Psych Sleep and Consciousness Flashcards
why do we sleep?
Recuperation, Growth, mental function
consciouness
brain process of which we are aware
nonconsciousness
brain process that does not involve conscious processing
what stage of sleep do night terrors happen in?
Non-REM 3
manifest content
the things we remember, the storyline of a dream
latent content
the things that we aren’t aware of, hidden symbols in a dream
preconscious
information that is not currently conscious, but can be brought into consciousness if attention is brought to it (what you had for breakfast yesterday)
unconscious
levels of processing that occur without awareness
biological rhythms
periodic physiological fluctuations
circadian rhythm
the biological clock, regular body rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle
functions of sleep
- to conserve energy
- to restore the body
- to build “neural nets” and flush out useless information from the brain
a perfect night of sleep:
- 90-minute cycles
- R.E.M. vs non-R.E.M. sleep
sleep
periodic, natural loss of consciousness - as distinct form unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation
R.E.M. sleep
a recurring sleep state during which vivid dreams commonly occur, muscles are relaxed, but other body systems are active
Paradoxical sleep
the same thing as R.E.M. sleep
NREM sleep
non-rapid eye movement sleep, encompasses all sleep stages except for REM sleep
Beta waves
awake, normal, alert and conscious
alpha waves
awake but drowsy
delta waves
deep sleep waves
theta waves
state of deep meditation, past consciousness, pushing past sleeps
gamma waves
heightened perception, when you’re awake but meditating
BADTG
order of sleep waves
Over the years…
the need for REM decreases considerably, while the need for NREM sleep only decreases a little bit
REM rebound
when deprived of REM and NREM, we fall quickly into REM sleep and spend more time there than in a usual night of sleep
insomnia
people have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep
sleep apnea
respiratory disorder where people intermittently stop breathing
sleep walking
during NREM sleep, can be a dissociative episode where your brain comes into partial awareness
narcolepsy
sudden sleep attacks and cataplexy
cataplexy
loss of muscle control
night terrors
screaming in deep sleep, once awakened there is no memory of the terror
REM sleep disorder
the body doesn’t go into paralysis during REM, instead there is vivid dreaming and moving around, dangerous
sleep paralysis
inability to move limbs during sleep (specifically REM)
information processing theory
dreams sift, sort, and fix the day’s experiences into memory
People who get _________ sleep have higher scores on memory exams
REM
Sigmund freud (psychoanalytic) theory includes:
manifest and latent content, dreams are key to understanding inner conflicts
Carl Jung
Freud’s student, believed in “decoding” dreams
activation synthesis theory
dreams are a product of activity from brain stem, our cerebral cortex attempts to make sense of neurons firing by creating a story
dreams have no…
deep meaning, PET scans and other imaging techniques provide evidence for this
disinhibitor
lack of restraint due to impulsivity or poor risk assessment
hypnosis
a state of consciousness in which a person is especially susceptible to suggestion
4 key steps to hypnosis
- the hypnotist tells the person to focus on what is being said
- the person is told to relax and feel tired
- the hypnotist tells the person to “let go” and accept suggestions easily
- the person is told to use vivid imagination
hypnosis is…
a handy way to relax and control pain
hypnosis is sometimes used as…
psychological therapy to help people cope with pain, anxiety, craving for food or drugs
people can be hypnotized when active and alert, and only if they are willing
only 80% of all people can be hypnotized
only 40% are good hypnotic subjects
people who can be hypnotized have areas of their brain associated with decision making and attention
BUT people CANNOT be hypnotized against their will
basic suggestion effect
the tendency to act as though their behavior is automatic and out of control
hypnosis as dissociation
works only on the immediate conscious mind, while a part of the mind remains aware of all this is going on
hypnosis as social role-playing
began with an experiment in which participants who were not hypnotized were instructed to behave as if they were (like at the fair)
social-cognitive theory of hypnosis
theory that assumes that people who are hypnotized are not in an altered state but are playing the roles that is expected of them in the situation
meditation
series of exercises meant to focus attention and achieve a trancelike state of consciousness
benefits of meditation
lowers blood pressure, reduces chronic pain, reduces risk of heart disease, reduces anxiety and depression
some of the experiences that reflect the nature of flow states are:
athletes describe being in the zone
entertainers describe being lost in the music
artists describe their medium as an extension of themselves
psychoactive drugs
chemical substances that alter thinking, perception, and memory
physical dependence
condition that occurs when a person’s body becomes unable to function normally without a particular drug
drug tolerance
as a person continues to use the drug, larger and larger doses of the drug are needed to achieve the same initial effects
negative reinforcement
the tendency to continue a behavior that leads to the removal of unpleasant circumstances
physiological dependence
the belief that the drug is needed to continue a feeling of emotional or psychological well-being, there is no withdrawal, can last forever
3 major drug categories
stimulants, depressants, hallucinogenic
stimulants
drugs that increase the functioning of the nervous system
depressants
drug that decreases the function of the nervous system
hallucinogenic
drugs that alter perceptions and may cause hallucinations
examples of stimulants
amphetamines (Dexedrine, methedrine)
cocaine
nicotine
caffeine
depressants
Xanax
alcohol
narcotics (opium, morphine, herion)
two types of hallucinogens
created in a lab (manufactured highs)
from natural sources (nonmanufactured highs)
types of manufactured highs
LSD
PCP
Ecstasty
types of nonmanufactured highs
marijuana
hallucinogens alter your senses and produce
distortions very similar to synesthesia
