States of Consciousness Flashcards
Consciousness
our awareness of ourselves and our environment
Biological rhythms
periodic physiological fluctuations
Circadian rhythms
the biological clocks; regular bodily rhythms (for example, of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle
REM sleep
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
Alpha waves
the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
Sleep
periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness– as distinct from unconsciousness, resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation
Hallucinations
false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus
Delta waves
the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep
Insomnia
reoccurring problems in falling or staying asleep
Narcolepsy
a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times
Sleep Apnea
a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings
Night Terror
a sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during Stage 4 sleep, within two or three hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered
Dream
a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind. Dreams are notable for their hallucinatory imagery, discontinuities, and incongruities, and for the dreamer’s delusional acceptance of the content and later difficulties remembering it
Manifest Content
according to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream (as distinct from latent, or hidden, content)
Latent Content
according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream (as distinct from its manifest content). Freud believed that a dream’s latent content functions as a safety valve.