Altered States of Consciousness

Objectives  Describe the research related to sleep and dreams.  List and discus sleep disorders.

Consciousness  Consciousness = awareness  Philosophy  Mind/Body problem  Dualism  Materialism  Controlled Processes  Requires full awareness (talking on a phone)  Automatic Processes  Little awareness (driving while singing)  Experienced spontaneously, physiologically, and psychologically

Pre-Conscious  Daydreaming  Requires a low level of awareness, fantasizing – serve a purpose  (getting a haircut)

Consciousness  Altered States  Produces awareness that differs from normal consciousness (meditation, hypnosis, drugs, sleep)  Unconscious  Selfish needs  Immoral urges  Unacceptable desires

The Proof  Experiments demonstrate existence of levels  Priming = quick response  Mere-exposure effect = not consciously remember stimuli (Déjà vu)

Hypnosis  Increased suggestability to changes in behavior  History  Anton Mesmer = passing magnets  James Braid = coins term “hypnosis”  Jean Charcot = hysterical condition  Hippolyte Bernheim = result of suggestion  Clark Hull = first hypnosis lab  Used as psychological intervention, WWI/WWII

Hypnotic Ability  Openness to suggestion is key, expectancy  Correlates = fantasy, imagination  Effects  Inaccurate memories  Relaxed reflection  Posthypnotic amnesia

Hypnosis  Changes  Vivid imagination  Lack of initiation  Controversy  Comply with social demands  Split consciousness  Uses  Control undesired symptoms  Pain control  Treatment therapies

Meditation  Designed to create an altered state, characterized by inner peace and tranquility  Physiological effects  Slow breathing, heart rate, lower muscle tension, lower blood pressure, lower oxygen consumption  Correlates  Reduced anxiety levels  Reduced insomnia  Improved self-esteem

Sleep  Characteristics  Patterns follow circadian rhythm (biological clock)  Avg. 4-6, 90-minute cycles of NREM/REM  Need for sleep (Infants = 20 hrs.) (Adults = 6hrs.)  40-50% of sleep takes place in Stage 2

Stages of Sleep  Stage 1: slow pulse, relaxed muscles (drifting)  Stage 2: sleep spindles, heart rate decreases  Stage 3: sleep for minutes  Stage 4: deepest sleep  REM Sleep: the dream stage  The Hypnic jerk – common in sleep deprived people, during early stage – muscles misinterpret signals from RAS (relax)

Dreaming  Lucid dreaming – directing your own dreams  Freud  Dreams fulfill desires  Activation Synthesis theory  Random neural firings  Info Processing theory  Review problems faced during waking hours

Sleep Disorders  Insomnia – unable to sleep  Narcolepsy – suddenly fall asleep  Sleep apnea – briefly stop breathing  Nightmares/night terrors – screaming, confusion  Sleep walking/talking – linked to stress, fatigue