1. Altered States of Consciousness
CP PSYCHOLOGY
CHAPTER 7
Altered States of Consciousness
Section 7Q1
Richard Martel, NHS
Glencoe Publishers
Sleeping and Dreaming

2. Altered States of Consciousness (7Q1)
Sleeping and Dreaming
Consciousness
our awareness of ourselves and our environments
conscious processing (thinking) takes place sequentially as opposed to parallel unconscious processing

3. Altered States of Consciousness (7Q1)
Sleeping and Dreaming
There are 4 stages of quiet sleep and 1 stage of active sleep
Approx. 75% of sleep time is spent in stages 1 thru 4
Approximately 25% of sleep time is spent dreaming
Electroencephalograph (EEG) and other devices are used to measure sleep activity

4. Altered States of Consciousness (7Q1)
Sleeping and Dreaming
Stage 1: Pulse slows, muscles relax, sensation of “drifting”, lasts about 10 minutes
Stage 2: Slower brain waves, eyes move slowly side-to-side, lasts about 30 minutes
Stage 3: Deeper sleep, large delta brain waves every few seconds, varies in length
Stage 4: State of oblivion, delta brain waves 50% of the time, varies in length
REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep: (dreaming) cycles in and out after stage 4
Irregular breathing/pulse, adrenal and sex hormones increase, “ awake” brain waves

5. Altered States of Consciousness (7Q1)
Sleeping and Dreaming 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Sleep
stages
Awake
Hours of sleep
REM SLEEP

6. Altered States of Consciousness (7Q1)
Sleeping and Dreaming
Sleep Disorders: Narcolepsy, Sleep Apnea & Insomnia
Sleepwalking, bedwetting, talking, and night terrors occur in stage 4 without memory of it
People need less sleep as they get older
Babies need hours of sleep daily
Teens hours, adults 8 hours,
Seniors citizens need 5-6

7. Altered States of Consciousness (7Q1)
Sleeping and Dreaming
Effects of Sleep Loss
fatigue
impaired concentration
depressed immune system
greater vulnerability to accidents

8. Altered States of Consciousness (7Q1)
Sleeping and Dreaming
Dreams get longer throughout the night with the last one the most likely to be remembered
Dreams have a purpose according to many psychologists but they disagree on what it is
Sigmund Freud: First to thoroughly study dreams believing they fulfilled hidden wishes
Manifest Content of dreams comes from the re-living of the day’s events in your dreams
Latent Content of dreams comes from repressed unconscious desires, often of a sexual nature