States of Consciousness

Question 1

Consciousness

Answer 1

our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

automatic (unconscious) behaviors

controlled (conscious) behaviors

implicit (unconscious) memory

explicit (conscious) memory

Question 2

suprachiasmatic nucleus

Answer 2

the body’s primary circadian “pacemaker.”

analyzes the strength and duration of the light stimulus and sends signals to the pineal gland when the ambient light level is low or its duration is short. In response, the pineal gland secretes melatonin, a powerful hormone that facilitates the onset of sleep

Question 3

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep

Answer 3

a sleep stage characterized by the presence of quick fast eye movements and dreaming

accounts for about 25% of our total sleep time

muscles shut down, awareness of external events is dramatically reduced, and consciousness is dominated primarily by internally generated images and a lack of overt thinking

limbic, amygdala are active, genital arousal

Question 4

non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep

Answer 4

a deep sleep, characterized by very slow brain waves, that is further subdivided into three stages: N1, N2, and N3

Question 5

sleep stage & waves

Answer 5

Awake - Beta

Drowsy, relaxed - Alpha

N1 - Theta

N2 - sleep spindles rapid bursts of brain activity

N3 - delta, slow wave, deepest level of sleep

REM - fast, random, 90 minutes after falling asleep

Question 6

sleep apnea

Answer 6

a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing that last at least 10 seconds during sleep

Question 7

cataplexy

Answer 7

narcolepsy where individual loses muscle tone, resulting in a partial or complete collapse

Question 8

Sleep terrors

Answer 8

may involve loud screams and intense panic. The sufferer cannot wake from sleep even though he or she is trying to

Question 9

bruxism

Answer 9

sufferer grinds his teeth during sleep

Question 10

REM sleep behavior disorder

Answer 10

is a condition in which people (usually middle-aged or older men) engage in vigorous and bizarre physical activities during REM sleep in response to intense, violent dreams

Question 11

Freudian Dream Interpretation

Answer 11

primary function of dreams was wish fulfillment, or the idea that dreaming allows us to act out the desires that we must repress during the day

Question 12

manifest vs latent content of dreams

Answer 12

manifest content of the dream (i.e., its literal actions) and its latent content (i.e., the hidden psychological meaning of the dream)

Question 13

consolidation theory

Answer 13

sleep helps us move information into long term memory

Question 14

activation-synthesis theory of dreaming

Answer 14

dreams are our brain’s interpretation of the random firing of neurons in the brain stem

Question 15

psychoactive drug

Answer 15

chemical that changes our states of consciousness, and particularly our perceptions and moods

affect consciousness by influencing how neurotransmitters operate at the synapses of the central nervous system

Question 16

safety ratio

Answer 16

the dose that is likely to be fatal divided by the normal dose needed to feel the effects of the drug

Drugs with lower ratios are more dangerous because the difference between the normal and the lethal dose is small.

Question 17

Stimulants

Answer 17

psychoactive drug that operates by blocking the reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the synapses of the CNS

Because more of these neurotransmitters remain active in the brain, the result is an increase in the activity of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Caffeine, Nicotine, Cocaine, and Amphetamines

Question 18

Depressants

Answer 18

a psychoactive drug that reduces the activity of the CNS

Alcohol, Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines, and Toxic Inhalants

change consciousness by increasing the production of the neurotransmitter GABA and decreasing the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, usually at the level of the thalamus and the reticular formation. The outcome of depressant use (similar to the effects of sleep) is a reduction in the transmission of impulses from the lower brain to the cortex

Question 19

Barbiturates

Answer 19

depressants that are commonly prescribed as sleeping pills and painkillers

Question 20

benzodiazepines

Answer 20

a family of depressants used to treat anxiety, insomnia, seizures, and muscle spasms

Question 21

Opioids

Answer 21

chemicals that increase activity in opioid receptor neurons in the brain and in the digestive system, producing euphoria, analgesia, slower breathing, and constipation

activate the sympathetic division of the ANS, causing blood pressure and heart rate to increase, often to dangerous levels that can lead to heart attack or stroke. At the same time the drugs also influence the parasympathetic division, leading to constipation and other negative side effects

Opium, Morphine, Heroin, and Codeine

Question 22

Hallucinogens

Answer 22

psychoactive drugs that alter sensation and perception and that may create hallucinations.

similar to the neurotransmitters serotonin and epinephrine, and they act primarily as agonists by mimicking the action of serotonin at the synapses

Cannabis, Mescaline, and LSD

Question 23

Franz Anton Mesmer

Answer 23

mesmerizing; hypnotism

Question 24

Hypnosis

Answer 24

a trance-like state of consciousness, usually induced by a procedure known as hypnotic induction, which consists of heightened suggestibility, deep relaxation, and intense focus

Question 25

meditation

Answer 25

experienced meditators in a meditative state had more prominent alpha and theta waves, and other studies have shown declines in heart rate, skin conductance, oxygen consumption, and carbon dioxide elimination during meditation

These studies suggest that the action of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is suppressed during meditation, creating a more relaxed physiological state as the meditator moves into deeper states of relaxation and consciousness.