I. Understanding ConsciousnessA. Consciousness: The personal awareness of thoughts, sensations, memories, and the external world■ William James: likened it to a “stream” that is perceived as unified or unbrokenB. Levels of Awareness■ Controlled Processes: require focused, maximum attention■ Automatic Processes: require minimal attention■ Subconscious: below conscious awareness, such as sleeping and dreaming■ No Awareness: being in a coma under anesthesiaC. Circadian Rhythm: Biological processes that systematically vary over a period of about 24 hours■ Researchers have identified more than 100 bodily process that rhythmically peak and dip each day■ When time cues are removed, our sleep-wake cycle averages about 25 hours■ Jet lag and rotating work schedules are common examples of activities that disrupt normal circadian rhythmsII. Sleep PatternsA. Studying Sleep: Researchers use an EEG to detect and record brain-wave changes during the sleep cycle■ EEG recordings show that sleep consists of a repeating pattern of distinct stagesB. Two Basic Types of Sleep■ REM: active sleep associated with dreaming1. Characterized by active eye movements and the loss of muscle movement which prevents the sleeper from acting out dreams2. The amount of REM sleep changes during our life span with infants getting 40%, adults 20%, and the elderly at 14% of their sleeping time spent in REM.■ NREM: (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) quiet sleep with slowing brain activity1. Stage 1: Light sleep that lasts only a few minutes, slow heart rate and decreasing blood pressure2. Stage 2: Lasts 15-20 minutes with a short bursts of rapid brain waves3. Stage 3 and 4: Deep sleep lasting 20-40 minutes with low levels of breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate.C. Sleep Cycles■ In a typical night an average person has five 90-minute cycles. The first cycle is short but as the night progresses the REM phases get longer and less time is spent in NREM.III. Theories of SleepA. The Restoration Theory of Sleep■ Sleep rejuvenates the mind and body■ REM sleep restores brain functions while NREM restores the physicalB. Adaptation Theory of Sleep■ Says sleep patterns evolved so both human and nonhuman animals could conserve energy and avoid predators■ They argue sleep is a necessary part of the circadian cycles.IV. Theories of DreamsA. Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic View■ In The Interpretation of Dreams, Freud said dreams were the “the road to the unconscious.”■ Freud believed dreams provide insight into the unconscious by expressing hidden desires and conflicts■ He believed dreams contain a story the consists of symbols and the symbols disguise the dream’s true meaning and that the hidden or latent content has the real unconscious meaning.B. The Activation-Synthesis■ Allan Hobson believed the dreaming brain is responding to its own internally generated signals. He believed dream meanings were from analyzing the personal way in which a dream organizes images.V. Sleep DisordersA. Insomnia: the most common sleep disorder■ Characterized by persistent problems in falling asleep, staying awake, or awakening too earlyB. Sleep Apnea: common in overweight men over 50. ■ Characterized by loud snoring, irregular breathing, and gasping for airC. Sleep Walking: more common in children than adults■ Occurs during stage 3 or 4 NREM sleepD. Narcolepsy■ Falling asleep easily, example: sleeping in the middle of a conversation, or at the dinner tableE. Night Terrors■ Upsetting nocturnal experiences that occur most often in preschool-age children during deep non-REM sleepVI. Hypnosis: An altered state of consciousness in which the individual is highly relaxed and susceptible to suggestions and intense focusA. Practical Applications:■ Reduce stress and anxiety■ Treat chronic pain■ Manage pain during medical and dental procedure■ Used to lose weight and stop smokingB. Limitations■ Can’t be hypnotized against one’s will■ Can’t make people violate their moral valuesC. Explanation of Hypnosis■ Dissociation: Ernest Hilgard’s experiment showed a divided consciousness exists where subjects can consciously respond, but also be able to sense the world around them, ie his experiment with cold water.■ Social Influence Theory: Says there is no hypnotic trance, but a person “acting out” the role of a hypnotic subjectVII. Psychoactive DrugsA. Key Terms■ Psychoactive drugs: chemicals that change conscious awareness, mood, and/or perception■ Agonistic drugs: enhance a neurotransmitter’s effect■ Antagonistic drugs: inhibit a neurotransmitter’s effect■ Withdrawal: the painful experience associated with stopping the use of addictive drugs■ Tolerance: bodily adjustment to higher and higher levels of a drug, which leads to decreased sensitivityB. Depressants■ Act on the brain by decreasing bodily processes, reducing reaction times and causing a feeling of well being■ Alcohol, barbiturates, and anti-anxiety drugs, such as Valium, are all depressants■ Alcohol is the most used and abused depressant and in any amount is always a depressant■ The psychological effects of alcohol are strongly influenced by the user’s expectationsC. Stimulants■ Act on the brain by producing alertness, excitement, elevate mood, and general responsiveness■ Caffeine, nicotine, amphetamine, and cocaine are all stimulants■ Each year over 400,000 Americans die from smoking-related illnesses. Smoking plays a role in causing bronchitis, emphysema, and heart disease.■ Cocaine is a highly addictive and particularly dangerous stimulant.D. Opiates■ Numb the senses and relieve pain■ Morphine, heroin, and codeine are all opiates.■ They are extremely addictive and withdrawal is excruciatingly painful■ Produce sensory or perceptual distortions called hallucinations■ Marijuana and LSD are the