States of Consciousness Consciousness n Awareness of yourself

States of Consciousness

Consciousness n. Awareness of yourself and the environment. n. The immediate awareness of mental activities and internal sensations, and of the external environment

n Medical Awakenings – Levels of Consciousness

How do we adjust from a state of conscious awareness into various states of unawareness and unconsciousness? Some things occur naturally in the world that make us either more or less aware n Some things we do purposefully that makes us either more or less aware n

Biological Rhythms natural life cycles that help to guide our levels of awareness and our behaviors

Examples of Biological Rhythms n Annual Cycles – Seasonal changes affecting moods, appetite, sleep patters n Twenty-Eight Day Cycle – Female Menstrual Cycle n Twenty-Four Hour Cycle – Daily cycle of levels of alertness, hormones, body temperature, etc. n Ninety-Minute Cycle – Sleep Cycle

Examples of Things We Do Diet n Psychoactive Drugs n Exercise and Health n Stress n Lifestyles n Travel n Work Schedules n

Levels of Consciousness

Sleep !!

Why Do We Sleep? Strengthening Memory n The Science of Sleep Part II n

Why do we sleep? n Adaptive Theory of Sleep (Evolutionary Perspective) ¨Unique sleep patterns of different animals evolved over time to promote survival and environmental adaptation. ¨When and where we sleep, and for how long, is determined by your status in the hierarchy n Lions sleep anytime, anywhere. Mice, short bursts of sleep in well protected nests.

Why do we sleep? n Restorative Theory of Sleep (Biological Perspective) ¨Sleep promotes physiological processes that restore and rejuvenate the body and the mind ¨It works on a biological clock schedule to ensure that we have the opportunity to sleep ¨NREM (typically dreamless) = bodily restoration and REM (dream) = mind restoration

Circadian Rhythms n. A cycle or rhythm that is roughly 24 hours long. n Our biological clock is synchronized with the 24 -hour cycle of day and night, producing a general pattern of wakefulness and sleep. n Circadian rhythms are hardwired and a natural part of the body’s daily routine.

Circadian Rhythms n The circadian rhythms related to wakefulness and sleep are controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is a cluster of neurons in the hypothalamus

The Sleep-Wake Cycle ¨The SCN is connected to the visual system of the body. ¨When there are decreased levels of light, the SCN triggers the pineal gland to release melatonin, which causes sleepiness and reduced activity level ¨When there are increased levels of light, melatonin levels decrease and conscious awareness level increase

Free-Running Circadian Rhythms n Experiments in which all environmental time cues are removed – no clocks, and light is artificially controlled ¨The body creates its own sleepwake cycle that is roughly onehour off of normal sleep and wake times – it works on a 25 hour day schedule

Sleep n There are two different types of sleep: ¨NREM Sleep: quiet, typically dreamless sleep in which rapid eye movements are absent ¨REM Sleep: type of sleep during which rapid eye movements and dreaming occur and voluntary muscle activity is suppressed

Stages of Sleep The Stages of Sleep When you are awake and alert, brain waves known as Beta Waves are generated in the brain n After your head hits the pillow, you close your eyes, and your muscles begin to relax, the brain begins to generate Alpha Waves as you prepare for sleep n After you begin to sleep, the brain generates Theta Waves n The deepest parts of sleep are characterized by Delta Waves n

n Stage 1 NREM (Alpha to Theta): ¨About 5 minutes ¨As you transition from wakefulness to early sleep (drowsy stage), you may experience some type of hypnagogic hallucinations and/or myoclonic jerks n You may hear a loud crash, hear someone call your name, feel a sensation of floating, smell something burning, see a variety of colors n Involuntary muscle spasms

n Stage 2 (Theta): ¨The next 20 minutes ¨Breathing becomes rhythmical ¨Some small muscle twitches ¨Brain activity begins to slow down, sleep talking may occur, and the appearances of sleep spindles n. Quick bursts of brain activity that last for a second or two – creation of memories?

Stages of Sleep n Stages ¨Next 3 and 4 (Delta): 35 Minutes ¨Heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing drop to their lowest levels ¨Replenishing chemical supplies, growth hormones released, fortifying the immune system ¨Stage 4 has more than 50% delta waves

Stages of Sleep n By the time a sleeper has reached Stage 4, they have been asleep for about 60 minutes total. After Stage 4 has been reached, the sleeper cycles back from Stage 3, through Stage 2, and close to Stage 1 in a matter of minutes and enters REM Sleep.

n REM Sleep ¨The brain (Paradoxical Sleep): becomes more active and generates small, fast brain waves ¨Visual and motor neurons fire during this stage, but voluntary muscle movements are suppressed (paralysis) ¨Heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration increase, muscles twitches, heightened sexual arousal ¨The first REM stage lasts about 30 minutes – the first sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes total

n. REM ¨The Rebound Sleep less time we spend in REM sleep one night, the longer amount of time we will spend in REM sleep the next night

Beyond the first 90 minutes Sleepers cycle between NREM and REM sleep throughout the night n Each cycle lasts about 90 minutes n Just before and after REM sleep, you typically change body positions n As the night progresses, Stages 3 and 4 get shorter and REM sleep increases, up to 40 minutes at a time n

Sleep Disorders n Insomnia n Apnea n Narcolepsy n

n. Insomnia ¨A condition in which a person regularly experiences an inability to fall asleep, to stay asleep, or to feel adequately rested by sleep.

n. Sleep Apnea ¨A sleep disorder in which the person repeatedly stops breathing during sleep n. Carbon-dioxide builds up in the blood, causing a momentary awakening, during which the sleeper snorts or gulps for air

n Narcolepsy ¨A sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and brief lapses into sleep throughout the day n Though narcoleptics can fall asleep at any time, often times arousals trigger sleep – laughter, anger, surprise, sex n Narcoleptics instantly lose muscular control, and enter REM sleep. The dreams are often terrifying.

n Sleepwalking ¨Usually (somnambulism) within the first three hours of sleep, in Stage 4 ¨The sleeper typically has the ability to navigate around objects, albeit poorly coordinated and in a stiff, automatic manner

n Night Terrors (in Stages 3/4) ¨Night terrors are usually accompanied by a single, terrifying sensation that awaken the sleeper. Sleepers will usually fall back to sleep without memory of the night terror. ¨Night terrors may also invoke waking hallucinations

Dreams

n What Are Dreams?

n. Dreams are a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind. Notable for their hallucinatory imagery, discontinuities, and delusions

n. A lucid dream is the act of consciously perceiving and recognizing that one is dreaming, enabling a more cogent ("lucid") control over the content and quality of the experience.

n. Dreams are the result of random neural impulses put into a story format by the cortex in order to try and make sense of it. (Activation Synthesis Model)

n. Dreams are a purposeful way for the brain to try to organize and interpret the overwhelming amount of stimulation that it receives during the day. (Information Processing Theory)

n Dreams are manifestations of “unfulfilled desires". Dreams reflect our real passions, aggressions, emotions, etc. They are stored in the unconscious part of the brain and not dealt with in real life. Psychoanalytical Perspective

n The manifest content of a dream is the literal storyline and events that occurred n The latent content of a dream is the interpretation of the unconscious drives, wishes, and desires that created the dream

Hypnosis Altered States of Consciousness

Hypnosis n. A social interaction in which one person (the hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur

Posthypnotic Suggestion n. A suggestion, made during a hypnosis session, to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized

Posthypnotic Amnesia n. A temporary memory loss; supposed inability to recall what one experienced during hypnosis

A Few Clarifications About Hypnosis is not a state of unconsciousness, nor is it complete mind control n Most everyone can be hypnotized, unless you are resistant to the idea n Hypnosis is a heightened state of awareness and relaxation, combined with a large degree of openness to suggestion n

A Few Clarifications About Hypnosis n Age regression therapy (the ability to re-live childhood memories) is very limited in its effectiveness n 25% of Americans believe in reincarnation, though hypnosis does not seem to accurately bring any “past lives” to the surface

Can hypnosis force people to act against their will? The person who is hypnotized is aware of everything the hypnotist says at all times while they are experiencing hypnosis. n An authoritative person in a legitimate context can induce people, hypnotized or not, to perform some unlikely acts n Directly proposed hypnotic suggestions cannot make you do anything against your morals, religion, or self-preservation. n

Can hypnosis alleviate pain? n Dissociation is a split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others ¨IE. An unhypnotized patient will feel the pain of an ice bath in less than 25 seconds. A hypnotized patient will feel the cold, but not the pain, though their sensory systems will register the activity is present

n Hypnotic Dissociation

Meditation Altered States of Consciousness

n Meditation" in the modern sense may involve ¨focusing the mind on a single object (such as a religious statue, or one's breath, or a mantra) ¨a mental "opening up" to the divine, invoking the guidance of a higher power ¨attempting to clear the mind of discursive or conceptual thought ¨reasoned analysis of religious teachings ¨simple relaxation

Drugs and Consciousness Altered States of Consciousness

Teen Drug Abuse n Alcohol Abuse n Treating Drug Addiction n TLC Addiction Series n

Define Psychoactive Drugs n. Chemical substances that change moods, perceptions, behaviors, and consciousness

Addiction refers to n. The ongoing abuse of drugs that leads to compulsive use of the substance.

Tolerance refers to n. Higher doses of a drug are required to produce the original effects.

Withdrawal refers to n. The unpleasant physical or psychological effects following discontinued used of a substance

Drug Rebound Effect n. Withdrawal symptoms are often the opposite of the drug’s action

Do I Have A Drug Problem? n. Dependence is defined by exhibiting three of the following seven symptoms over a 12 -month period of time

n n Developing tolerance Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when attempting to stop Using a substance for a longer period, or in greater quantities, than originally intended Making repeated attempts to stop or cut-back on drug usage

n Devoting a great deal of time attempting to obtain or use a substance n Giving up or reducing social, occupational, or recreational activities as a result of drug use n Continuing to use a substance even after negative physical or psychological effects have occurred, or will continue to occur with usage

Depressants n Chemicals that slow down behavior or cognitive processes; inhibit central nervous system activity; relieve anxiety, lower inhibitions, lowers pain; affects the brain areas responsible for arousal, wakefulness and alertness, coordination n Including: Alcohol, Barbiturates, Tranquilizers, Opiates (painkillers such as Heroin)

Depressants and the Brain n Alcohol Addiction n Treating Drug Addiction n

Stimulants n Drugs that stimulate the nervous system and produce feelings of optimism and boundless energy, arouse behavior, and increase mental awareness; n Including: Caffeine, Nicotine, Amphetamines (Speed, Ecstasy), Cocaine

n IE. Cocaine ¨Cocaine blocks the reuptake of dopamine (pleasure), norepinepherine (energy), and serotonin (arousal), so the feelings generated by those neurotransmitters intensifies as they linger in the synapse longer

Psychedelics/Hallucinogens n. Drugs that distort visual and auditory perception n. Including: LSD, Mescaline, Peyote, Marijuana

n Why is marijuana considered a hallucinogen? ¨It relaxes, disinhibits, and may cause a euphoric high like alcohol, but it may also amplify sensitivity to colors, sounds, tastes, and smells