L5

Question 1

What is Consciousness?

Answer 1

1. Awareness of internal(mental) and external(environmental) events or stimuli
   - a knowledge of being and subjective experiences
   - e.g. self-awareness develops around 18-month old when infants recognize themselves in the mirror
2. state of wakefulness
   - more characterized by sensory perception
   - varying levels of information processing

Question 2

Nature of consciousness

Answer 2

1. not all-or-none phenomenon but a continuum of different levels
2. Awareness = cortico-thalamo network
3. wakefulness = brainstem

Question 3

levels of consciousness by Freud

Answer 3

1. conscious: part of the mind that is being aware of
2. unconscious: part of the mind that is kept away from awareness
3. preconscious: memories that are not currently activated but are ready to be recalled
   - e.g. what you had for breakfast today, someone’s phone number
4. subconscious: a store of information that operates below conscious awareness and influences out automatic responses
   - e.g. intuition, implicit belief

Question 4

how to measure consciousness

Answer 4

1. Electroencephalogram (EEG)!!!
   - best physiological index of variations in consciousness
   - measure electrical activity (brain wave) from the brain cortex ( the outer layer of the cerebrum) over time

Question 5

brain waves in sleep and wakefulness

Answer 5

1.beta: normal waking though, alert problem solving
2. alpha: deep relaxation, blank mind, meditation
3. theta: light sleep
4. delta: deep sleep
5. frequencies decreases
5. depends on amplitude and frequency

Question 6

other neuroimaging techniques

Answer 6

1. PET scans (positron-emission tomography)
2. CT scans (computerized tomography)
3. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

Question 7

what is Biological Clock/ body clock

Answer 7

1. biological rhythm
   - periodic fluctuations in physiological functioning
   - people generally fall asleep as their body temperature begins to drop (after 7pm) and awaken as it begins to ascend once again (after 6 am)
   - matches with the day and night -> circadian rhythm
2. recall the graph about
   - alertness
   - core body temperature
   - secretion of growth hormone

Question 8

what is circadian rhythm

Answer 8

1. bodily biological changes that repeat every day (24hour)
   - e.g. your stomach calls you to eat at 9am, 12nn, 8pm
   - e.g. you have sleep desire at 9pm (as your body temperature drops)
2. governed by:
   - internal brain structure: hypothalamus (for altering consciousness)
   - external environmental factors, e.g. temperature and lightness of the surroundings
3. recall the circle of time and body changes
   - 04.30: lowest body temperature
   - 06.45: sharpest rise in blood pressure
   - 18.30: highest blood pressure and body temperature
   - 21.00: melatonin secretion starts

Question 9

what is chronotype

Answer 9

1. chronotype is a classification system that is unique to your genetics
2. human beings all have our own circadian rhythm
3. it can help you understand when you are most active during the day to optimize your sleep routine and boost your productivity

Question 10

morning and evening people

Answer 10

1. cycle can differ between people and lead to different patterns of wakefulness and alertness
2. changes as a function of time
   - young children are morning people
   - adolescents are often night people
3. as an adult, it partially depends upon genetics

Question 11

four chronotypes

Answer 11

1. most people can associate with one of four animal chronotype categories
2. bear, lion, wolf, dolphin
3. benefits of knowing your chronotype
   - you can adjust your life to take advantage of your internal clock ad utilize better times for eating, working and even for intimacy
   - choosing the very best times to sleep will give you extra energy and vitality during the day

Question 12

Circadian rhythm and sleep

Answer 12

1. sleep is believed to be regulated by:
   - brain structure called SCN
   
   • sensitive to light received by the eyes
     - secretion of melatonin
   • increases at night but lower in daytime
   • enhance desire to sleep
     - temperature
   • lower to sleep but increase to wake up
2. think about in daily life
   - jet lag / shift rotation
   - how do these relate to circadian rhythm

Question 13

how does daily life such as jet lag/shift rotation relate to circadian rhythm

Answer 13

1. when your biological clock is not compatible with the environment, your consciousness will be compromised
2. for example
   - you go to a place with 6-hour time lag and you are at 5pm now
   - your clock tells you its time to bed (11pm)
   - melatonin increases at usual but light goes to your eyes
   SCN activates and tried to suppress the melatonin secretion

Question 14

sleep cycle

Answer 14

1. people usually think sleep is a uniform state of physical and mental inactivity (wrong)
   - the brain is “turned off”
2. in a typical night of sleep, brain activities (measured by EEG) and other bodily changes show cycles of activities that repeat several times throughout the night
   - brain waves

Question 15

Sleep: non-REM and REM stage

Answer 15

1. Non-REM
   - stage 1
   
   • light sleep
   • last for 1-7 minutes
   • theta wave (low amplitude, low frequency)
     - stage 2
   • bodily responses decline
   • last for about 10-25 minutes
   • “sleep spindle” (high frequency)
     - stage 3 + 4
     -slow-wave sleep (deep sleep)
   • last for about 30 minutes
   • delta wave (high amplitude, low frequency)
2. REM
   - stage 5
   
   • Rapid eye movement (REM)
   • muscle extremely relaxed, sleeper virtually paralyzed, irregular breathing and pulse rate
   • beta wave (low amplitude, high frequency)

Question 16

Non-Rem and REM sleep description

Answer 16

1. brain waves of REM
2. believed to be related to dream
3. 80-90% waken in sleep lab during REM also reported dreaming
4. Non-REM
   - body: relaxed
   brain activity: inactive
5. REM
   - body: immobile
   - brain activity: ACTIVE
6. think: why do some poeple say about their experience of “being slept on by ghosts”?

Question 17

sleep cycle

Answer 17

1. last for about 90 minutes
2. 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5!!! -> 4 -> 3 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5!!! -> 4 -> 3 -> 2 -> 1
3. a fast low-voltage brain wave characterizes wakefulness
4. the last REM period of the night has the fastest eye movements and may be the period from which dreams are best remembered

Question 18

need for sleep

Answer 18

1. an average of 8.5 per nights
2. REM sleep decreases over the life span
   - infants: 50%
   - adults: 20%
   - elderly: 15%
   
   • REM sleep helps secrete growth hormone

Question 19

deprivation of sleep

Answer 19

1. deprivation of REM sleep
   - irritability, increased anxiety and impaired concentration
   - serious impairment in memory, attention, and can even cause hallucination
   - more need for deep or REM sleep
   - “Rebound effect”!!! : higher desire when more deprived
2. functions of sleep (2 hypotheses)
   - conservation of energy (increase in glucose in brain)
   - restoration of physical (production of immune cells) and mental functioning (connecting of neuron bonding)

Question 20

REM and NERM sleep functions (physical and mental activities)

Answer 20

1. vigorous physical activities increases NREM
2. mental activities (e.g. new learning) increase REM
3. REM and NREM serves different functions
   - NREM has more to do with bodily functioning
   - REM has more to do with mental activities

Question 21

Sleep well: biological approach

Answer 21

1. medication!
   - sedatives may reduce REM
   - Melatonin: resynchronize the biological clock
   
   • side effects: dependency
2. light therapy
   - exposure to bright light: SCN makes you alert

Question 22

Sleep well: traditional or folk beliefs

Answer 22

1. traditional beliefs
   - reduce stress
   
   • diaphragmatic breathing!!!
   • relaxing atmosphere
2. lifestyle medicine
   - exercise, proper diet, reduce caffeine, warm bath, avoid nap

Question 23

other sleep problems

Answer 23

1. narcolepsy
   - goes directly from wakefulness to REM
2. sleep apnea
   - reflexive gasping
   - stop breathing for minimum for 10 seconds
3. sleep walking
   - occur during first 2 hours, in slow-wave sleep (stage 3/4)
   - unknown causes
   - safe to awake the sleepwalker

Question 24

what are dreams

Answer 24

1. an universal human experience that can be described as a state of consciousness
   - characterized by sensory, cognitive and emotional occurrences during sleep
2. dreamers have reduced control over the content, visual images and activation of the memory

Question 25

blind people dream

Answer 25

1. innate - not able to see any images, but have equally amount of involving their other senses and emotions 2. acquired - able to see images in their dream

Question 26

types of dreams

Answer 26

1. daydreams 2. lucid dreams 3. nightmares 4. recurring dreams 5. epic dreams 6. deja vu

Question 27

dayream

Answer 27

1. day dreaming occurs when you are half awake, and it is the imagining or remembering of images or experiences in the past or future

Question 28

lucid dreams

Answer 28

1. lucid dreams occur when you realize you are dreaming 2. dreamer can reassure that him/herself that it is only a dream and that he or she will soon awaken

Question 29

nightmare

Answer 29

1. nightmare is a disturbing dream that causes you to wake up feeling anxious and frightened 2. nightmares may also occur because you have ignored or refused to accept a particular life situation

Question 30

recurring dreams

Answer 30

1. recurring dreams repeat themselves with little variation in story or theme 2. these dreams may be positive, but most often they are nightmarish in content

Question 31

epic dreams

Answer 31

1. they are so memorable and vivid, that we simply cannot ignore them 2. its details remain in your memory for years, as if you have dreamt it last night

Question 32

deja vu

Answer 32

1. when a person has done something and they experience the same feelings or the feeling that one has lived through the present situation before

Question 33

functions and theories of dreams

Answer 33

1. what people dream about - certain themes are very common - sex, aggression, misfortune...usually personal things - related to daily life experience - freud called it "day residue!!!!!"

Question 34

studies about dream

Answer 34

1. as day residue or simply a suppression? - study by Wegner in a sleep lab - half people are asked to avoid thinking about a certain person before falling asleep - half people are asked to deliberately think about that person before falling asleep - results: those suppressed would come up in dreams more 2. affected by external stimuli? - study by Dement in a sleep lab - half people are sprayed water on one hand when they are in REM sleep while the rest half are not results: 42% included water in the dream, such as rainfall, baths or floods etc

Question 35

why do people dream

Answer 35

1. freud: dreams as wish fulfillment - the day residue shapes dreams that satisfy unconscious needs 2. cartwright: the problem-solving view - we think through major problems in our lives 3. Hobson: activation synthesis model - a story is created to make sense of internal signals

Question 36

dreams are wish fulfillment

Answer 36

1. sigmund freud - psychoanalysis: dream analysis - interpretation of dream contents 2. a way to fulfill unconscious wishes!!! - a person who is sexually frustrated tend to have highly erotic dreams - an unsuccessful person dream about great accomplishment 3. dreams contain symbols that has meaning - symbols are HARMLESS and NOT THREATENING - dream can protect us from threatening unconscious thoughts 4. Freud believed (1900): - male sex symbols: long objects, sticks, umbrellas, and pencils - female sex symbols: hollow things, caves, jars and keyholes

Question 37

dream as problem-solving

Answer 37

1. continuity between waking and sleeping though 2. allow people to engage in creative thinking as dreams are not restrained by logics or realism

Question 38

activations-synthesis hypothesis

Answer 38

1. activation - random neural activation in REM sleep from the inner part of brain to cortex 2. synthesis - cerebral cortex constructs dreams to make sense of the signals