ConsciousnessChapter 3Consciousness:Everything of which we are aware at any given time- thoughts- feelings- sensations- external stimuliAltered State of Consciousness--changes in awareness produced by- sleep- meditation- hypnosis-drugsALTERED STATE- brain is different when looked at during sleep and consciousnessThe Influences of Circadian RhythmsCircadian Rhythm- regular fluctatuation from high to low points of acertain bodily functons and behaviorsAffects functions ofBlood pressureHeart rateAppetiteSecretion of hormones and digestive enzymesSensory acuityEliminationBody’s response to medicationSleepUnderstanding of sleep increased by the study of:- brain waves- eye movements- chin muscle tension- heart rate- respiration rateTwo types of sleep: REM sleep (only stage) & Non- REM sleepNon-REM Sleep Cycles (4 stages)Stage 1 – still asleep, not awake or drowsy- Lightest sleep- “hyponogogic” state (mcoclonia- startle awake feeling or falling)- easy to wake up – if roommate comes through door, you will wake up- theta waves occur- Stage 2- Somewhat more deeply asleep- mid-sleep- sleep spindles occur- K complex occurs- alittle harder to wake up but can be woken up obviously- ** MOST of night is in deep sleep (stages 3 and 4) **Stage 3- deep sleep- resting- brain is resting- evetything slows down (heart rate and breathingare slow and regular)- delta waves 20%- slow wave/deep sleep beginsStage 4 - deepest sleep- delta waves reach nearly 100%- if alarm goes off, crappy morning because you are in this stage and not in REM sleep- blood pressure and brain activity at lowest points in 24 hour period- REM SleepRapid Eye Movement sleep- called active sleep or paradoxical sleep- 20-25% of a nights sleep- also alled dream sleep because most DREAMING occurs hereInternally:- intense brain activity- brain temp rises rapidly- brain gets really active- epinephrine release leads to increases in blood pressure, heart rate, respiration** when woken up in rem sleep, will remember dream and can tell you about it **Externally:- body appears calm- large muscles become paralyzed- eyes dart around- dreaming occurs in 80% of people-** 90 minutes in NON REM and 90 minutes in REM = 3 HOURS of sleep ** gives you 1 REM sleep = better performance on a test than staying up and studying all night ** will take the knowledge and solitify it During REM sleep, the brain conducts- Consolidation of learning and memory – all night studying doesn’t help- Perceptual or motor skills increase after 8-10 hours of sleep-The true function of REM sleep is a mysterySleep DeprivationCauses Difficulty concentratingGeneral irritability Decreases cognitive functioningImpairs learningLong-term health effects- immune system impairmentTechnically could be fatal- anaimal studiesCauses many accidents and fatalities** story like dreams = REM sleep- sometimes 20 minute naps (when extremely tired) you go right into REM sleep **REM sleep may be most important?REM ReboundAfter a period of sleep deprivation: intensity and length of REM sleep increases- often associated with unpleasant dreams or nightmares - Alcohol, amphetamines, cocaine, and LSD use suppress REM sleep and results in REM rebound **Variations in SleepInfants and young children – sleep the most- 16hrs a day- have the highest amount of REM and slow wave sleep- spend most of their time in REM and deep sleepsAges 6-puberty – sleep and awake same time daily- most consistentAdolescents- us- sleep patterns are influenced by schedules- need sleep for brain growth- poor sleep may contribute to poor school performanceWhy do we sleep?Restorative theory: sleep serves the function of restoring the body and mindSurvival theory: sleep evolved to keep humans out of harms way during thr dark of nightWe really don’t know why we sleep- we restore – and give body/brain a break- non-rem gives that a purpose (brain and body are resting)- REM sleep allows for brain growth and development but not really restful DreamsREM Dream- continually dreaming during REM sleep- REM dreams have story-like qualities- more vivid, visual and emotional than NREM dreamsNREM Dream- less frequent than REM dreams- less memorable than REM dreams- Lucid DreamsA dream where individual is aware of dreaming and whose content the individual is often able to influence while dreaming Lucid DreamsNext time you wake up during a dream, try the following the steps to see if you can engage in lucid dreaming.RelaxClose your eyes and focus on an imaginary spot in your field of vision.Focus on your intention to have a lucid dreamTell yourself that you’re going to dream about whatever you want.Imagine yourself in a dream of the type you want to have.Repeat the steps until you fall asleep.Interpreting Dreams1. Freudian Interpretation: believed dreams satisfy unconscious sexual and aggressive desires and so must be disguised- everything is symbolicManifest Content- the content of a dream as recalled by the dreamerEx 1: womean dreams she is enjoying a train ride. It’s a btuaiful day. Suddenly, it turns dark and the train enters a tunnel and the woman is scaredLatent Content- the underlying meaning of the dream Ex 1: the train represents a penis and the tunnel is a vagina She is afraid of sex2. Problem-Focused Interpretation: dreams are an expression of current ongoing concerns and can resolve or clarify current problems.Example 1: Dream: college student dreams that the car she just bought has been stolen and she cant find it. She is very upsetand afraidProblem focuses- car is new found adult responsibilities.3. Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis- dreams are the brains attempt to make sense of the random firing of brain cells during sleep- people impose meaning on the random mental activity- even if we impose meaning on a dream, does that mean it doesn’t meananything?Sleep Phenomena – ParasomniasSomnambulism (sleepwalking)- occurs during partial arousal from stage 4 sleep-Sleep terror – happens during partial arousal from stage 4 sleep- usually begins with a piercing screamNightmares Somniloquy (Sleeptalking) – occurs during any sleep stage- is more frequent among childrenMajor Sleep DisordersNarcolepsy – an incurable sleep disorder- characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and incontrollableattacks of REM sleep- Sleep apnea – periods during sleep when breathing stops- the individual must awaken brieflyin order to breathe- usually obese, not all- never feel well restedInsomnia- difficulty falling or
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