The Nature of Consciousness Consciousness An active awareness

The Nature of Consciousness • Consciousness: • “An active awareness of all the many thoughts, images, perceptions and emotions that occupy the mind at any given time“ - allows us to monitor ourselves, and our environment. - Gives us a sense of continuity, a way of linking experience, into a past, present & future. 1

• Without consciousness; (no sense of being, no sense of self ). • Cyclical state of consciousness: * Consciousness also changes according to a daily pattern called (sleep – wake - cycle). * Under normal conditions, we automatically reset our biological sleep clock in the twenty four hour light dark cycle. • When you across different time zones , it may take accommodation for sleep pattern 2

• people who works in rapidly rotating shifts as hospital nurses, often complain of sleep problems. • Sleep: - Increased amounts of certain neurotransmitters (serotonin) can promote sleep. - Brain also contains wake center and sleep centers. - Activation of sleep centers inhibit the wake center which causes sleep to take over. 3

Brain activity from wakefulness to deep sleep: • Psychologists have distinguished several stages of sleep by monitoring brain electrical activity, Electroencephalogram (EEG). Stages of sleep changes recorded by EEG: • Stage 1 (Awake): Person alert with eyes fully open. • Stage 2 (Close eyes to relax): brain wave become slower. 4

• Stage 3 (Fall a sleep): Sleep become progressively deeper. • Stage 4 (Deep sleep): the deepest stage of sleep, there is marked relaxation of muscles slow and regular breathing significant drop in body temperature & pulse rate, it occupies more than 50% of the sleep cycle. 5

• Stage 5 ( Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep): You remain a sleep, although your eyes move rapidly under your closed eyelids, This stage recurs on average 4 -5 times /night. • - REM sleep is closely associated with dreaming, and helps release energy associated with unsatisfied needs. 6

• - The cyclical state of sleep itself has a cycle that recurs about every 90 minutes. First, you fall into deeper and deeper sleep, then gradually return to stage (1), but you don’t actually wake up. 7

*The dreams of sleep: - Usually dreams are quickly forgotten because they are never consolidated in long term memory. • What determines dream content? • Freud believed that dreams reflect the repressed unconscious needs and unresolved conflicts of childhood. 8

Freud distinguish two types of dream content: a) Manifest content: Is the readily perceived story of the dream. b) Latent content: Is the deeper and the underlying meaning of the dream, it expresses unconscious wishes. * Alfred Adler, argued that dreams don't reflect unconscious wishes, he saw dreams as a continuation of whatever thought and feelings during waking hours. 9

Can we control dreams? • Some psychologists feel that controlling the content of emotionally negative dreams which frighten or disturb us is the best form of psychotherapy. 10

• Sleep Disorders: 1. Insomnia: Difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep all the night. • -About 20% of people have insomnia during their life • - Brief episodes of insomnia caused by transient worries and stress. - chronic insomnia may be associated with mood disorder (mania or depression). 11

• Insomnia is treated by hypnotic medication, relaxation training, and stimulus control technique 2. Hypersomnia: Excessive sleepiness it may be associated with depression 3. Sleep Apnea: Stop breathing shortly after falling in sleep & then quickly wake up, gasping for air, And then sleep again. - This cycle is repeated, in severe cases it may occur 500 times / nigh. by the morning they feel exhausted from short sleeping. 12

• -Sleep apnea is caused by an over relaxation of throat muscles during sleeping, which leads to close airway. • Or it is caused by central nervous system disorder in which diaphragm and breath muscles stop working during sleep. 4. Narcolepsy: Excessive day time sleepiness or uncontrolled onset of sleep. " 13

• Daydreaming: • A train of thoughts that coming from the person's immediate situation in consciousness state. • Daydreams may be a way of helping to cope daily life problems e. g. students often daydream their study work, and future careers. 14

Induced States of Consciousness: *Drug – induced states: • Drug: is any substance that can alter the functioning of biological system. • Psychoactive drugs: - Those drugs that interact with CNS to alter a person’s mood, perception, mode of thinking or behavior. • A- Depressants : • Slow down the activities of CNS to reduce pain and anxiety, to relax. 15

*Alcohol (Depressant): • Alcohol to levels less than (0. 3%) in blood stream, perception becomes distorted, speech slurred , and trouble controlling his movements. - alcohol blood levels reach (0. 3 – 0. 4%) coma results. - If alcohol blood levels about 5% heart beat and breathing stop, and death occurs. 16

• Effects of Alcohol: -Alcohol causes memory impairment - Brain damage to about 10% of drinkers - Liver cirrhosis – - Social and behavioral problems 17

• Stimulants : • Produce psychological and mental arousal? • Decrease fatigue, increase talkativeness. • Increase physical activity-decrease appetite • produce a state of alertness- euphoria. 1 - Cocaine ( stimulant): - Prepared in the form of white powder inhaled or, sniffed into the nostrils, & It can be ingested also, or injected. 18

*Effects of Cocaine: - Euphoria. - Elevated mood, inflated sense of own abilities. - Increase physical activity and energy followed by a feeling of exhaustion after drug effect finished. - Chronic use: cause general mental deterioration and hallucination. 19

2 - Amphetamines (stimulant): • Students take it to stay awake, and women to decrease appetite and help burn off fat. • Effects: • -Produce energy – arousal and alertness as well as confidence. • -Users feel they can solve problems or achieve any goal. • Studies showed that amphetamine doesn’t improve problem-solving abilities. 20

• Chronic, excessive use: develop suspiciousness, depression & suicidal attempts. • Abuse can cause serious brain damage. ** Hallucinogens: • Drugs are capable to produce hallucinations 1. LSD (lysergic Acid Diethylamide): • * Effects: • Visual hallucinations- thought impairment, euphoria. 21

• 2 - Marijuana: • Minor hallucinogen usually smoked or eaten in food. • * Effects: • People take marijuana report that: colors are brighter, smells are richer, food tastes better. • - Chronic use: inability to concentrate on tasks for long. 22

** Meditations: • “An ancient technique for inducing a special state of consciousness without the use of drugs (e. g. -a yogi). • It involves focusing attention on a single stimulus. • used in the treatment of anxiety, insomnia, alcoholism, stuttering, & stress related problems. 23

**Hypnosis : • produce a state of relaxation and dissociation. (treatment of fearing & phobias). • Uses of hypnosis: • 1 - Alleviating pain • 2 - Treating certain behavioral problems as smoking, insomnia, and compulsive eating. 3 - Some believes that hypnosis can enhance memory. 24