PSYCHOLOGY SSC 210 States of Consciousness Zahbia Sarfraz

PSYCHOLOGY – SSC 210 States of Consciousness Zahbia Sarfraz Lahore School of Economics

What is Consciouness? �A state of awareness of: - The sights and sounds of the outside world - Our feelings - Our thoughts - Our own consciousness � Consciousness is: - Personal - Can be selective - Continuous and ever-changing

Common States of Consciousness � Wide awake and thinking � Daydreaming � Hypnosis � High on drugs � Dreaming

Divided Consciousness � Divided consciousness: the splitting off of two conscious activities that occur simultaneously � The ability to focus awareness on a single stimulus to the exclusion of other stimuli

The Unconscious Mind � Unconscious mind: mental processes that occur without conscious awareness � Cocktail party phenomenon - you are in a room with more than one person talking and you mostly listen to one person tuning out other voices � Evidence that other noises reach your brain even though we are never consciously aware of it

The Unconscious Mind � - - Andrew Mathews and Colin Maclead (1986): Participants listen to 2 messages – 1 in each earphone Asked to ignore messages from 1 & repeat the other Nonthreatening words (friend) and threatening words (e. g. assault) presented Asked to keep eye on screen & press key when the word ‘press’ appeared on screen Results: when threatening word presented in the earphone that was being ignored, subjects pressed key less quickly than otherwise Conclusion: ignored words were being processed without conscious awareness

Stages of Sleep � 5 stages of sleep First four stages are non-REM q Fifth and final stage is REM q � Stage 1 Brain activity: beta to alpha to theta (by end of stage) q Hypnagogic state: relaxed state of dreamlike awareness between wakefulness and sleep q ‘twilight’ state: neither daydreaming nor dreaming q Myoclonia: abrupt movement sometimes occurs during this state; sleeper experiences a sense of falling q Lasts about ten minutes q Begin to lose voluntary control over body movements, sensitivity to outside stimuli diminishes, thoughts less bound by reality. q

Stages of Sleep � Stage 2 EEG pattern: even slower and larger waves; periodic short bursts of activity called ‘sleep spindles’ q More relaxed q Rolling eye movements stop q Less easily disturbed q If someone makes noise, brain will register but probably will not wake up q About 20 minutes q

Stages of Sleep � Stage 3&4 Hard to distinguish from each other - differ only in degree q EEG: onset of very slow waves with large peaks – ‘delta waves’ – last for about 30 minutes q Sleep walking or talking occurs during this stage q � After stage 4 – go back to 3 and 2 and then go to stage 5

� Stage 5 Stages of Sleep EEG: short, high frequency beta waves (similar to those when you are awake) q Blood flow to the brain increases q Breathing and pulse rates speed up q Muscles are totally relaxed q Rapid eye movements: eyelids shut but eyeballs moving frantically back and forth q Subjects sleeping awakened during: - non REM stages report dreams about half the time - REM stages report dreams about 80% of the time � REM dreams are visual, vivid, detailed and storylike. �

Why do we sleep? � Restorative theories ◦ Sleep rejuvenates us �Amount of slow wave sleep depends on how long we’ve been awake � Circadian theories ◦ Evolutionarily, it has survival value � REM sleep plays an essential role in consolidation of newly learned information from the day before

What are Dreams? � Dreams are electrochemical events that involve the brainstem, the cortex and the eyes � Why do we have dreams? � What, if anything, do they mean? � Can you guess the three most common themes?

Content of Dreams � Common themes Falling q Being chased or attacked q Repeatedly trying but failing to do something q

Content of Dreams � What influences the dreams we have? Day residue: events and concerns about the person’s waking life q Stimulus incorporation: stimuli occurring during sleep incorporated directly or in altered form q The dreamer himself: lucid dreaming q

� Wish Why do we dream? fulfillment (Freud) ◦ Manifest content ◦ Latent content � Activation-synthesis (Hobson & Mc. Carley) ◦ Activation: random neural signals firing in the brainstem that spread up to the cortex ◦ Synthesis: the brain then creates images and stories in an effort to make sense out of these random signals � So who’s right?

Sleep Disorders � Insomnia Sleep-onset insomnia q Early-awakening insomnia q � Narcolepsy • Person suddenly falls asleep during activities usually performed when fully awake � Sleep • apnea The sudden interruption of breathing during sleep

Altered States of Consciousness � Common characteristics: ü Distortion of perception ü Intense positive emotions ü Illogical ü Indescribable Can you suggest other characteristics?

Altering Consciousness � Meditation A method of focusing concentration away from thoughts and feelings and generating a sense of relaxing � Mindfulness The state of focusing conscious awareness completely on what is going on at the present moment � Hypnosis Altered state of consciousness in which the individual is highly relaxed and susceptible to suggestions � Depersonalization The perceptual experience of one’s body or surroundings becoming distorted or unreal

Drugs and Altered Consciousness � Psychotropic drugs Various classes of drugs that alter conscious experience. q Induce changes in thinking, perception and behavior by affecting neural activity in the brain q � Four general categories Depressants q Stimulants q Hallucinogens q Inhalants q

Depressants � Reduce the activity of inhibitory centers of the central nervous system � Create a sense of relaxation � Reduce inhibitions � E. g. alcohol, sedatives, valium, morphine

Stimulants � Activate motivational centers � Reduce activity in inhibitory centers of the central nervous system � Provide a sense of energy and well being � E. g. caffeine, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy), nicotine

Hallucinogens � Most powerfully alters consciousness � Alter perceptual experience � Large doses lead to vivid hallucinations � E. g. LSD

Inhalants � Common chemicals that are put to dangerous use when inhaled to produce feelings of intoxication � E. g. gasoline, glue, nail polish remover