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“His was a great sin who first invented consciousness. Let us lose it for a few hours. ” F. Scott Fitzgerald Altered States of Consciousness AP PSYC HOLOGY MS. BROWN MYERS – CH. 7

Consciousness Our awareness of ourselves and our environment (constantly processing information) Conscious Processing (aware) Unconscious Processing (unaware) • Slow, sequenced • Limited capacity • Good at problem solving • Fast • Parallel tracks simultaneously

Altered States of Consciousness is a continuum ranging from alertness to unconsciousness. Manic alertness High alertness Waking Consciousness Drowsiness and daydreaming REM (dreaming) sleep Non-REM sleep Coma and vegetative state

Sleep “I LOVE SLEEP. MY LIFE HAS THE TENDENCY TO FALL APART WHEN I’M AWAKE, YOU KNOW? ” - ERNEST HEMINGWAY

Biological Rhythms Periodic physiological fluctuations ◦ controlled by your “biological clock” Circadian rhythm - regular bodily rhythms that occur in a 24 -hour period

Circadian Rhythm – Fun Facts Light processed by retina triggers brain to increase/decrease production of melatonin Can be disrupted/reset by adjusting sleep schedule ◦ Jetlag, sleeping in late, etc Our bodies naturally operate on a 24 hour 11 minute rhythm HOWEVER the earth’s rotation occurs in 24 hour cycles Maybe why we always feel tired! ◦ Artificial light delays sleep – if secluded from natural light, but still exposed to artificial light 25 hour cycle

Sleep Stages Sleep - periodical, natural, reversible loss of consciousness 5 Stages (90 min cycles) ◦ ◦ ◦ 1 2 3 4 REM Awake/relaxed ◦ Just before you fall asleep ◦ Alpha waves

Stage 1 irregular brain waves (typical of unremembered moments) Slowed breathing Sleep talking Hallucinations – sensory experiences without sensory stimuli ◦ feeling of free falling to be awoken by a jerk

Stage 2 20 minutes into sleep cycle Periodic appearance of sleep spindles (bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain wave activity)

Stage 3 Transition stage, Lasts only several minutes Begin to produce large delta waves – the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep

Stage 4 Combined with stage 3 to last about 30 minutes Delta waves – deep sleep Hard to awaken Sleepwalking, bedwetting, or night terrors

REM Sleep REM sleep – rapid eye movement sleep during which dreams commonly occur Ascend through stages 4, 3, 2. Paradoxical sleep - motor cortex is active, but blocks movement messages – essentially paralyzed Sharp, short brain waves Heart rate and breathing rise Eyes dart around behind the lids Gets longer throughout the night Hallucinatory dreams – vivid, story-like

Why do we sleep? Evolutionary - protection Recuperation - body and brain Memory - Shed unimportant info, strengthen important info Growth - Growth hormone – babies sleep more

Why Sleep? Not everyone needs “ 8 hrs” (newborns vs teens vs adults)

1. Am I Sleep Deprived? – True or False I need an alarm clock in order to wake up at the appropriate time. 2. It’s a struggle for me to get out of bed in the morning. 3. Weekdays mornings I hit the snooze button several times to get more sleep. 4. I feel tired, irritable, and stressed out during the week. 5. I have trouble concentrating and remembering. 6. I feel slow with critical thinking, problem solving, and being creative. 7. I often fall asleep watching TV. 8. I often fall asleep after heavy meals. 9. I often fall asleep within 5 minutes of getting in bed. 3+ T’s = YOU NEED MORE SLEEP! 10. I often fall asleep while relaxing after dinner. 11. I often fall asleep in lectures or warm rooms. 12. I often sleep extra hours on weekend mornings. 13. I often need a nap to get through my day. 14. I have dark circles around my eyes. 15. I often feel drowsy while driving.

Sleep Deprivation Depression Irritability Decreased alertness and concentration Increase likelihood of accidents

Sleep Disorders - Insomnia Recurring problems in falling/staying asleep Natural and drug treatments

Sleep Disorders - Narcolepsy Uncontrollable sleep attacks by falling into REM sleep at inappropriate times ◦ ~5 min ◦ 1 in 2, 000 ◦ Brain malfunctions ◦ Underproduction of orexin – brain chemical that signals alertness ◦ Reticular formation ◦ Medication can help

Sleep Disorders – Sleep Apnea Temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings ◦ 1 in 20 ◦ Typically overweight men ◦ Irritability due to awakenings Treatment - weight loss or mask that pumps air to keep airway open

Sleep Disorders – Night Terrors High arousal and an appearance of being terrified ◦ Stage 4, not REM (like nightmares) ◦ Intense fear, panic, and movement ◦ Mostly in children Sleep Infographic

Dreams “DREAMING IS A PHENOMENON OF PURELY INDIVIDUAL CONSCIOUSNESS, AND CONSEQUENTLY IMPOSSIBLE TO THOROUGHLY DECONSTRUCT BY A COMMUNITY OF RESEARCHERS. BUT DREAMING MATTERS. ” -ANDREW WEIL

Dreams Sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts during REM sleep Lucid dreaming – awareness of dreaming while dreaming Modern theories: ◦ Information processing - to file away or shed memories ◦ To develop or strengthen neural pathways ◦ Activation synthesis theory – no meaning to dreams, just making sense of random neural static

Freud’s Levels of Consciousness Conscious ◦ Perception, thoughts Preconscious ◦ Memories, stored knowledge Unconscious ◦ Unavailable/hidden ◦ Repressed memories, dangerous/sexual desires ◦ Protection from anger, guilt, shame

Freud’s Dream theory We dream to satisfy or wrestle with unconscious wishes and desires ◦ Manifest content – the remembered storyline of a dream ◦ Latent content – the underlying meaning of a dream ◦ Unconscious drives and wishes that would be threatening if expressed directly Freud – dreams are the key to understanding the unconscious Modern scientists – Unscientific, everyone can interpret dreams differently Crash Course – Sleeping and Dreaming

Complete the Attitudes on Hypnosis Questionnaire. Wait for instructions on how to calculate your score. 1. 2. 3. 4. Reverse the value given to statements 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14. Then add all values for the 14 questions. Scores can range from 14 to 98. Higher scores reflect more positive attitudes toward hypnosis. Do you have past knowledge or a personal experience that influenced your answers in the questionnaire? Hypnosis

Hypnosis A social interaction in which one person (hypnotist) suggests to another (subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur ◦ SNL Hypnotist Post-hypnotic suggestion – suggestion made during a hypnosis session to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized Power of hypnosis lies in the subject’s openness to suggestion

FAQ - Hypnosis Can anyone experience hypnosis? ◦ Kind of – depends on suggestibility and belief ◦ Highly suggestible people usually have rich imaginations/fantasies, often become engrossed in novels, movies, storylines

FAQ - Hypnosis Can hypnosis enhance recall of forgotten events/memories? ◦ No – highly suggestible people can fall victim to leading questions from hypnotist ◦ Hypnotic evidence is not credible in a court of law

FAQ - Hypnosis Can hypnosis force people to act against their will? ◦ Sort of – depends on the suggestibility of the subject and/or the desire to conform to the “orders” of an authoritative figure

FAQ - Hypnosis Can hypnosis be therapeutic? ◦ Yes – has alleviated headaches, skin disorders, asthma (possibly a placebo effect) ◦ No – does not help addictions to alcohol, drugs, or tobacco (more biologically rooted)

FAQ - Hypnosis Can hypnosis alleviate pain? ◦ Yes – hypnotized patients in surgical experiments were found to require less medication, recover sooner, and leave the hospital earlier than nonhypnotized patients ◦ Possibly diverting attention away from pain rather then being in a hypnotic state

FAQ - Hypnosis Is Hypnosis an altered state of consciousness? ◦ Maybe…. 2 theories YES SYSK - Hypnosis NO