Chapter 5: Variations in Consciousness

On the Nature of Consciousness Awareness of ________ and ________ Stimuli Variations on levels of _______ James – __________________ Freud – ______________ Sleep/dreaming research

The Electroencephalograph: A Physiological Index of Consciousness _______ – monitoring of brain electrical activity Brain-waves Amplitude (height) _________ (cycles per second) ____ (13-24 cps) Alpha (8-12 cps) ______ (4-7 cps) Delta (<4 cps)

Table 5.1 EEG Patterns Associated with States of Consciousness

Biological Rhythms and Sleep ___________________ – 24 hr biological cycles Regulation of sleep/other body functions Physiological pathway of the _________ clock: Light levels  retina  suprachiasmatic nucleus of hypothalamus  pineal gland  secretion of melatonin __________ circadian rhythms ___________ circadian rhythms

Sleep/Waking Research Instruments: _____________________ – brain electrical activity Electromyograph – muscle activity _____________________ – eye movements Other bodily functions also observed

Sleep Stages: Cycling Through Sleep Stage 1: brief, __________ (1-7 minutes) alpha  theta hypnic jerks Stage 2: _______________ (10-25 minutes) Stages 3 & 4: ________________ (30 minutes) Stage 5: ______, EEG similar to awake, ______ dreaming (first a few minutes, then longer) Developmental differences in REM sleep

Figure 5.3 An overview of the cycle of sleep

Age, Culture, and Sleep Age trends ______ : lots of sleep, lots of REM ______ : less sleep, less slow-wave sleep ________ variations Co-sleeping ________

Figure 5.4 Changes in sleep patterns over the life span

Figure 5.5 Cultural variations in how long people tend to sleep

Why Do We Sleep? Hypothesis 1: Sleep _______ to conserve organisms’ energy Hypothesis 2: ________________ during sleep is adaptive because it reduces danger Hypothesis 3: Sleep helps animals to restore _______ and other bodily ____________

Sleep Deprivation ________ deprivation 3 or 4 days max Partial deprivation or sleep restriction impaired _________, reaction time, coordination, and _____________ accidents: Chernobyl, Exxon Valdez Selective deprivation REM and slow-wave sleep: rebound effect

Sleep Problems _________ – difficulty falling or staying asleep Narcolepsy – falling asleep uncontrollably Sleep _______ – reflexive gasping for air that awakens person _______________ – sleepwalking

Figure 5.6 The vicious cycle of dependence on sleeping pills

The Nature and Contents of Dreams _______ – mental experiences during sleep _______ usually familiar Common __________ Waking life ________ – day residue Western vs. Non-Western interpretations

Figure 5.8 Three theories of dreaming

Hypnosis: Altered State of Consciousness or Role Playing? Hypnosis = a systematic procedure that increases suggestibility _____________________ : individual differences _____________ produced through hypnosis: _______ Sensory distortions and hallucinations ______________ Posthypnotic suggestions and amnesia

Meditation: Pure Consciousness or Relaxation ___________ = practices that train attention to heighten awareness and bring mental processes under greater ________ control Yoga, _____, transcendental meditation (TM) Potential __________ benefits Similar to effective ________ procedures

Principal Abused Drugs and Their Effects ___________ (opiates) – pain relieving Sedatives – sleep inducing ____________ – increase CNS activity Hallucinogens – distort sensory and perceptual experience _________ – produce mild, relaxed euphoria Alcohol – produces relaxed euphoria, decreases in inhibitions __________ – produces a warm, friendly euphoria

Table 5.2 Psychoactive Drugs: Methods of Ingestion, Medical Uses, and Effects

Mechanisms and Dependence Mechanisms of drug action Effects on ______________ Mesolimbic dopamine pathway Drug dependence _______ dependence ___________ dependence Drugs and ________

Figure 5.11 The “reward pathway” in the brain

Table 5.3 Psychoactive Drugs: Tolerance, Dependence, Potential for Fatal Overdose, and Health Risks