161_States of Consciousness

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Consciousness



Nature of consciousness

Sleep and dreams

Psychoactive drugs

RA 9165 Comprehensive dangerousdrug act of 2002



Consciousness: an organism’s

awareness of its own self and

surroundings





©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007Huffman: Psychology in Action

Alternate/AlteredStates ofConsciousness

(ASCs): mentalstates, other thanordinary wakingconsciousness,

found during sleep,dreaming,psychoactive druguse, hypnosis, etc.



Circadian Cycles:

The Biological Clock Circadian Rhythms

– Ancient adaptation to the 24-hour solar cycle oflight and dark

– Found in all organisms

Biological Clock – A tiny group of neurons in the hypothalamus that

responds to levels of proteins in the body• It is self-sustaining

– Our body clocks reset themselves to matchprevailing cycles of light and dark

– We don’t notice the cycle until it is disturbed

• Jet lag, shift work



Sleep Sleep – natural state of rest

characterized by:

– A reduction in voluntary body movement

– Decreased awareness of the surroundings – Sleep deprivation impairs cognitive skills to

a great extent



Research:

Between one-third and one-half of adults failto get enough sleep

– High school and college students on averageabout 6 hours of sleep a night

– Research shows losing an hour of sleep everynight, week after week, makes it difficult for people

to pay attention and remember things – One way to reduce sleep deprivation is to take

short naps; a quick 20 minute nap can increasealertness, and reduce irritability



The Rhythms of Sleep “Going to sleep” – losing awareness and

failing to respond to a stimulus that wouldproduce a response in the waking state

Several stages of sleep

– Stage 1

– Stage 2

– Stage 3

– Stage 4 – REM





Stage 1

Brain waves are tight and of very lowamplitude

Marked by:

– Slowing of the pulse

– Muscle relaxation

– Side to side rolling

movements of the eyes



Stages 2 and 3

Stage 2 – Sleep spindles (short rhythmic bursts of activity)

appear

– Breathing and heart rate continue to slow down;there is a slight decrease in body temperature

Stage 3 – Delta waves (slow waves with very high peaks)

appear – The sleeper is harder to awaken and does not

respond to stimuli



Stage 4

The brain emits very low delta waves

Heart rate, blood pressure, and body

temperature are as low as they will getduring the night

Delta sleep lessens

with age



Sleep Cycle

About an hour after falling asleep:

– The sleeper begins to go from Stage 4 to

Stage 3 to Stage 2, and back to Stage 1 – The process takes about 40 minutes

– Brain waves return to the low amplitude of

Stage 1 and waking alertness



REM stage

REM – Rapid Eye Movement

– Characterized by rapid eye

movements and increased dreaming Also referred to as Paradoxical Sleep

– Other physiological function resemble thoserecorded during waking consciousness

– Person in this stage appears to be deeply asleep;is incapable of moving

– Heart rate and blood pressure also increase







©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007Huffman: Psychology in Action

Why Do We Sleep?

Repair/Restoration Theory: sleep helps us

recuperate from daily activities Evolutionary/Circadian Theory: sleep

evolved to conserve energy and as

protection from predators Cognitive Theory: dreams improve

information processing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/articles/whatissleep.shtml



Sleep Disorders

Sleep talking, Sleepwalking, and NightTerrors – Sleep talking and sleepwalking usually occur

during Stage 4• Sleepwalking may represent a temporary disruption of

the normal state of deep-sleep paralysis

– Night terrors – form of nocturnal fright that makes

them suddenly sit up in bed, often screaming outin fear• They cannot be recalled the next morning

• Usually seen in children 4-12 years old

http://needsleep.net/



Sleep Disorders

Insomnia, Apnea, and Narcolepsy – Insomnia – inability to fall or remain asleep

• It may be a part of a larger psychological problem (suchas depression) for some people

• It also may result from an over aroused biological system

– Apnea – characterized by breathing difficultyduring the night; feelings of exhaustion during theday

– Narcolepsy – hereditary disorder characterized bysudden nodding off during the day and suddenloss of muscle tone following moments ofemotional excitement

• Another symptom – immediate entry into REM sleep

http://needsleep.net/



Dreams

Dreams – vivid visual and auditoryexperiences that occur primarily during REM

periods of sleep – Average person has 4 to 5 dreams a night

– Accounts for 1 to 2 hours of total time sleeping

– Dreams consist of a sequential story or series of

stories – Both external and internal stimuli may modify and

ongoing dream; they do not initiate dreams



What do we dream?

Dream content related to:

– Where you are in your sleep cycle

– Activities before sleep – Gender

– Age

– Socioeconomic status

People from different cultures report dreamcontent consistent with unique culturalpatterns



Why Do We Dream?

Dreams as Unconscious Wishes

– Sigmund Freud: Dreams represent wishes that

have not been fulfilled in reality• Manifest content – surface content of the dream

• Latent content – unconscious thoughts or desires thatwere expressed indirectly through dreams

• According to Freud: people permit themselves to express

primitive desires that are free of moral controls



Dreams and Information

Processing Another theory – Dreams reprocess

information gathered during the day as a wayof strengthening the memory of informationcrucial to survival

During waking hours our brains arebombarded with data; We need time todecide: – What info is valuable

– Whether it should be filed in long term memory

– Where it should be filed

– Whether info should be erased



Dreams and Neural Activity

Activation Synthesis Theory - dreams are theresult of neurons misfiring and are

meaningless – Neurons in the pons fire at random during REM

sleep

– The neural signals are electrochemical gibberish

• Higher brain centers try to make sense of them• They create irrational and impossible stories - dreams



Dreams and Waking Life

Another theory is dreams are anextension of the conscious concerns of

daily life in altered form – Dream content reflects and individual’s

conceptions, interests, and concerns

– Dream content can be influenced by pre-dream events so that it complements forwaking experiences





Drug-Altered

Consciousness

Psychoactive drugs – substances that changepeople’s moods, perceptions, mentalfunctioning, and behavior – Many of these drugs have been used for

thousands of years. Two of the most common:• Marijuana

• Alcohol

– Motives for use have changed• Today they are used for recreation rather then religious

or cultural purposes

– They have become stronger and more addictiveover the years



Substance Use, Abuse,

and Dependence

Psychoactive drugs – Substance Abuse: pattern of drug use that diminishes the ability to

fulfill responsibilities or results in repeated use of a drug

– Substance Dependence: also called addiction; pattern of

compulsive drug taking that results in tolerance and withdrawalsymptoms

– Tolerance: phenomenon in which higher doses of a drug arerequired to produce its original effects or to prevent withdrawalsymptoms

– Withdrawal Symptoms: unpleasant physical or psychologicaleffects that follow the discontinuance of a dependence-producingsubstance

– Psychoactive Drugs are grouped into three categories

• Depressants

• Stimulants

• Hallucinogens

D Al h l



Depressants: Alcohol,

Barbiturates, and Opiates

Depressants: temporarily slow down activityin the central nervous system; leads to onefeeling calm and drowsy – Reduce tension

– Usually taken to relieve feelings of inadequacy,loneliness,or boredom

Alcohol: depressant that is the intoxicating

ingredient in fermented and distilled liquors,wine, beer, etc. – Most frequently used psychoactive drug in

Western societies







Barbiturates

Potentially deadly depressants; first used forsedative and anti-convulsant properties, now

used to treat epilepsy and arthritis – Early 20th century - barbiturates were widelyprescribed as a sleeping medication

– 1950s – they were discovered to be potentially

lethal and highly addictive



Opiates

Drugs derived from the opium poppy: – They dull the senses and induce feelings of euphoria, well-

being, and relaxation

– Originated in Turkey, then became popular to smoke inChina, where many became addicted

– A derivative of opium is morphine

Opiates resemble endorphins and occupy the samenerve-receptor sites

– Regular use leads to tolerance and physical dependence – Advanced stages of addiction - heroin becomes a painkiller

to keep off withdrawal symptoms:

• sweating, hot flashes and chills, severe cramps, vomiting,diarrhea, convulsive shaking and kicking



Stimulants: Caffeine, Nicotine,

Amphetamines, and Cocaine Stimulants: drugs that stimulate the

sympathetic nervous system and produce

feelings of optimism and boundless energy – They excite the central nervous system

– Temporarily increase mental alertness

– Reduce physical fatigue



Caffeine

Occurs naturally in coffee, tea, cocoa, andchocolate

– Can become addictive – Can possibly cause withdrawal symptoms

Caffeine suppresses naturally occurringsedatives

– May interfere with prescribed medications such astranquilizers



Nicotine

Addictive ingredient in tobacco – Probably most dangerous and addictive stimulant in use

today

– Affects levels of several neurotransmitters:• Norepinephrine

• Dopamine

• Serotonin

– Symptoms of withdraw from nicotine

• Nervousness

• Difficulty concentrating

• Insomnia and Drowsiness

• Headaches

• Irritability

• Intense Craving



Amphetamines

Stimulant drugs that initially produce rushesof euphoria often followed by sudden

crashes – Increase alertness

– Chronic users might develop amphetaminepsychosis

– Different Types:• Methamphetamine: “speed”; produced in laboratories

• Ecstasy (MDMA): acts as both stimulant andhallucinogen



Cocaine

Drug derived from the coca plant

– Produces a sense of euphoria by stimulating thesympathetic nervous system

• Leads to anxiety, depression, and addictive cravings

• 1970s - powdered form “coke” was snorted

• 1980s - cheaper crystallized form “crack” was smoked

– Blocks reabsorption of neurotransmitter dopamine

– Excess dopamine intensifies and prolongs feelings ofpleasure



Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens – drugs that distort visualand auditory perception

– Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) -hallucinogenic or psychedelic drug thatproduces hallucinations and delusionssimilar to those occurring in a psychotic

state They do not produce withdraw effects

– Tolerance develops quickly



Marijuana

Mild hallucinogen that produces a highoften characterized by feelings of

euphoria, a sense of well-being, andswings in mood – Active ingredient – tetrahydrocannabinol

(THC)

– Temporal disintegration - people loseability to remember and coordinateinformation





Explaining Abuse and Addiction

Biological Factors:

– People whose parents have alcohol-abuse

problems are more likely to abuse alcohol• Identical twins are closer in drinking patterns

than fraternal twins

– Many consider alcoholism a medical

disease• It could possibly be inherited based on genetic

evidence



Psychological, Social, and

Cultural Factors Expectations influence effects of

psychoactive substance

Children with alcoholic parents tend to drinkheavily

– Could be a result of heredity (alcoholism)

– Could be a result of heavy influence and example

Drug problem is reflection of mainstreamcultural norms



Meditation and Hypnosis

Meditation

– Any method of concentration, reflection,

or focusing of thoughts undertaken tosuppress the activity of the sympatheticnervous system

• Zen Meditation – concentrates on respiration

• Sufism – relies on dancing and prayer

• Transcendental Meditation – repetition of amantra-sound that relaxes the practitioner



Hypnosis

Trancelike state in which a personresponds readily to suggestions

– mid-18th

century Europe – Anton Mesmerbegan putting people into trances to curetheir illnesses – Mesmerism

– Its effectiveness depends upon how

suggestible people are – Can ease the pain of certain medical

conditions



RA 9165 – An act instituting theComprehensive Dangerous Drugs of

2002, otherwise known as DangerousDrugs Act of 1972.

WEB ESSAY: Read articles and researches



WEB ESSAY: Read articles and researches

on psychoactive drugs in the Philipines.

Answer the following questions:

1. What psychoactive drugs are commonly abused in the Philippines?

2. What do you think are the possible causes

of drug abuse? 3. What are the effects of drug abuse to the

user, the family, and the community?

Support your answer by attaching the article/syou have read.

Submit on Monday, September 19, 2011.



Déjà vu

dā-ˌ zhä-ˈ vü, - ˈ vue \



Déjà vu or “Already seen” „Paramnesia’ -from the Greeks

An individual feels as though an

event has already happened or has

happened in the recent past.The feeling of déjà vu is usually

accompanied by a compelling sense of

familiarity and a sense of eerinessThe “previous” experience is

frequently characterized to real life.

Émile Boirac (1851-1917)



Émile Boirac (1851-1917)

French psychic researcher

Déjà vu coined after an essayin his book, "L'Avenir des sciences

psychiques“ (" The Future of Psychic

Sciences“)

Literature in past references déjà vu,

indicating it is not a new phenomenon



Three Types of Déjà vu

Déjà vecu (already experienced or lived through)

Otherwise known as déjà vu , experiencesoccur more frequently between the ages

of 15 and 25

The events are so striking that they areoften remembered for years to come




Déjà senti (‘already felt’)

*Appears in temporal lobe epilepsy attacks

*Primarily--or even exclusively--a mentalhappening

*There are no precognitive aspects in whichthe person feels he or she knows inadvance what will be said or done

*It seldom or never remains in the afflicted

person's memory afterwards




Déjà visite (‘already visited’)

Seems to occur more rarely and is anexperience in which a person visits a newlocality and nevertheless feels it to be

familiar

Déjà visite has to do with geography, with

the three spatial dimensions of height,width and depth, while deja vecu has todo more with temporal occurrences andprocesses

Scientific Research



Scientific Research

70% of people report having

experienced déjà vu at least once

Experiencing déjà vu is quite common

among adults and children alike

Difficult to evoke déjà vu experience in

laboratory settings

Researchers are using science to

recreate the sensation of déjà vu

F i r s t T h e o r y



Subject topsychological and

neuropsychologicalresearch

Déjà vu is an

anomaly of memory

Sense ofrecollection at the

time is strong andcircumstances ofprevious experience

are uncertain

F i r s t T h e o r y…

S e c o n d T h e o r y



S e c o n d T h e o r y… Vision is being explored

One eye may record what is

seen faster than the other

Creates that "strongrecollection" sensation

upon the "same" scenebeing viewed millisecondslater by the opposite eye

Déjà vu Linked With Disorders



Déjà vu Linked With DisordersPharmacology

Reports say that certain drugs increase the

chances of déjà vu occurring in the user.Hyperdopaminergic action in the mesialtemporal areas of the brain

Memory-based explanations

Memory trace may lead to the sensation.Cryptamnesia: information learned is forgottenyet stored in the brain, and occurrence ofsimilarities invokes the contained knowledge,

leading to a feeling of familiarity because ofthe situation, event or emotional/vocal content

Neural theoriesCould be caused by the mis-timing of neuronal

firing. Split second re-start to the neuralsystem



Alternative Explanations For Déjà vu

Parapsychology - cited for

evidence of psychic abilities

Dreams - déjà vu may be

the memory of dreams

Reincarnation - déjà vu

may be caused by

fragments of past life

memories being jarred tothe surface of the mind by

familiar surroundings or

people



Déjà vu and its Relatives1) Jamais vu,

ˌzhȧ-ˌme-ˈv{ueligm},

̩jä-ˌmā-ˈv{uuml}

“never seen” in French

Used to describe any

familiar situation which is

not recognized by theobserver

Described as opposite of



Déjà vu and its Relatives

2) Presque vu, “almost seen” in French

When one cannot recall a familiar word or name or

situation, but with effort one eventually recalls the

elusive memory

Also called “tip of the tongue”

Sensation of being on the brink of an epiphany

3) L'esprit de l'escalier, (e-SPREE des-kal-i-YE)

“staircase wit” in French

Remembering something when it is too late

The Déjà Vu “Feeling”



Déjà vu feeling is common among psychiatric patients

Déjà vu feeling also frequently precedes temporal lobeepilepsy attacks

Experiment in 1955

Electrically stimulated the temporal lobes and found

that about 8% of his patients experienced “memories”

With this, he assumed he elicited actual memories

However, these could have been the first signs of

artificially stimulated déjà vu

The Déjà Vu Feeling



How does it work?



How does it work? Each instance the self is

able to manifest a newemotional response, butonly if circumstanceshave changed.–

Every 25 milliseconds.– The duration of the

'present' in neurologicalterms is so brief that wedon't experience it so muchas remember it.



Interesting Facts

The youngest age of déjà vu

reported is age 5. This has majortheoretical implications for cognitivedevelopment.

There is a complex interchange with

age and incidence based on qualityof remembering.





Interesting Facts

There are 21 kinds of déjà vu .

There is also a metaphorical journalisticuse of the term.

The common occurrence of déjà vu in thegeneral population stresses the need forthe development of specific qualitativefeatures for valuable diagnosis of

temporal lobe epilepsy.



Interesting Facts There are 7 major phenomenological

classifications of the déjà vu experience:

– disorder of memory

– disorder of ego state

– ego defense – temporal perceptual disturbance

– recognition disorder

– manifestation of epileptic firing – subjective paranormal experience



“Right now, I’m having amnesia and

déjà vu at the same time, I think I’veforgotten this before,” – Steve Wright



Sources

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show/5305

http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~mdlee/dejavu.htm

http://www.pni.org/books/deja_vu_info.html http://www.shaktitechnology.com/dejavu.htm

http://skepdic.com/dejavu.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9j%C3%A0_vu




http://www.pni.org/books/deja_vu_info.html

http://www.shaktitechnology.com/dejavu.htm







http://www.shaktitechnology.com/dejavu.htm

http://www.pni.org/books/deja_vu_info.html




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161_States of Consciousness