consciousness Flashcards
Consciousness
Awareness of our selves and our environment
Stages of Consciousness
Normal Waking Consciousness
Altered States of Consciousness
Hyperarousal
The altered state of consciousness and heightened awareness
Hyperarousal Physiological Symptoms
Increased heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle tension, and a state of high vigilance.
Hyperarousal Psychological Symptoms
Irritability, difficulty concentrating, racing thoughts, and an overall sense of unease.
Stream of Consciousness
The idea that consciousness exists on a spectrum (William James)
Normal Waking Consciousness
Includes your awareness of your thoughts and feelings, events happening around you at the moment, what time it is etc..
Altered State of Consciousness
Dissolution of feelings of time and self
Attention
The information you are processing, either consciously or even outside your conscious awareness.
Selective Attention
Focusing on a particular object in the environment for a period of time while simultaneously ignoring other irrelevant stimuli in the environment.
Selective Inattention
The way we attend or do not attend to information that may be relevant but emotionally upsetting
Divided Attention
The capacity to attend to and perform two or more activities at the same time
Automatic Information Processing
Fast, parallel, efficient mental process without active control or attention
e.g. writing letters of the alphabet
Controlled Information Processing
Intentional, conscious awareness of actions
e.g. driving for the first time
Stream of Consciousness
The constant movement and appearance of thoughts in the conscious mind
