Final Flashcards
Things we do to change our consciousness (5 things)
Transcendent experiences
Meditation
Hypnosis
Sensory deprivation
Drugs
How do transcendent experiences happen
Intentionally pursued (prayer, commune with nature, music, athletics, or drugs)
OR
Sometimes they just happen (near death experiences)
OR
falling in love
What is a transcendent experience
Dissociation of the THE SELF sometimes for religious or ecstatic reasons
Transcending ourselves-realizing were part of something bigger
Moments when you lose your sense of self and connect with something bigger
Transcentadilism
A philosophical school largely based on the idea nature is sacred and holds they key to understanding human life
Overview effect
Earth induced transcendent experience.
The sense of enhanced purpose and meaning experienced by astronauts who see the earth from above
What is a green experience
Brief moments of transcendence through drugs, ecstasy, or sudden revelations that flare out like fireworks
What is a mature experience
More prolonged period of peace and unity
Mature vs green experience
Transcendent experiences where mature is more long term and green is short term (green means new/fresh)
Duncan blewett
Did some of the first studies on LSD working at Saskatchewan hospital in Weyburn
Who coined the word psychedelic
Humphrey osmond
What did they do research on in Saskatchewan
Studied treating patients with LSD. Treating ppl with a single dose of a psychedelic was seen as an attractive cheap approach
Who was involved in the research in Saskatchewan
Duncan blewett
Humphrey osmond
Abram Hoffman
Marsh chapel experiment
Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert
Wanted to see if magic mushrooms (psilocybin) helped generate feelings of transcendence
Students at a divinity school divided into 2 groups
1 took shrooms 1 didn’t
10 years later all the group that took them became priests or pastors and not 1 of the regular group did
Csikzentmihalyi
Flow or zen
Flow is being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. Time flies. Like playing jazz
Raymond moody
Reignited the discussion about near death experiences
Near death experience in terms of transcendence
Once u experience it u become more compassionate and selfless
Hypnosis def
Mental state characterized by reduced peripheral awareness, heightened suggestibility, deep relaxation, and intense focus
6th level of Maslow hierarchy of needs
Self transcendence is on top of the pyramid
Dark side of trying to have a transcendent experience
They can also lead us to addiction and pain
Psychoactive drugs used recreationally
Drug tolerance
Reduced reaction to a drug following repeated use
Physical dependence
When the body requires a specific dose of a particular drug to prevent withdrawal symptoms
Addiction def
Refers to loss of control over intense urges to take the drug even with bad consequences
Safety ratios
Dose likely to be fatal divided by the normal dose needed to feel drugs effects
Alcohol and heroin-5and 6
Weed- 1000
Stimulant
Psychoactive drug that blocks the reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonins in the synapses of the CNS.
They make the neurotransmitters stay active in the brain so the result is increase of the sympathetic part in the ANS
What accounts for the largest proportion of recreational drugs deaths
Simulants
Caffeine
Affects epinephrine and dopamine availability but one of its largest effects is adenosine
Adenosine tell our brains we are tired
Caffeine is an adenosine antagonist. Blocks the signal that we are tired
1 recreational drug use killer
Smoking
Nicotine
Agonist for serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and glutamate
Cocaine
Makes dopamine more available
Amphétamines
Stimulant that increases wakefulness and focus along with decreased fatigue and appetite
Meth-injection
Why is meth more popular than coke
More addictive, lasts longer, 3 times more dopamine as cocaine
Ecstasy/ MDMA
Stimulant,
Prevent reuptake of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. So effective it can seriously deplete the amount of neurotransmitters available in the brain. Producing a mental and physical crash resulting in depression
Depressants
Slow us down
Psychoactive drug that reduces activity of the CNS
PAINKILLERS/ lower heart rate/ lower respiration/ anticonvulsants
Increase production of GABA and decrease production of acetylcholine
Reduce transmissions from the lower brain to the cortex
Alcohol
In low doses- remove social inhibitions by slowing activity in the sympathetic nervous system
Higher doses- acts in the cerebellum to interfere with coordination and balance
Safety ratio is 10
Barbiturates
Depressants commonly prescribed as sleeping pills and pain killers
Too much cause come or death
Opioids
Chemicals that increase activity in opioid receptor neurons
Similar to endorphins- natural pain reducers
Opium and its derivatives
Morphine codéine and heroin
Codeine is weaker
Synthetic opioids
OxyContin and fentanyl
What do opioids affect
Increase endorphins and dopamine and reduce norepinephrine
How Delivery method effects addictiveness
The faster the delivery system the more addictive
Orally is slowest, then smoking, then injecting.
Main purpose of meditation
Detachment from ur own thoughts and desires. Acceptance of ur own experience and situation
Alcohol safety ratio
10
Safety ratio of heroin
6
Marijuana safety ratio
1000
Least risky recreational drug
Cannabis
How many ppl did smoking kill in 2017
45000
Alcohol induced deaths in 2021 Canada
3875
Opioid deaths in 2021
6273
Sleep deprivation
Increase chance of depression, illness, and anxiety
Without sleep u can’t form or maintain pathways in your brain
Think of Physiology of sleep in 2 ways
How active we have been
And
How cunducive our environment is to sleep
Adenosine and depletion of atp
Adenosine is created by breaking down ATP (atp is energy)
Adenosine and non-REM sleep
Increased adenosine levels trigger non-REM sleep
NON-REM Sleep
Brain is less active- recovery phase- builds ATP
Light and melotonin effect in sleep
When dark, ganglion cells send message to pineal gland to secrete melatonin
Melotonin
Calms and quiets you
Reduce stress hormone-cortisol, decreases energy storage, and slows our breathing
stages of sleep- awake
Beta waves
Beta waves
High frequency low intensity
Most inconsistent- reflecting on wide variation of sensory input u experience during the day
Feeling relaxed waves
Alpha waves-
Less frequent, more consistent and more intense
Stages of sleeping
3 non rem stages and REM sleep
NREM1
NREM2
NREM3
REM SLEEP
NREM 1
Falling asleep marked by theta waves
NREM2
Light sleep
55% of all sleep
Occasional sleep spindles (very high intensity brain waves)(thought to be processing of memories)
NREM3
Deep sleep
20-25% of all sleep
Greater muscle relaxation and appearance of delta waves
REM SLEEP
Marked by Rapid Eye Movement
Similar to being awake in terms of brain activity
Associated with dreaming
Time in REM sleep
Go through several cycles of REM and non-REM sleep each night. The length of REM gets longer throughout the night
5-10 early, 15-20 shortly before u wake up
Insomnia
6/10 Canadians have insomnia
Causes of not being able to sleep
Worry, physical pain, change in sleep habits
Sleep hygiene
1- regular bedtime
2- exercise (not 3 hrs before bed)
3-less or no caffeine
4- no alcohol or nicotine
5-keep bed for sleep and sex
6-don’t eat and drink too close to bed
7-no screen time before bed
8-create a sleep promoting environment (dark cool)
9- avoid disturbing noises
10-avoid naps
Sleep apnea
Tongue blocks airway for at least 10 seconds
Narcolepsy
When u pass out during the day
1/2000 have narcolepsy
Cartaplexy
Loses muscle tone resulting in partial or complete collapse
Cause if narcolepsy
Lack of deep sleep. Ppl with narcolepsy go straight to REM THEN wake up numerous times in the night. Preventing them from getting a good sleep
Night terrors
Experienced in childhood.
In N3 (dreams are in REM)
How much sleep for
Newborns, preschoolers, school-aged, teens, adults
N-16-18
P-10-12
S-9+
T-9+
A-7-8
Selective attention
Ability to focus on certain things and ignore other shit
4 models of selective attention
Broadbents filter model
Tries and attenuated model
Late selection model
Multimode model
Broadbents filter model- dichotic listening task
When u hear 2 things and only focus on 1 u don’t retain info about the other
Treisman attenuated model
We lessen our attention on those things we’re trying to avoid not block it out completely
Late selection model
All info processed, only pertinent info enters consciousness
Multi mode model
Stage which selection occurs changes by task
Innatentional blindness
Not Recognizing objects we did look at cus we were preoccupied
Low awareness and high awareness cost vs benefits
Low- cost(influenced by subtle factors) benefits(low mental effort)
High- cost (use mental effort) benefit (overcome some biases)
Priming
When ur exposure to something already has a certain prompt without awareness
Unconcious
We make the decision to push the button before pushing it
Conscious mind still has….
Veto power over unconcious
200 milliseconds between concious awareness and action we can stop it
Unconcious and attitude formation
Ppl like things they see more, even if they don’t know they see it more (billboard u drive by every day)
Unconscious and creativity
1- consciously attending to a problem
2- incubation (unconscious thought)
3-conscious evaluation (evaluate thought from 2)
4-vérification
What happens when ur told ur gonna be asked questions later
Solving anagrams example
If u know you’ll pay attention to the next part
“What color was the water bottle”
