States of Consciousness Sleep Stages, Sleep Disorders and Addiction

Sleep Stages Alpha waves – awake but relaxed (when you lay down to go to sleep) Stage 1 – brief period, hallucinations, falling, etc. (hypnagogic sensations) Stage 2 – about 20 minutes, sleep spindles, sleeptalking Stage 3 – transitional stage before stage 4, a few minutes (delta waves start – large slow waves) Stage 4 – delta waves increase, 30 minutes About an hour after sleep, you fall out of the stages, first with stage 3, then stage 2, then REM sleep – 10 minutes

Sleep Disorders Insomnia Narcolepsy Sleep apnea Night terrors

Drugs and Consciousness Addiction

Words/Terms You Should Know Psychoactive drug Tolerance Withdrawal Physical dependence Psychological dependence Addiction

Incentive-Sensitization Theory of Addiction Stage 1 – Pleasure Using drug gives pleasure, user likes the experience Stage 2 – Associative Learning Mental representations of objects, acts, places and events related to the drug are linked with pleasure. Formerly neutral stimuli now are highly positive (classical conditioning). Stage 3 – Incentive Salience Cues linked with drug use are now sought after. Acts that led to, may lead to drug taking are now appealing in their own right. Repeating the drug taking leads from liking that act to wanting it regardless of consequences.

The Change from Wanting vs. Liking Wanting – like craving Liking – pleasure produced by the drug Dependency in terms of Incentive-Sensitization Theory Initial try of drug - Mild liking and wanting due to pleasure mixed with side effects Repeated use – Tolerance for liking, liking decreases. Increases dosage in attempt to increase liking. Over time little liking felt, wanting dominates user’s behavior. User is conditioned to the stimuli associated with drug-taking (needles, druggie friends, places, etc.) Encounters with these cues (not drug) initiates wanting.

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