Introduction to Psychology Class 10 Consciousness Myers 187 208 June 27 2006 Consciousness Defined as awareness of ourselves and our environments Are we completely conscious when we drive cars Are we somewhat conscious when we dream Pick a card Selective attention Definition Focusing of conscious awareness on particular stimuli Cocktail Party Effect Change Blindness Conscious processing 5 senses 11 million bits of sensation information 40 are consciously processed Why do we need a perceptual filter Nonconscious influences Did participants recognize the music tunes Simple novel music tunes Prose passages Participant recites the prose out loud Did participants rate the music tunes they had been exposed to as more appealing than those that they had not been exposed to NO YES WHAT CONCLUSION COULD WE DRAW BASED ON THESE RESULTS Sleep Circadian rhythm body clock Light natural or artificial is the stimulus It causes neural activity in the hypothalamus SCN Results in fluctuations of substances like melatonin via the pineal gland Necessary for protection restoration and growth REM sleep Lasts 10 minutes out of every 90 minute sleep cycle 30 minutes in to sleep cycle 1 4th of total sleep Internal arousal heart genitals eyes and dreams nightmares External relaxation muscles Paradoxical sleep Sleep disorders Insomnia Narcolepsy Sleep apnea Night terrors Sleep talking Somnambulism Dreams Definition A sequence of images emotions and thoughts notable for hallucinatory imagery discontinuities and incongruities the dreamer s delusional acceptance of the content and later difficulty remembering it Manifest content Latent content Why we dream Wish fulfillment Sigmund Freud Information processing Consolidation of memories Activation synthesis Low level neural activity continues in sleep The brain want to make sense of these sensations Emotion related limbic system has a role Leads to the creation of the stories of dreams Hypnosis State of focus via hypnotic induction Suggestibility hypnotic susceptibility Post hypnotic suggestion Good for obesity and stress related skin disorders Bad for drug addictions including smoking What about positive suggestion Age regression deeply disputed Pain relief Dissociation or Selective Attention Psychoactive drugs Relaxation euphoria wakefulness alertness energy arousal enhanced sensation confidence disinhibition relief from pain Tolerance withdrawal physical dependence psychological dependence Myths The addiction is always rapid Therapy is a must Any repetitive pleasure seeking behavior is an addiction TYPE DRUG PLEASURABLE EFFECTS ADVERSE Alcohol Depressant Initial high relaxation disinhibition Depression memory loss organ damage Heroin Depressant Euphoria pain relief Caffeine Stimulant Alertness wakefulness Speed Stimulant Euphoria alertness energy Depressed physiology agonizing withdrawal High doses withdrawal are uncomfortable Irritability insomnia seizures high BP Cocaine Stimulant Stress on heart suspiciousness Nicotine Stimulant Euphoria confidence energy Arousal well being Heart disease cancer Ecstasy Stimulant Elevation disinhibition hallucinogen Dehydration mood and cognitive depression Enhanced sensation Mild hallucinogen pain relief time distortion relaxation Memory disruption lung damage from smoke Methamphetamine MDMA Marijuana Meditation Employed by all kinds of traditions Buddhism to New Age Lowers stress Hormones Cardiovascular Helps negotiate between prefrontal cortex and amygdala Increased gamma wave activity at rest They say dreams are only real while they last but how much more can we say about life
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