1. States of Consciousness
Carolynn DuBois
Period 1 AP Psych

2. Definition of Consciousness
William James referred to consciousness as the stream of thought
It serves two functions:
1. Monitoring ourselves and our relationship with our environment
2. Plans our responses to the information gathered by monitoring

3. Levels of Consciousness
PRECONSCIOUS: contains info available to consciousness, stores automatic behaviors
SUBLIMNAL: a form of preconscious processing when we are faced with stimuli so rapidly, we are unaware of it.
SUBCONSCIOUS/UNCONSCIOUS: the level at which information is stored that is too difficult to deal with (repressed ideas or memories)

4. SLEEP! Is an altered state of consciousness
Follows a 24 hour pattern due to circadian rhythms
Divided into stages based on brain wave patterns measured by EEGs (electroencephalograms) that show the electrical activities of the brain

5. Sleep Stages Each sleep cycle is about 90 minutes long
Before sleep: awake, relaxed, ALPHA WAVES
Drifting off: Stage 1, small irregular BETA
Deeper sleep: THETA
Even deeper: Stage 2, skeletal muscles relax SLEEP SPINDLES, broken up by large, slow K COMPLEXES
Stages 3 and 4: DELTA WAVES
Rapid Eye Movement: REM , eyes move vigorously, associated with dreaming, very deep sleep
Each sleep cycle is about 90 minutes long

6. Sleep Disorders
Insomnia is a lack of sleep that can take the form of the inability to sleep or maintain sleep
Narcolepsy-inability to stay awake
Sleep apnea- breathing stops breathing while sleeping
Somnambulism- a.ka. Sleepwalking
Activation-synthesis hypothesis- proposed that dreams are the product of our awareness of neural activity due to sensory input while we sleep

7. Hypnosis
An altered state of consciousness in which the hypnotized person is relaxed and open to suggestion
Has some clinical applications: extraction of memories, posthypnotic suggestion to treat pain or stop a bad habit

8. Psychoactive Drug Overview
Produce altered states of consciousness
Include CNS Depressants, CNS Stimulants,
Narcotics-substances derived from the opium plant
hallucinogens-drugs that induce illusions and hallucinations
Barbiturates are drugs that inhibit neural arousal centers