STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS CONSCIOUSNESS Consciousness sensory awareness of

STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

CONSCIOUSNESS • Consciousness – sensory awareness of things inside and outside of ourselves • Selective awareness – Focus on a particular stimulus while ignoring other stimulus. – Stimulus That Gets Our Attention - Sudden Changes In Environment - Unusual Items In The Environment - Intense Stimuli (bright colors, loud noises, sharp pains ex. )

CONSCIOUS

PRECONSCIOUS Information you don’t concentrate on or think about unless you are asked about it. (Lunch Yesterday)

(SUB) UNCONSCIOUS information hidden from you under normal circumstances. (Avoidance and Pain not yet realized)

NONCONSCIOUSNESS basic biological functions; breathing, blinking, heartbeat etc.

ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

DAY DREAMING

DAYDREAMING • Dissociation – The Psych term used to describe this turning away from reality. • It’s an altered state of consciousness. • We can shift from consciousness to this state instantly. • This is a coping mechanism… Helps us escape stress and plan. Every 90 minutes

What are your favorite daydreams? When do you daydream the most during your day? Have you ever been driving and realized that you didn’t know how you got to your destination?

MEDITATION

MEDITATION • Another form of Dissociation. • Some focus on the environment while other focus on your thoughts.

EFFECTS OF MEDITATION • “ 20 minutes a day can reduce stress” – Carnegie Mellon Study • “Student math scores increased by 15% after an investment of time towards meditation at the start of class. ” - University of British Columbia Study • “Meditation offers stronger pain reduction than morphine. ” – Journal of Neuroscience

• First set up the environment. • CLEAR IT OF DISTRACTIONS • Have a seat on the floor or on the edge of a chair where your thighs are above your legs. • Sit there for a few minutes and just gaze ahead at the space. Focus on nothing specific, just be in the space. • Back straight, hands relaxed at your side. MINDFUL MEDITATION STEP ONE Environment

• Focus lightly on your breath. – As it goes in and out naturally – No deep breathes needed, if you find that you are controlling your breath just focus on what that feels like. MINDFUL MEDITATION STEP TWO • Sit there for a few minutes focusing on the breath. Breathing

• As you sit there paying attention to your breathing and your environment thoughts will pop up. • MANY thoughts possibly • When they do recognize that they happened and then gently refocus yourself on your breathing and your environment. MINDFUL MEDITATION STEP THREE Your thoughts

How often did you think? Was it challenging to refocus on the breath?

HYPNOSIS

HYPNOSIS • It is used as a treatment for physical and psychiatric ailments. • Induced by a hypnotherapist's verbal guidance, not a swinging pocket watch! • 95% of people can be hypnotized.

Have you ever woken up moments before your alarm in the morning?

SLEEP

SLEEP JOURNAL Complete it daily After the two weeks you will write a reflection paper IN CLASS relating your own sleep experience with the science of sleep. This collectively will be a 30 point LEVEL 1 assignment. DON’T FORGET TO DO IT!

CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS • The inner biological clock that produces bodily changes in things such as temperature, blood pressure, melatonin, and sleep over a 24 hour period. • This signals sleep in our bodies so that we can… • Revive our tired body • Build resistance to infection • Recover from stress • Increase cell reproduction

• According to our Circadian clock… • When should we start school? • When would you want to compete in a sport?

Stages of Sleep – Repetitious Cycle Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Rem

STAGE 1 • Lightest stage of sleep • Brief images can flash for some • Pulse starts to slow • Muscles relax and may twitch • Lasts only a few moments You are easily awakened or may be unaware of sleep

STAGE 2 • Short burst of activity called “Spindles” appear on EEG • Progressively sleep gets deeper • Loud noise, touch or light will arouse

STAGE 3 • Deeper Sleep • Do not respond to touch, noises, or light • Heart rate, blood pressure, and body temp starts to drop

STAGE 4 • Deepest level of sleep (Delta Sleep) • Blood pressure, heart rate and body temp as low as they will get. • 90 minutes since we fell asleep • Over the next 40 minutes we will work our way backwards back down the cycle towards REM.

REM • Rapid Eye Movement • Muscles do not wake up but the brain, senses, and biological processes do. • Our eyes start to move back and forth under the eyelids • Still deeply asleep almost paralyzed • Last about 10 minutes and then you go back down the stages of sleep. • IF you are awaken in REM you remember your dreams.