Chapter 5 Altered States of Consciousness

Bell ringer!!!!! Write down the most vivid dream that you have had recently. Try to recall specific details in your dream and what happened Once you are done put this sheet aside we will be using it again later

States of Consciousness Consciousness is a state of awareness. When we talk about altered states of consciousness we are talking about different levels of awareness Consciousness includes a person’s feelings, sensations, ideas and perceptions Sleep is a form of altered states of consciousness

Sleep stages Falling asleep will cause your body temperature to drop and your breathing and pulse rate to slow. This happens at stage one. In stage one your pulse rate slows a bit more and your muscles relax. Your breathing also becomes irregular along with your brain waves becoming irregular.

Stages of sleep In stage 1 if you are awakened you might say you were drifting off to sleep In stage 2 your eyes start to move from side to side. About thirty minutes later you enter into a deeper sleep in Stage 3 In this stage your breathing and pulse rate continues to slow

Stages of sleep Stage four is the deepest of all the stages and it is often difficult to awaken someone when they are in this stage About 75% of sleep time is spent in these first four stages Stages 1 through 4 are often called N.R.E.M. for non-rapid eye movement

R.E.M. Sleep After the first four stages you enter R.E.M. where your eyes begin to move rapidly underneath your eyelids Also in this stage your fingers twitch and your large muscles become paralyzed

R.E.M. Sleep During this stage is when most of your dreaming takes place R.E.M. sleep lasts for 15 to 45 minutes Humans spend approximately 1/3 of their lives sleeping. Newborns spend around 16 hours a day sleeping.

Interpretation of Dreams Now let’s go back to the dream you wrote down at the beginning of class. Remember our movie over Freud and how he interpreted dreams? Now we are going to do that as a class and share our responses. Go to Type in the google search box the major themes of your dream and write down underneath what you recall from the dream its meaning. Is it true or do you think it is way off base?

Sleep Disorders Circadian rhythms are rhythms of activity and inactivity lasting approximately 24 hours. Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which a person fails to get enough sleep at night. Someone with this disorder has the trouble falling asleep and or staying asleep

Sleep Disorders Sleep Apnea is when a person has frequent problems breathing while sleeping Narcolepsy is a condition characterized by someone suddenly falling asleep at any point in time.

Nightmares Nightmares are frightening dreams that occur during the REM stage of sleep. The sleeper usually has vivid memories of these dreams Night terrors occur during stage IV of sleep

Sleep These night terrors involve screaming, sweating, confusion, etc. However, the dreamer usually doesn’t remember night terrors Sleep walking is a disorder that involves walking or carrying out behaviors while asleep

Sleep Walking Sleep walking usually occurs in children, but adults may sleepwalk also Contrary to what many believe, it is not dangerous to awaken a sleep walker (think Step Brothers) Also contrary to what many believe, dreaming does not take place in a fraction of a second. In reality, dreams correspond to a realistic time scale.

Daydreaming and Hypnosis Daydreaming is also a form of ASC Hypnosis is a form of Altered Consciousness in which people become highly suggestible to changes in behavior and thought.

Hypnotism Anton Mesmer is said to have discovered hypnosis. In fact, it was originally called mesmerism. When someone is hypnotized, the hypnotist can often suggest things for their subjects to remember or forget when the trance is over. This is known as post- hypnotic suggestion.

Drugs and Alcohol Drugs interact with the Central Nervous System and can alter a person’s mood or behavior. Some drugs may cause hallucinations. This is when we hear, see, smell, taste and feel things that do not really exist. Hallucinogens are plants around the world that cause hallucinations when consumed

Drugs and Alcohol cont. These drugs are also called psychedlic drugs because they create a loss of touch with reality. The most potent known hallucinogen is LSD. Opiates include opium, morphine, and heroin. Opiates produce analgesia or pain reduction

ASC Barbiturates are popularly known as downers and are used for ailments such as insomnia, bedwetting, epilepsy and arthritis. Nicotine and Caffeine are very popular stimulants. Other stimulants include amphetamines and cocaine

Trends in Drug Use As trends in clothing and music pass by, so do trends in drugs. For example, drugs during the 60s that were popular included marijuana, PCP, and LSD. While marijuana has remained popular, PCP and LSD have virtually faded away During the 70s and 80s cocaine became the popular drug Most recently ecstasy became a popular drug among many people.