Consciousness & the Two-Track Mind (Modules 7-9) Flashcards
Our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment
Consciousness
A social interaction in which one person (the hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur
Hypnosis
The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)
Cognitive Neuroscience
Focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
Selective Attention
Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
Inattentional Blindness
Failing to notice changes in the environment; a form of inattentional blindness
Change Blindness
The principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks
Dual Processing
A condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it
Blindsight
Processing many aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously
Parallel Processing
Processing one aspect of a stimulus or problem at a time; generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems
Sequential Processing
A periodic, natural loss of consciousness—as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation
Sleep
Our biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example, of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle
Circadian Rhythm
Rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active
REM Sleep
The relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
Alpha Waves
False sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus
Hallucinations
The large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep
Delta Waves
The first stage of non-REM (NREM) sleep; marked by the slowed breathing and irregular brain waves
N1 Sleep
During this stage of sleep, sleep spindles – bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain-wave activity that aid memory processing – occur periodically; you could still be awakened quite easily, but you are now clearly asleep
N2 Sleep
This stage puts you in deep sleep; during this slow-wave sleep, your brain emits large, slow delta waves and you are hard to awaken
N3 Sleep
A pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm. In response to light, the SCN causes the pineal gland to adjust melatonin production, thus modifying our feelings of sleepiness
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)
1) Sleep protects, 2) Sleep helps us recuperate, 3) Sleep helps restore and rebuild our fading memories of the day’s experiences, 4) Sleep feeds creativity thinking, and 5) Sleep supports growth
Why We Sleep
Recurring problems in falling or staying asleep
Insomnia
A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times
Narcolepsy
A sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings
Sleep Apnea
A sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during N3 sleep, within 2 or 3 hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered
Night Terrors
A sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind
Dreams
1) To satisfy our own wishes, 2) To file away memories, 3) To develop and preserve neural pathways, 4) To make sense of neural static, and 5) To reflect cognitive development
Why We Dream
According to Freud, the symbolic, remembered story line of a dream (as distinct from its latent, or hidden, content)
Manifest Content
According to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream (as distinct from its manifest content)
Latent Content
The tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation
REM Rebound
A chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods
Psychoactive Drugs
A disorder characterized by continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk
Substance Use Disorder
Psychoactive drugs (such as alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions
Depressants
(popularly known as alcoholism) Alcohol use marked by tolerance, withdrawal, and a drive to continue problematic use
Alcohol Use Disorder
Drugs that depress central nervous system activity, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment
Barbiturates
Opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety
Opiates
Drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, and the more powerful cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamine, and Ecstasy) that excite neural activity and speed up body functions
Stimulant
Drugs (such as methamphetamine) that stimulate neural activity, causing accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes
Amphetamines
A stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco products
Nicotine
A powerful and addictive stimulant derived from the coca plant; produces temporarily increased alertness and euphoria
Cocaine Bear
A powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system, with accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes; over time, reduces baseline dopamine levels
Methamphetamines
(a street name for MDMA) 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
Ecstasy
Psychedelic (“mind-manifesting”) drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
Hallucinogens
An altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death (such as cardiac arrest); often similar to drug-induced hallucinations
Near-death Experience
A powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)
The major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations
THC
