consciousness Flashcards
What is the definition of consciousness?
Moment to moment awareness of yourself and your environment. Awareness of one’s own mental feelings/emotions.
What are Freud’s 3 levels of consciousness (Iceberg analogy)?
Conscious, Preconscious, and Unconscious (Subconscious).
What is an example of the Conscious level?
Normal everyday thoughts.
What is an example of the Preconscious level?
Memories that are easily recalled.
What is an example of the Unconscious level?
Thoughts, emotions, and feelings that are locked away from the conscious mind (can be recalled with therapy and stuff)
What is the Non-conscious?
Some levels cannot be experienced consciously, so they are totally removed from conscious awareness. The mental processes that control our biological functions.
What is an example of the Non-conscious?
You are not aware of your medulla regulating your blood pressure.
What state of consciousness do we spend most of our time in?
We spend most of our time in a Waking State of consciousness.
What is the definition of Altered State of Consciousness?
Not in Waking State. Dstinctively noticeable or significant differences in psychological and behavioral functioning.
What are 2 altered states of Consciousness?
Sleep and Drug Induced.
What is the most common Altered State of Consciousness?
Sleep.
What did early research believe about sleep?
It was thought of as a time of mental inactivity. This was proved incorrect.
What technique for studying the brain was used to show sleep is an active, complex state?
Used an EEG to monitor brainwave activities. Distinctive and systematic chnages in amplitude and frequency while someone sleeps.
What are the 2 main stages of sleep?
Non-REM Sleep and REM Sleep.
What are the 3 stages of Non-Rem sleep?
Stage N1, Stage N2, Stage N3.
What stage of sleep is considered light sleep?
Stage N1
How long does light sleep last?
1 to 7 minutes where you are easily woken.
What is the dreaming Stage?
REM Sleep.
What happens to brainwave activity during N1 sleep?
Becomes more irregular.
What is stage N2 and what is it characterized by?
The transitional phase, a deeper sleep. Characterized by sleep spindles.
How long do sleep spindles last, roughly?
1-2 seconds.
What is stage N3-4 called?
Deep sleep.
What is the most difficult stage to wake individuals from?
Deep Sleep (Stage N3-4). When woken up they feel groggy/confused.
What happens after a person goes through the first three stages of sleep?
Return to N2 then REM sleep.