Consciousness Flashcards
What is consciousness
Your awareness of everything that is going on around you and inside your head at any given moment.
Includes thoughts
sensations
feelings
What is an altered state of consciousness
occurs when a shift takes place in the quantity or pattern of your mental activity
different types of altered forms of consciousness
under the influence of drugs, daydreaming, hypnosis, meditation, sleep
circadian rhythm
sleep-wake cycle controlled by the hypothalamus
deep in the hypothalamus lies a structure called the suprachiasmatic nucleus
the SCN is sensitive to light and tells the pineal gland to release melatonin when its dark, and to stop releasing it when it gets light
sleep deprivation
loss of sleep decreases mental and physical functioning associated with angina depression arthritis sleep problems and chronic lung disease
Sleep Stages
Beta - alert
Alpha - relaxed
Theta - light sleep (N1)
Delta - deep sleep
sleep stage 1: N1
Light sleep theta waves hallucinations hypnic jerk falling sensation
sleep stage 2: N2
Sleep spindles
body temp + heart rate drops
breathing = shallow + irregular
theta waves = predominant
Sleep stage 3 and 4: N3
Delta waves - deep sleep
slowest and largest brain waves
growth hormones released
children spend more time in deep sleep for growth purposes
REM
body temperature increases heart beats faster rapid eye movement 90% of dreaming takes place here sleep paralysis
purpose of REM + deep sleep
REM = process emotions
deep sleep = body recovery
sleep disorders
Nightmares night terrors somnambulism insomnia sleep apnoea narcolepsy
Somnambulism
sleepwalking
occurs in N3 deep sleep
Insomnia
symptoms - difficulty falling/staying asleep
causes - stress, anxiety, diet, behaviour
treatment - drug therapies
Sleep Apnoea
occurs whe breathinng passages get blocked
loud snoring
breathing stops for nearly 10 seconds or more
disturbs sleep
causes heart problems
associated with obesity in men
narcolepsy
a kind of sleep seizure
person slips into REM sleep throughout the day at inappropriate times or places
Stimulants
amphetamines (speed, ritalin, meth)
cocaine
nicotine
caffeine
effects of stimulants
stimulation
excitement
effects of amphetamines
addiction
stroke
fatal heart problems
psychosis
effects of cocaine
addiction
stroke
fatal heart problems
psychosis
effects of nicotine
addiction
cancer
effects of caffeine
addiction
high blood pressure
depressants
barbituates (major tranquilisers)
benzodiazepines (minor tranquilisers)
alcohol
narcotics (opioids)
effects of depressants
relaxation
effects of barbituates
addiction
brain damage
death
effects of benzodiazepines
low risk of overdose
addiction
effects of alcohol
alcoholism health problems depression increased risk of accidents death
effects of narcotics
euphoria
addiction
death
hallucinogens
LSD
PCP
MDMA
Marijuana
effects of hallucinogens
possible permanent memory problems bad trips suicide overdose death
psychoactive drugs
chemical substances that alter thinking, perception and memory
could lead to dependence/overdose
could pose a threat to health
may lead to death
physical dependence
causes drug user’s body to crave the drug
after the use of the drug for some time, the body becomes unable to function normally without the drug
the person is then said to be addicted or dependent
drug tolerance
a symptom of drug dependence
as the person continues to take the drug, larger and larger doses of the drug are required to achieve the initial effects of the drug
withdrawal
a symptom of physical dependence happens when the drug user is deprived of the drug symptoms: headaches nausea irritability severe pain cramping shaking elevated blood pressure negative reinforcement
psychological dependence
the belief that the use of a certain drug is needed in order to achieve a certain level of emotional/psychological wellbeing
positive reinforcement
Freud’s interpretation of dreams
believed dreams to be a sort of wish fulfilment of his clients
believed dreams were symbolic meanings for innate desires
biology of dreams
PET scans showed that dreams are products of activity in the pons
this lower area of the brain inhibits neurotransmitters that cause movement
this stops people from acting out their dreams
the activation-synthesis hypothesis
dreaming is a kind of thinking that happens during sleep
higher centres of the cortex make sense of this thinking by creating a story to explain the cortical activation coming from the brain stem
the activation-information model (AIM)
the brain is making up a dream to explain its own activation
hypnosis
a state of consciousness where a person is highly susceptible to suggestion
what hypnosis can do
create amnesia for a brief time
remove conscious attention from pain (relieve pain)
alter sensory perceptions (hearing, smell, taste)
help people relax in typically stressful situations
