states of consciousness (module 16-19) Flashcards
sleep
a periodic, natural loss of consciousness
circadian rhythm
-our biological clock that operates on a 24 hour cycle
-wakefulness and temperature
how long does the sleep cycle last
90 minutes
REM sleep
-rapid eye movement sleep
-vivid dreams occurring during this stage
-genitals become aroused
why is REM sleep also known as paradoxical sleep?
-motor cortex is active but it’s messages become blocked by the brainstem
-muscles are relaxed even though our other body systems are active
alpha waves
relatively slow brainwaves of a relaxed and awake state
NREM sleep
-non-rapid eye movement sleep
-encompasses all sleep stages except REM
hallucincations
false sensory experiences such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus
hypnagogic sensations
bizarre experiences such as jerking or a feeling of falling or floating weightlessly while transitioning to sleep
delta waves
the large slow brain waves associated with the deep sleep of NREM3
NREM-1
-experience hallucinations and hypnagogic sensations
-alpha to theta waves
-lasts 5 to 10 minutes
NREM-2
-experience sleep spindles
-spend half of your night here
-theta waves
NREM-3
-deep sleep
-delta waves
-lasts about 30 minutes
sleep spindles
periodic bursts of brain activity during NREM 2
suprachiasmatic nucleus
-pair of cell clusters in hypothalamus that controls the circadian rhythm
-in response to light, SCN causes pineal gland to adjust melatonin production, affecting our feeling of sleepiness
sleep patterns are influenced by…
genetics
being bathed in light or deprived of light will..
disrupt our 24 hour clock
in the absence of light the SCN will cause…
the pineal gland to produce melatonin, causing feelings of sleepiness
why do we sleep?
-sleep protects
-sleep helps us recuperate
-sleep helps us restore memories
-sleep feeds creative thinking
-sleep supports growth
ultradian rhythms
occur more than once a day
infradian rhythms
occur once a month or a season
sleep deprivation
-increases ghrelin a hunger hormone and decreases leptin and hunger suppressor
-decreases metabolic (energy use) rate
-increases production of cortisol
-enhances limbic brain responses at the sight of food
insomnia
recurring problems in falling or staying asleep
nacrolepsy
sudden attacks of overwhelming sleepiness
sleep apnea
stopping breathing repeatedly while sleeping
sleepwalkin
-doing normal waking activities while asleep
-sleepwalking occurs in NREM3
night terrors
-appearing terrified, talking nonsense, walking around during NREM-3
-different from nightmares
as we grow older, NREM-3…
diminishes as well as night terrors and sleep walking
dream
a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind
trauma and dreams
after suffering a trauma, people commonly report nightmares, which helps extinguish daytime fears
musicians dreams
musicians report twice as many dreams of music
blind people’s dreams
studies in four countries have found blind people dreaming of using their nonvisual senses
media experiences and dreams
participants who consume violent media have had more violent dreams
our two track mind continues to monitor our environment while we sleep so…
sensory stimuli may be woven into a dream’s story
manifest content
the symbolic remembered storyline of a dream
latent content
the underlying meaning of a dream
freud wish fulfillment
dreams preserves sleep and provide a “psychic safety valve”
information processing
dreams help us sort out the days events and consolidate our memories
physiological function
regular brain stimulation from REM sleep may help develop and preserve neural pathways
activation synthesis
REM sleep triggers neural activity that evokes random visual memories, which our sleeping brain weaves into stories
cognitive development
our level of cognitive development(knowledge and understanding) is reflected in our dreams
REM rebound
the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation
psychoactive drug
chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods
substance use disorder
a disorder characterized by continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk
tolerance
the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug
withdrawal
the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing an addictive drug behavior
depressant
drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions
alcohol use disorder
alcohol use marked by tolerance, withdrawal, and a drive to continue problematic use
t or f? alcohol can be both a depressant and stimulant
FALSE: alcohol is always a depressant
the three major catergories of drugs are
depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens
effects of alcohol include
-slowed neural processing
-memory disruption
-reduced self-awareness
-expectancy effects
barbituates
-drugs that depress central nervous system
-reduce anxiety but impair memory and judgement
opiates
-drugs derived from opium
-depress neural activity and temporarily less pain and anxiety
nicotine
a stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco
stimulants
drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions
amphetamines
drugs that stimulate neural activity causing accelerated body functions with associated energy and mood swings
hallucinogens
psychedelics drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
near-death experience
-an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death
-often similar to drug induced hallucinations
alcohol
-depressant
-initial high followed by relaxation and disinhibition
-depression, memory loss, organ damage, impaired reactions
heroin
-depressant
-rush of euphoria and pain relief
-depressed physiology and agonizing withdrawal
caffiene
-stimulant
-increased alertness and wakefulness
-anxiety, restlessness, insomnia in high doses
nicotine
-stimulant
-arousal and relaxation
-can cause heart disease or cancer
cocaine
-stimulant
-rush of euphoria, confidence, energy
-cardiovascular stress, suspiciousness, depressive crash
metamphetamine
-stimulant
-euphoria, alertness, energy
-irritability, insomnia, hypertension, seizures
ecstasy/MDMA
-stimulant/mild hallucinogen
-emotional elevation, disinhibition
-dehydration, impaired cognitive and immune functioning
LSD
-hallucinogen
-visual “trip”
-risk of panic
marijuana/THC
-mild hallucinogen
-enhanced sensation, relief of pain, distortion of time, relaxation
-impaired learning and memory and increased risk of psychological disorders
