M06 - Consciousness Flashcards
Consciousness
Our subjective experience of the world, our bodies, and our mental perspectives
what does consciousness represent
Represents that private inner mind where we think, feel, plan, wish, pray, imagine, and quietly relive experiences
what are the 2 parts consciousness is defined as
awareness, arousal
what is awareness
Is thoughts about one’s experiences (you see a beautiful flower)
where does awareness occur
Occurs in aglobal brain workspace
Qualia
The way it feels to experience mental states such as feeling pain
what is arousal determined by
reticular activating system
what is arousal
The physiological state of being engaged with the environment
controlled processes
- most alert state of human consciousness
what part of brain has the exeutive function
prefrontal cortex
lower-level concsiousness
automatic processes
- daydreaming
subconsious awareness
waking subconscious
- incubation
what was freuds opinion on the unconscious
Reservoir of unacceptable wishes, feelings, and thoughts that are beyond conscious awareness
what is sleep
natural state of rest for the body and mind
how does sleep relate to the conscious
Involves the reversible loss of consciousness
Biological rhythms
Are periodic physiological fluctuations in the body
Circadian rhythm
cyclical changes that occur on a roughly 24-hr basis in many biological processes (e.g., hormone release, body temperature)
Biological clock
the SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus) of the hypothalamus, triggers our sense of fatigue (via increasing melatonin)
what can disrupt our biological clock
jet lag, night shifts
how can you reset your biological clock
bright light, melatonin, weed oil
why do we need sleep
- adaptive evollutionary function
- restorative function
- brain plasticity
what can chronic sleep deprivation lead to
Decreased activity in thalamus and prefrontal cortex
Inability to sustain attention
Poor decision making and problem solving
Weight gain
Depression
Increased risk for cardiovascular problems
Decreased immune system
what is Fatal Familial Insomnia
This disorder, caused by a genetic mutation, involves a progressive inability to sleep
what does brain plasticity enhance
Enhances synaptic connections
Memory consolidation
how much sleep do people with DEC2 mutation need
6 hours or less
what triggers falling asleep
increase in melatonin
how long is each sleep cycle
90-100 min
what are the stages of Non-REM sleep
Stage N1 – N3
Stage N1
5-10 minutes, theta waves, light sleep, may contain hypnagogic imagery, hypnic myoclonia
Stage N2
20-30 minutes, theta waves, sleep
Stage N3
10-30 minutes, delta waves, deeper sleep, crucial for rest, suppressed by alcohol
how long is REM sleep
10-20+ minutes
what does lack of REM sleep lead to
muscle paralysis
what is the difference between REM dreams and Non-REM dreams
REM:
More dreams occur during REM than non-REM
Emotional, illogical
Prone to plot shifts
Biologically crucial
Non-REM:
Shorter dreams
More thought-like
Repetitive
Concerned with daily tasks
what is lucid dreaming
Experience of becoming aware that one is dreaming
what are characteristics of lucid dreaming
Sleep and wake may not be as distinct as once thought
Some report being able to control dreams
May help with nightmares, but not other problems
what is insomnia
difficulty falling and staying asleep
what can insomnia lead to
Higher rates in those with depression, pain, medical conditions
what is restless leg syndrome
urge to move one’s legs or other body parts while attempting to sleep
what is nacrolepsy
- rapid and unexpected onset of sleep
what causes nacrolepsy
Lack of orexin production
what is sleep apnea
blockage of airway during sleep
Continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP
form of positive airway pressure ventilator, which applies mild air pressure on a continuous basis to keep the airways continuously open in people who are able to breathe spontaneously on their own. It is an alternative to positive end-expiratory pressure
what are night terrors
during Stages 3 (N3) and 4 (R), sudden waking episodes characterized by screaming, perspiring, and confusion followed by a return to a deep sleep
what stages does Sleepwalking usually occur
during deepest (N1-N2) non-REM sleep (not dreaming)
Freud’s wish fulfillment and dream protection theory
dreams transform our sexual and aggressive instincts into symbols that represent wish fulfillment and require interpretation
what is the evidence against Freud’s wish fulfillment and dream protection theory
Most dreams have negative content (not wish fulfillment)
Sexual dreams are rare (<10%)
Many are straightforward details of everyday activities (not disguised)
Post-trauma nightmares
Activation-synthesis theory
Dreams reflect brain activation originating in the pons, followed by efforts of the forebrain to weave these inputs into a story
Cognitive Theory
Information processing and memory
Dreams are a meaningful product of our cognitive capacities, which shape what we dream about
Hallucinations
realistic perceptual experiences in the absence of external stimuli
Alien Abductions
State of being unable to move just after falling asleep or right before waking up
what are alien abductions often associated with
anxiety/terror, feeling vibrations, or feeling like there is a menacing presence in the room
Out-of-body experience (OBE)
Sense of consciousness leaving one’s body
what can OBE be related to
ability to fantasize and to become extraordinarily absorbed in experiences
what can trigger Near-death experience (NDE)
by stimulating the temporal lobes, lack of oxygen to the brain, and psychedelic and anesthetic drugs
what causes deja vu
Small seizures in right temporal lobe or excess dopamine
Prior unconscious processing of the information
The present experience resembles an earlier experience
dual processing theory
slightly out-of-sync arrival of sensory info from separate pathways
Meditation
variety of practices that train attention and awareness
Hypnosis
set of techniques that provides people with suggestions for alterations in their perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and behaviours
what are misconceptions of hypnosis
Produces a trance state in which “amazing” things happen
Hypnotic phenomena are unique
Hypnosis is a sleeplike state
Hypnotized people are unaware of their surroundings
Hypnotized people forget what happened during hypnosis
Hypnosis improves memory
Hypnosis can induce past life and age regression
Sociocognitive Theory
approach to explaining hypnosis based on people’s beliefs and social expectations
Dissociation (divided consciousness) model
approach to explaining hypnosis based on separation of the parts of the personality responsible for planning from the part that controls memories (dissociation from consciousness)
Depressants
decrease nervous system activity
Idiosyncratic intoxication
state in which small amounts of alcohol produce dramatic behavioural changes
Tolerance
reduction in the effect of a drug as a result of repeated use, requires greater quantities to achieve the same effect
Delirium tremens (DTs)
disorientation, confusion, visual hallucinations, memory problems resulting from alcohol withdrawal, may be fatal without proper medical care
Alcohol hallucinosis
auditory hallucinations, sometimes with paranoid beliefs, resulting from alcohol withdrawal
what are Sedative-Hypnotics Prescribed for
insomnia, anxiety
what are the 3 categories of Sedative-Hypnotics
Barbiturates (e.g., Seconal)
Nonbarbiturates (e.g., Quaalude)
Benzodiazepines (e.g., Valium)
how do Stimulants affect your body
Increase heart rate, respiration, blood pressure
Tobacco
nicotine; activates acetylcholine receptors
Induces feelings of stimulation, relaxation, alertness
Cocaine
Euphoria, enhanced mental/physical abilities, decrease in hunger/pain, sense of well-being
difference in occasional vs regular use of Amphetamines
Occasional use - to postpone fatigue, elevate mood
Regular use
A) Prescription abuse
B) Street users (“speed freaks”) - speed binges and crashes
Opiate Narcotic Drugs
Relieve pain, induce sleep
what drugs are derived from opium poppy
heroin, morphine, codeine
Hallucinogenics
Produce alterations in perception, mood, and thought
what receptors does Marijuana activate
cannabinoid receptors
Amotivational syndrome
characterized by changes in a person’s personality, emotions, and cognitive function. A person with this condition will experience a lack of concentration and activeness, apathy, and poor memory.
LSD
changes in sensation and perception, paranoia, panic
what are the effects of LSD
Mystical experiences - sense of unity with world
Panic, paranoia, confusion, flashbacks
what is LSD highly influenced by
context
what kind of drug is Ecstasy (MDMA)
Stimulant and hallucinogenic
what does Ecstasy cause
release of huge amounts of serotonin causing sense of well-being, self-confidence and empathy for others
what does long-term abuse of ecstasy lead to
high blood pressure, depression, damage to the neurons that rely on serotonin and more
