Altered states of consciousness

Do Now 5 Questions 5 Minutes

Meditation Reduces stress Enter “trance” state Focus on some object Mantra deeper state of relaxation or awareness Prayer

Biofeedback Biofeedback is a form of alternative medicine that involves measuring a subject's quantifiable bodily functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, skin temperature, sweat gland activity, and muscle tension, conveying the information to the patient in real-time. This raises the patient's awareness and conscious control of their unconscious physiological activities.

Hypnosis Hypnosis definition Who is susceptible? Procedure in which a researcher, clinician, or hypnotists suggests that a person will experience changes in sensation, perceptions, thoughts, feelings, or behaviors Who is susceptible? individuals with the remarkable ability to respond to imaginative suggestions best known test: Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale asks individuals to carry out a series of both simple and complex suggestions high scorers are usually easily hypnotized

Hypnosis Behaviors Hypnotic analgesia refers to a reduction in pain reported by clients after they had undergone hypnosis and received suggestions that reduced their anxiety and promoted relaxation Posthypnotic suggestion given to the subject during hypnosis about performing a particular behavior to a specific cue when the subject comes out of hypnosis

Hypnosis Posthypnotic amnesia not remembering what happened during hypnosis if the hypnotist suggested that, upon awakening, the person would forget what took place during hypnosis Age regression refers to subjects under hypnosis being asked to regress, or return in time, to an earlier age, such as early childhood Imagined perception refers to experiencing sensations, perceiving stimuli, or performing behaviors that come from one’s imagination

Hypnosis Medical and therapeutic applications Medical and dental use used to reduce pain through hypnotic analgesia, to reduce fear and anxiety by helping individuals relax, or to help patients deal with a terminal disease by motivating them to make the best of a difficult situation Therapeutic and behavioral uses useful in helping clients reveal their personalities, gain insights into their lives, and arrive at solutions to their problems Useful, temporarily, in cessation of smoking, weight loss

DRUGS

Psychological v. Physical dependence Drug Tolerance The diminishing effect with regular dose of the same dose. Must take more of same drug to produce same effect Psychological v. Physical dependence

Withdrawal

Psychoactive Drugs Psychoactive Drugs: chemical substances that alter perceptions and mood Depressants: reduces neural activity and slow body functions. Stimulants: excite neural activity and arouse/speed up body functions. Hallucinogens: distort perceptions or evoke sensation without sensory input.

Depressants Alcohol Slows down sympathetic nervous system. Disrupts memory processing (short to long term memory). Impairs judgment Reduces self-awareness. Involved in up to 60% of all crimes. The worst drug from a macro perspective out there.

Depressants Barbiturates Tranquilizers Mimic the effects of alcohol Taken to sleep (but reduce REM sleep) and anxiety. Impair judgment and memory Taken with other drugs- you can get a synergistic effect.

Depressants Opiates (opium) Heroin and morphine Breathing slows, user becomes lethargic Addition comes fast and the withdrawal symptoms are bad

Stimulants Amphetamines (Speed) Methamphetamines Cocaine Crack Ecstasy “the crash” Headaches Irritability Insomnia Hypertension Depression Fatigue Increased heart rate and breathing rate Pupils dilate Appetite diminishes Energy and self confidence rise

Hallucinogens LSD (Acid) Can cause PTSD and schizophrenia. Geometric patterns Hallucinations Delusions Flashbacks…trippin’ years after stop using

Hallucinogens Marijuana THC (Tetrahydrocannabinl) Difficult to classify Can amplify senses Impairs motor coordination, perceptual skills, and reaction time Disrupts memory formation Chemicals stay in the body for a month or longer

Near Death Experiences as altered states of consciousness Near-death experience is a state of consciousness reported after being close to death.  These same experiences, such as seeing bright tunnels, are often experienced from LSD (drug hallucination) or oxygen deprivation. Out-of-body sensations Traveling toward the light Dualists interpret experiences as evidence of human immortality Monists believe that such experiences parallel reports of hallucinations and may be products of a brain under stress

The Mouse Party

Sleep Disorder Projects Research information on a specific sleep disorder. Once you have collected your information begin creating your visual (how you plan to present this information) By the end of your project you should have all requirements that are listed on the directions and rubric (self-check) After you create your presentation, practice and review– be prepared to present to the class