
Awake and alert, calm wakefulness, Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3 and 4 (Delta), Stage 5 (REM).
Stage 1 Sleep
(Theta waves 4-7 microm) Related to myoclonic jerks and hypnogogic imagery (bizarre and random imagery)
Stage 2 Sleep
Sleep spindles bursts of neurological activity and k-complexes a large waveform (Large rise and fall) that occurs intermittently.
Stages 3 and 4
(1 - 2 delta waves) Large slow waves, stage 3 less than 50%, stage 4 more than 50% are delta, Stage 3 and 4 waves produce the feeling if being well rested and time spent in this stage declines with age.
Stage 5
(REM sleep) Rapid-eye-movement darting of the eyes underneath closed eyelids, most dreaming occurs during REM sleep, stage of sleep in which the brain is most active.
why do we sleep
It is exactly unknown why we sleep but we think that it is a way of both conserving energy and building back up our bodies after a day of work.
Insomnia
Difficulty in staying asleep and falling asleep. Three forms, difficulty falling asleep, waking up in the night and waking up too early in the morning. Clinical insomnia and acute insomnia are different.
Treatment Insomnia
Treated by behaviour management, making sure individuals have a consistent wake schedule, avoid drugs, and only sleep when tired.
Narcolepsy
Rapid onset sleepiness during the daytime usually associated with cataplexy, which is the loss of the use of muscles, caused by genetic abnormalities or brain damage, insufficient orexin producing neurons. treated using drugs like Modafilin.
Sleep Apnea
A blockage in the airway during sleep, very commonly related to obesity and treated with weight loss, if weight loss not possible cpap machines can also be used. Large chance of early death, people with sleep apnea wake up many times during the night but are unaware.
Night Terrors
sudden waking episodes characterized by screaming and perspiring and confusion usually scarier for those around the individual than the individual themselves.
Sleep walking
walking while fully asleep, most commonly seen in children, it is perfectly safe to wake up a sleep walker, people are not acting out their dreams as sleep walking does not occur during REM sleep.
Dreams
Contain large amounts of negativity, very rare to not actually dream, men tend to dream more about men at a ratio of 2:1. Lab studies show that everyone dreams.
Freuds Dream Protection Theory
The interpretation of dreams, dreams reflect the wish-fulfilment of unconscious desires. Prevents unconscious urges from ruining sleep. These urges require interpretation to understand.
Manifest Content
Raw fact Details in dreams, Freudian thinking
Latent Content
The underlying meaning about details within the dream, Freudian thinking
Activation synthesis Theory
Theory that predicts that dreams reflect inputs from brain activation originating in the pons, then attempt to weave the incomplete information into stimulus or a story an increase in hormones that induce sleep cause these signals to be sent out into the brain.
Charles Bonnet Syndrome
When blind people have very intricate and colourful hallucinations as if they can see only occurs in those that became blind during life and not from birth.
Out of body Experience (OBE)
Reported sensation of consciousness leaving the body, occurs in approximately 10% of people and are generally related to near-death experiences, there is often a relationship between have an OBE and also having hallucinated at some point. Can be induced using centrifugal training equipment.
God-Helmet
A mechanism that claimed to be able to induce OBEs in individuals, however replication has rendered this helmet nonsensical.
Can people really leave their bodies during OBEs
NO.
Deja-vu
reliving an experience that is new. Brought on by an excess of dopamine in the temporal lobe and is most likely just remembering similar events from he past that you’ve most likely forgotten.
Hypnosis
Hypnosis does not make people more susceptible to do things. Hypnosis instead targets those who are already susceptible, Hypnosis is instead just supplies suggestion.
Regression therapy
Hypnosis to revert a person back to a younger age to expose childhood trauma. Poggenford illusion, claims by regression tend to be false.
Psychoactive Drug
Substance that contains chemicals similar to those found naturally in our brains that alter consciousness by changing chemical processes in neurons.
Drug Types
Depressants, Stimulants, Opiates, Psychedelics
Depressants
Such as Alcohol, Decreased activity of the central activity of the central nervous system, causes sleepiness, slower thinking, and impaired concentration.
Stimulants
Like Cocaine and amphetamines, Increased activity of the central nervous system.
Opiates
Heroin, morphine and codeine, gives a sense of euphoria and decreases pain.
Psychedelics
Marijuana, LSD, Ecstasy, Dramatically altered perception, mood, and thoughts.
How do Drugs take effect
Through the bloodstream, must pass through the blood-brain barrier
Substance Use Disorder
User has a significant and recurring impairments in their life as a result of the drugs.
Tolerance
Reduction in the effect of a drug as a result of repeated use requiring users to consume greater quantities.
Withdrawal
Unpleasant effects caused by removing the presence of an addictive substance, due to the body building up a tolerance around that drug.
Alcohol
Increases GABA decreases Glutamate, at low doses inhibitory control centers in the cortex are “depressed”. There is an initial upper followed by a downer phase.
Barbiturates and tranquilizers
Sleeping pills and sedatives, very addictive and a tolerance builds quickly, High doses leads to depression, when consumed with alcohol chance of overdose is much higher.
Amphetamines
The most commonly abused drug, prescribed to reduce sleep, fatigue, appetite, and depression.
Amphetamine Psychosis
Schizophrenia-like hallucinations that occur when the brain’s dopamine activity is artificially increased.
Methamphetamines
Inhaled via smoking, more potent than standard amphetamines increased probability of overdose and dependence, can cause aggression, paranoia, acne, “meth mouth”
MDMA (Ecstasy)
Messes with serotonin levels by increasing secretion and decreasing re-uptake, impairs immune function and causes sexual disfunction.
Cocaine
Grows from a south American plant, was a common curative in the 1800, can be injected, snorted or inhaled, has analgesic properties, creates excitement and euphoria blocks the reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine.
Heroin
An opioid that used to be used as a cough suppressant.
Hallucinogens
Drugs which cause dramatic alterations of perception, mood and thought, can lead to paranoia, violence, and anxiety in some people.
Marijuana
Can be consumed in various forms, comes from the leaves of the hemp plant, primary ingredient THC, stimulates Cannabinoid receptors, Increased risk of lung and respiratory disease, does not decrease motivation and does not act as a gateway drug.
LSD (Bi-surgic acid)
Affects dopamine adrenalin and serotonin receptors, %-HT2a receptor cause hallucinations, found in your brain in your digestion tract and circulatory tract.
MK-Ultra
Program done by the united states government where they slipped LSD to the population.
