Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Chapter 5States of Consciousness

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Some Early Definitions• Consciousness: All the sensations, perceptions,

memories, and feelings you are aware of in any instant– Waking Consciousness: Normal, clear, organized,

alert awareness• Altered State of Consciousness (ASC): Awareness that

is distinctly different in quality or pattern from waking consciousness

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Sleep

• Definition: Innate, biological rhythm essential for survival• Sleep Deprivation: Sleep loss; being deprived of needed

amounts of sleep• Microsleep: Brief shift in brain-wave patterns similar to

those of sleep• Sleep-Deprivation Psychosis: Major disruption that

occurs because of sleep loss

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Measuring Sleep Changes

• Electroencephalograph (EEG): Brain-wave machine; amplifies and records electrical activity in the brain

• Beta Waves: Small fast waves associated with alertness and awakeness

• Alpha Waves: Large, slow waves associated with relaxation and falling asleep

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

States of Sleep• Rapid Eye Movements (REM): Associated with

dreaming; sleep is very light.– Body is very still during REM sleep.– Lack of muscle paralysis during REM sleep is called

REM Behavioral Disorder.• Non-REM (NREM) Sleep: Occurs during stages 1, 2, 3,

and 4; no rapid eye movement occurs. – Seems to help us recover from daily fatigue.

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Stages of Sleep

• Stage 1: Small, irregular waves produced in light sleep (people may or may not say they were asleep)– Hypnic Jerk: Reflex muscle twitch throughout body

that may occur in Stage 1• Stage 2: Deeper sleep; sleep spindles (bursts of

distinctive brain-wave activity) appear• Stage 3: Deeper sleep; Delta waves appear; very large

and slow• Stage 4: Deepest level of normal sleep; almost purely

Delta waves

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5Figure 5.6

FIGURE 5.6 (a) Average proportion of time adults spend daily in REM sleep and NREM sleep. REM periods add up to about 20 percent of total sleep time. (b) Typical changes in stages of sleep during the night. Notice that dreams mostly coincide with REM periods.

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Sleep Disturbances

• Insomnia: Difficulty in getting to sleep or staying asleep, or waking early– Sleeping pills exacerbate insomnia; cause decrease

in REM and Stage 4 sleep and may cause dependency

• Drug-Dependency Insomnia: Sleeplessness that follows withdrawal from sleeping pills

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

More Sleep Disturbances

• Sleepwalking (Somnambulism): Occurs in NREM sleep during Stages 3 and 4

• Sleeptalking: Speaking while asleep; occurs in NREM sleep

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Even More Sleep Disturbances

• Nightmares: Bad dreams– Occur during REM sleep – May occur once or twice a month; brief and easily

(unfortunately) remembered– Imagery Rehearsal: Mentally rehearse the changed

dream before you go to sleep again; may help to eliminate nightmares

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Night Terrors

• Night Terrors: Total panic and hallucinations may occur– Occurs during Stage 4 sleep– Most common in childhood; may occur in adults

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Physiological Sleep Problems

• Sleep Apnea: Interrupted breathing during sleep; cause of very loud snoring– Hypersomnia: Extreme daytime sleepiness– Apnea can be treated by

• Surgery• Weight loss• Breathing mask

• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS; Crib Death): Sudden, unexplained death of healthy infant (infants should sleep on back or on side to try to prevent)

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Hypnosis• Altered state of consciousness characterized by

intensely narrowed attention and increased openness to suggestion– Mesmer: Believed he could cure diseases by passing

magnets over body; true “animal magnetism” (“mesmerize” means to hypnotize)

– Must cooperate to become hypnotized• Hypnotic Susceptibility: How easily a person can be

hypnotized• Basic Suggestion Effect: Tendency of hypnotized people

to carry out suggested actions as though they were involuntary

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Hypnosis Can’s and Cannot’s

• Hypnosis CAN– Help people relax– Reduce pain– Get people to make better progress in therapy

• Hypnosis CANNOT– Produce acts of superhuman strength– Produce age regression– Force you to do things against your will

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Stage Hypnosis

• Simulation of hypnotic effects.• Tricks of the Trade:

– Waking Suggestibility: People on stage do not want to spoil the act, so they will follow any instruction.

– Selection of Responsive Subjects: Any “volunteer” who does not get hypnotized in the stage group and does not follow instructions is “voted off.”

– The Hypnosis Label Disinhibits: On stage, once you are “in a hypnotic trance,” your responsibility for actions is removed; you can do whatever you want!

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

More Stage Hypnosis “Tricks of the Trade”

• Hypnotist as Director: Once they are in a trance, the “volunteers” are suddenly the show’s stars, and they will act like it. The hypnotists only need to direct them.

• Stage Hypnotists Use Tricks: Stage hypnosis is 50% deception and 50% taking advantage of the situation

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Meditation• Mental exercise designed to produce relaxation or

heightened awareness• Concentrative Meditation: Attention is paid to a single

focal point (i.e., object, thought, etc.)– Produces relaxation response and thus works to

reduce stress• Receptive Meditation: Based on widening attention span

to become aware of everything experienced at a given moment

• Mantra: Word(s) or sound(s) repeated silently during concentrative meditation

• Relaxation Response: Occurs at time of relaxation; internal response that prevents activation of adrenal glands

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Drugs and Altered States of Consciousness

• Psychoactive Drug: Substance capable of altering attention, judgment, memory, time sense, self-control, emotion, or perception

• Stimulant: Substance that increases activity in body and nervous system

• Depressant: Substance that decreases activity in body and nervous system

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Physical Dependence

• Physical Dependence: Addiction based on drug tolerance and withdrawal symptoms– Drug Tolerance: Reduction in body’s response to a

drug– Withdrawal Symptoms: Physical illness following

withdrawal of the drug

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Psychological Dependence/ Need

• Psychological Dependence: Drug dependence based on psychological or emotional needs– Usually crave drug– Can be as powerful as physiological addiction

Introduction to Psychology: Kellogg Community College, TalbotChapter 5

Alcohol

• Ethyl Alcohol: Intoxicating element in fermented and distilled liquors– NOT a stimulant but DOES lower inhibitions– Depressant

• Binge Drinking: Consuming five or more drinks in a short time; four or more for women– Serious sign of alcohol abuse