Variations in Variations in ConsciousnessConsciousness

Chapter 5Chapter 5

Have you ever spaced out while Have you ever spaced out while driving because you were deeply driving because you were deeply engrossed in thought?engrossed in thought?

You suddenly snap out of it with no You suddenly snap out of it with no memory of the miles you’ve just memory of the miles you’ve just drivendriven

What keeps you on track of the What keeps you on track of the road and controls your responses road and controls your responses at the wheel???at the wheel???

States of consciousnessStates of consciousness

Normal waking statesNormal waking states Sleep/dreamsSleep/dreams Drug-induced experiencesDrug-induced experiences DaydreamsDaydreams HypnosisHypnosis UnconsciousnessUnconsciousness

What is What is consciousness???consciousness???

Moment-to-moment awareness of Moment-to-moment awareness of ourselves and our environmentourselves and our environment– Subjective and privateSubjective and private– Dynamic (ever changing)Dynamic (ever changing)– Self-reflective and central to our sense of selfSelf-reflective and central to our sense of self

Connected with process of selective Connected with process of selective attentionattention– e.g., mind is a “theatre”…consciousness e.g., mind is a “theatre”…consciousness

reflects what is “illuminated in the spot light”reflects what is “illuminated in the spot light”

Measuring states of Measuring states of consciousnessconsciousness

Self-reportsSelf-reports– People describe their inner People describe their inner

experiencesexperiences Physiological measuresPhysiological measures

– EEG recordings during stages of sleepEEG recordings during stages of sleep Behavioral measuresBehavioral measures

– Performance on special tasksPerformance on special tasks

Levels of consciousnessLevels of consciousness

William James-stream of consciousnessWilliam James-stream of consciousness Sigmund Freud-levels of awarenessSigmund Freud-levels of awareness

– ConsciousConscious– PreconsciousPreconscious– UnconsciousUnconscious

Cognitive unconsciousCognitive unconscious– Controlled vs. automatic processingControlled vs. automatic processing

Emotional unconsciousEmotional unconscious

Sleep IQ QuizSleep IQ Quiz

1.During sleep, your brain rests. 1.During sleep, your brain rests. 2.You cannot learn to function 2.You cannot learn to function

normally with one or two fewer normally with one or two fewer hours of sleep than you need. hours of sleep than you need.

3.Boredom makes you feel sleepy, 3.Boredom makes you feel sleepy, even if you have had enough even if you have had enough sleep.sleep.

Sleep IQ QuizSleep IQ Quiz 4. Resting in bed with your eyes 4. Resting in bed with your eyes

closed cannot satisfy your body’s closed cannot satisfy your body’s need for sleep. need for sleep.

5. Snoring is not harmful as long as 5. Snoring is not harmful as long as it doesn’t disturb others or wake it doesn’t disturb others or wake you up. you up.

6. Everyone dreams nightly. 6. Everyone dreams nightly. 7. The older you get, the less sleep 7. The older you get, the less sleep

you need.you need.

Sleep IQ QuizSleep IQ Quiz 8. Most people don’t know when they 8. Most people don’t know when they

are sleepy. are sleepy. 9. Cranking the radio while driving will 9. Cranking the radio while driving will

help you stay awake. help you stay awake. 10. Sleep disorders are mainly due to 10. Sleep disorders are mainly due to

worry or psychological problems. worry or psychological problems. 11. The human body never adjusts to 11. The human body never adjusts to

night shift work. night shift work. 12. Most sleep disorders go away 12. Most sleep disorders go away

without treatment.without treatment.

Sleep quiz answers Sleep quiz answers

1. F1. F 2. T2. T 3. F3. F 4. T4. T 5. F5. F 6. T6. T

7. F7. F 8. T8. T 9. F9. F 10. F10. F 11. T11. T 12. F12. F

Average = 5.5 points (1994)

Circadian Cycles: Biological Circadian Cycles: Biological ClockClock

Daily biological cycles are called Daily biological cycles are called circadian rhythmscircadian rhythms– Regulated by suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN)Regulated by suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN)– Regulates levels of melatonin (hormone that Regulates levels of melatonin (hormone that

relaxes body)relaxes body) What happens if you lived w/out clocks What happens if you lived w/out clocks

and can’t determine day from night??and can’t determine day from night??– Circadian rhythm runs longer than 24-hours Circadian rhythm runs longer than 24-hours

Environmental disruptions of circadian Environmental disruptions of circadian rhythmsrhythms– Jet lag (adjust faster when flying west)Jet lag (adjust faster when flying west)– Night-shift workNight-shift work– Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

Sleep and DreamingSleep and Dreaming

Spend 1/3 of life asleep…yet Spend 1/3 of life asleep…yet we don’t get nearly enough of we don’t get nearly enough of it!it!

We sleep less as we ageWe sleep less as we age Before invention of the light Before invention of the light

bulb, people slept around 10 bulb, people slept around 10 hours a nighthours a night– Today we average only 6.9 hours Today we average only 6.9 hours

during the weekduring the week

Stages of sleepStages of sleep

Every 90 minutes, we cycle Every 90 minutes, we cycle through different sleep stagesthrough different sleep stages

Measure brain activity during Measure brain activity during sleep with EEG recordingssleep with EEG recordings

Stage 1 through Stage 4Stage 1 through Stage 4 Stage 1 – light sleep, easily awakenedStage 1 – light sleep, easily awakened

– Transitional, lose responsiveness to stimuliTransitional, lose responsiveness to stimuli– 1-7 minutes1-7 minutes

Stage 2 - Sleep spindles (rapid brain activity) appearStage 2 - Sleep spindles (rapid brain activity) appear– Muscles more relaxed, dreams may occurMuscles more relaxed, dreams may occur– 10-25 minutes10-25 minutes

Stage 3-4 – appearance of very slow and large delta wavesStage 3-4 – appearance of very slow and large delta waves– Deepest sleepDeepest sleep– Heart rate, respiration, and body temperature decreaseHeart rate, respiration, and body temperature decrease– Voluntary muscles paralyzedVoluntary muscles paralyzed– 30 minutes30 minutes

Cycle of stages: 1-2-3-4-3-2Cycle of stages: 1-2-3-4-3-2 Pg. 134-135Pg. 134-135

Stage 5-REM sleepStage 5-REM sleep

– Characterized by rapid eye Characterized by rapid eye movements (REM), high arousal, and movements (REM), high arousal, and frequent dreamingfrequent dreaming 15-45 minutes 15-45 minutes REM sleep cycles become progressively REM sleep cycles become progressively

longer throughout the nightlonger throughout the night Brain activity, heart rate, blood pressure Brain activity, heart rate, blood pressure

resemble waking stateresemble waking state Age alters sleep cycles (p. 136)Age alters sleep cycles (p. 136)

Why do we sleep?Why do we sleep?

Restoration modelRestoration model– Sleep recharges our bodiesSleep recharges our bodies– High adenosine levels triggers sleepHigh adenosine levels triggers sleep

Evolutionary/circadian sleep modelsEvolutionary/circadian sleep models– Increase a species’ chance of survivalIncrease a species’ chance of survival

Memory consolidationMemory consolidation– Strengthening of neural circuits in Strengthening of neural circuits in

remembering important info that we remembering important info that we encountered during the dayencountered during the day

Sleep DeprivationSleep Deprivation Among American adults, 37% report they are Among American adults, 37% report they are

so sleepy that it interferes with their daily so sleepy that it interferes with their daily activitiesactivities

All types of sleep deprivation detrimentally All types of sleep deprivation detrimentally effect functioningeffect functioning– Lack of sleep can lead to Lack of sleep can lead to moodinessmoodiness, impulsivity, , impulsivity,

and depressionand depression Little effect on performance of tasks requiring Little effect on performance of tasks requiring

physical skill or intellectual judgmentphysical skill or intellectual judgment Hurts performance on simple, boring tasks Hurts performance on simple, boring tasks

more than challenging onesmore than challenging ones

Sleep Studies

Subjects were allowed to sleep 8 hours the first 3 nights, followed by 6 nights of 4 hours– @ the end of the study, researchers found symptoms

of sleep deprivation Mimicked signs of aging

– Their cells responded like those of 60 year olds Higher levels of cortisol (indicator of stress) Memory impairment Adverse health effects-more prone to infection and

circulatory diseases

Sleep DeprivationStudies on Rats

8 pairs of rats studied 5-33 days Sleep of experimental rats reduced

87%; whereas control animals slept only 31% less

Experimental rats stopped grooming and looked ill

Experimental rats died after 28 days, or were nearly dead and needed to be euthanized at the end of the study

What we know about sleep deprivation…

1. Undermines efficiency at work and school Lower grades (4o min. later/25 min. less more likely to

receive D’s than C’s) Lost productivity --- $18 billion/yr Health care --- $14 billion/yr Motor vehicle accidents ---$13 billion

2. It contributes to countless accidents– Getting less than 6 hours has been compared to

having the same effects as being drunk. 70,000 crashes per year 1,550 fatal crashes

3.Affects the body’s ability to metabolize glucose which leads to diabetes

4. 2005 study of 10,000 adults suggests that sleep deprivation leads to obesity.

5. Sleep deprivation leads to depression.

60% of patients showed immediate recovery when they got a good night’s sleep

6. Sleep is vital to good health!

DreamsDreams

When do we dream?When do we dream?– Most often during REM sleep Most often during REM sleep

(85% of the time)(85% of the time) What do we dream about?What do we dream about?

– Not nearly as strange as Not nearly as strange as stereotyped to bestereotyped to be

– Most are negativeMost are negative– Shaped by culture and Shaped by culture and

experiencesexperiences

But why do we dream???But why do we dream???

Drug-altered Drug-altered ConsciousnessConsciousness

ToleranceTolerance– Decreasing responsivity to a drugDecreasing responsivity to a drug– Faster a substance makes it to the brain, Faster a substance makes it to the brain,

the more quickly addicting it is…WHY???the more quickly addicting it is…WHY??? WithdrawalWithdrawal

– Occurrence of compensatory responses Occurrence of compensatory responses after discontinued drug useafter discontinued drug use

Conditioned drug responsesConditioned drug responses

Drug-altered Drug-altered ConsciousnessConsciousness

Substance dependenceSubstance dependence– Maladaptive pattern of Maladaptive pattern of

substance use that causes a substance use that causes a person significant distress or person significant distress or substantially impairs that substantially impairs that person’s lifeperson’s life

Mechanisms of Drug Mechanisms of Drug ActionAction

Psychoactive drugs alter Psychoactive drugs alter neurotransmitter activity in the neurotransmitter activity in the brainbrain

Many researchers believe that all Many researchers believe that all abused drugs increase activity in a abused drugs increase activity in a neural pathway called the neural pathway called the mesolimbic dopamine pathwaymesolimbic dopamine pathway

HypnosisHypnosis

HypnosisHypnosis

DemonstrationDemonstration

HypnosisHypnosis

A trancelike state in which A trancelike state in which susceptibility to suggestion is susceptibility to suggestion is heightenedheightened

Hypnotic susceptibilityHypnotic susceptibility

HypnosisHypnosis

Inducing hypnosis and making Inducing hypnosis and making suggestionssuggestions

clinical applications of hypnosisclinical applications of hypnosis– smoking cessation, pain smoking cessation, pain

management, phobia reductionmanagement, phobia reduction