Week 9 - Consciousness, Sleep Flashcards
consciousness
awareness of ourselves and our environment.
dualism
idea that the mental and the physical are different ‘substances’
materialism/monism/reductionism
mental phenomena can be explained via descriptions of physical phenomena
AMO 1703-1759 CE
it is the body rather than the mind which perceives and feels
conscious awarness
combination of reciprocal exchange of information across multiple brain regions
cortical blindness
loss of vision in one or both eyes resulting from damage to the occipital cortex (either acquired or congenital)
Area V5
is responsible for processing visual motion, through feedback to early visual cortex (V1)
Global Neuronal Workspace Theory
Neurons share information from broad sets of brain regions (e.g. frontal, inferior parietal and occipital regions) over space and time, converging on a single conscious experience
Information Integration Theory
Integrated/shared information across regions in itself is consciousness. The simpler the shared information, the less ‘conscious’ an organism is
Social Neuroscience Theory
Our success as an organism depends on our ability to predict the behavior of ourselves and others. We have an internal brain mechanism that constructs models of peoples’ attention and intention. We also direct this at ourselves which produces our conscious experience of ourselves
mindfulness (high awareness)
nonjudgmental, yet attentive mental state that is a relatively higher form of awareness / consciousness
cue (low awareness)
a stimulus that has a particular significance to the perceiver (e.g., a sight or a sound that has special relevance to the person who saw or heard it)
hypnosis
the state of consciousness whereby a person is highly responsive to the suggestions of another; this state usually involves a dissociation with one’s environment and an intense focus on a single stimulus, which is
usually accompanied by a sense of relaxation
hypnotherapy
use of hypnotic techniques such as relaxation and suggestion to help engineer desirable change such as lower pain or quitting smoking.
psychoactive drugs (hallucinogens)
alter a person’s perceptions, often by creating hallucinations that are not real or distorting their perceptions of time.
Perceptual distortions Temporal distortions Euphoria Rambling thoughts Excessive laughter Hunger
psychoactive drugs (stimulants)
speed up the body’s physiological and
mental processes
Increased alertness Increased attention Higher Energy Anger Paranoia Psychosis
psychoactive drugs (depressants)
slow down the body’s physiological and
mental processes
Reduced inhibition Numbed pain Loss of balance Poor coordination Poor judgment Euphoria
circadian rhythms
physiological sleep-wake cycle. It is influenced by exposure to sunlight as well as daily schedule and
activity. Biologically, it includes changes in body
temperature, blood pressure and blood sugar.
melatonin
hormone associated with increased drowsiness and sleep
awake
High frequency, low intensity beta waves
As you fall asleep, these change to alpha waves, less frequent, but more consistent and intense
sleep onset
This is when you are beginning to fall asleep
Characterized by theta waves
light sleep
Features high intensity sleep spindles (important for memory)
slow wave sleep
Muscle relaxation
Rapid delta waves start to appear
rem sleep
The body is essentially paralyzed
Brain waves similar to being awake, but we are dreaming
