Unit 4 - PowerPoint Presentation

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Unit 4

States of ConsciousnessTextbook Chapter 4Slide2

What is Consciousness?

Our awareness of ourselves and our environment

Includes various cognitive processes, such as sleeping, dreaming, concentrating, and decision making!Behaviorists rejected it completely but technology helped revive an interest in it- Why??? (next slide)

Waking consciousness Encompasses thoughts, feelings, and perceptions that occur when we’re awake and alertAltered states of consciousnessMental state the differs noticeably from normal waking consciousness

Naturally

occurring

:SleepDreamingDaydreamingArtificially induced altered:HypnosisMeditationDrug-altered consciousnessSlide3

Cognitive Neuroscience

Defined as the branch of psychology that examines the relationship between the brain and cognitive processes

Can use fMRI to see what parts of the brain are active when we are consciousBeginning to map out neural patterns to correspond with conscious processesDual processing

We seem to have two neural systems at workOne system is used for conscious processing, the other is for unconscious processing (autopilot)- function simultaneouslyWriting and typing, Driving and talking- sometimes there is interference Slide4

Part 1: Waking ConsciousnessSlide5

Selective Attention

Selective attention is the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

we are bombarded with tens of thousands of stimuli per secondwe only focus on a small fraction of these stimuliTake a second to pay attention to how your shoes feel on your feet or how your back feels against the chair

Cocktail Party PhenomenonSelective attention and accidents

Cell phones and driving?

Cell phones and

walking!?

Cindy thought she’d call Bambi while taking Junior out for a stroll across Route 4, when suddenly an 18-wheeler…Slide6

Selective Inattention

Neisser (1979) Experiment

When we focus on one thing, we “miss out” on othersInattentional blindness

occurs when we fail to see things because we are focused on other stimuliChange Blindness (Simons, 1996) occurs when we fail to notice a change in a the environment when we are focused elsewhere (change

deafness

exists, too!)

Choice Blindness (Johansson, 2005) occurs when we fail to recognize the choice we have made moments after doing so (and choice-choice blindness…?)In some instances, a stimulus may demand our attention (e.g. hearing our name in noisy room)Slide7

Pop out

Something we don’t try to pay attention to catches our attention.Slide8

Part 2: Altered States of ConsciousnessSlide9

Daydreaming

Effortless, spontaneous shifts in attention away from the here and now- “a momentary escape”Urge surges every 90 minutes- peak between 12 and 2pmWe spend half of our waking hours daydreamingHelp us to reflect on our daily dilemmas and our unfulfilled goals and wishes (relieve or increase guilt/frustration?)

TV, Daydreams, and CreativityTV increases daydreaming and decreases creativity… Why?Slide10

Sleep

We may not be conscious, but our brain is activeWe continue to process information while we sleepTechnology has given researchers a greater understanding of brain activity during sleepSlide11

Why Do We Sleep?

Protective Value- Sleep to escape harm from environment

Restorative Value- Regenerate tissues/ neural connections and “clean out” memories and connections we don’t use

Memory- reinforce what we’ve learned (NO ALL- NIGHTERS!)Creativity

- Solve problems in our sleep?!

Growth

- Growth hormone is released (more so when we’re younger)Slide12

Biological Rhythms and Sleep

Circadian Rhythms24-hour cycle of biological functioning (circa-diem)Humans naturally wake with sunlight and sleep when it gets dark

Bright lights stimulate the SCN, which tells the _______________ gland to decrease production of melatonin and the adrenal gland to produce epinephrine (adrenaline)- So we’re awake in the morning!!!!!!!!!Exposure to artificial light and the circadian cycle?Blind people?Jet lag?Slide13

Sleep Stages: General Trends

Every 90-Minutes, we cycle through 5 sleep stages several times during the night (Stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM)Researchers monitor brain waves, eye movement, and facial muscle tension to study these stages

Generally, as the night progresses, we experience more REM sleepOver a third of people report never dreaming, though they do – they just do not recall!When these sleepers are awakened during REM, they can usually remember their dreamsWe spend 20-25% of our sleeping time in REM, dreaming away…Slide14

The Sleep Stages: Specifics

Stage 1 Sleep: slowed breathing, irregular, larger brain waves (theta waves), hallucinations (alarm clock becomes part of dream), feelings of falling, paralysis, “

Hyponogogia”Stage 2 Sleep: deeper sleep, more difficult to awaken

Stage 3 Sleep: even deeper sleep, difficult to awakenStage 4 Sleep: very deep sleep, sleepwalking, sleep talking, bedwetting- decreases with age

REM

: rapid brain waves, dreaming, increased heart rate, cortical activity, sexual arousal, “paradoxical sleep”- Infants spend most time here

Alpha/BetaThetaTheta

DeltaSlide15

Sleep Stages

REM is important, and when we are deprived of it, we may experience

REM Rebound.

The loss of muscle tone/paralysis that occurs during REM helps us avoid acting out our dreams. Sleepwalking and talking must therefore occur during

nREM

in most people. REM decreases with age.Slide16
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Sleep Deprivation

Nearly half of all Americans are sleep deprived!Sleep deprivation is linked with concentration difficulties, irritability, unhappiness, fatigue, illness, obesity, hypertension, and poor motor performance

William Dement’s research on sleep: “Sleep deprivation makes you stupid!”If you need an alarm clock…if you fall asleep in class…you are sleep deprived!People who report getting enough sleep also are more likely to report feeling satisfied with their lives!Slide18

Sleep Disorders: Insomnia

1 in 10 adults; 1 in 4 older adultsInability to fall asleep or remain asleep Mostly temporary and result of stress

Role of VPN“shut offs” brain activityDegenerates with ageTreatmentsSleeping pills and alcohol?

Exercise but not before bedAvoid caffeine and rich foods before bed; milk for serotonin insteadUnwind before bed – dim lights, no TVKeep regular sleep schedule with no naps

Avoid stressors – looking at clock, ruminating, etc.Slide19

Sleep Disorders: Narcolepsy

Sudden muscle paralysis – fall into sleep, and in severe cases, REMUsually brief – 5 minutesLinked to lack of a neurotransmitter linked to alertness that is produced in hypothalamus.

GeneticRusty the narcoleptic dogSlide20

Sleep Disorders: Sleep Apnea

Temporary cessation of breathing during the nightPuts great stress on heartIrritability, fatigue

Linked with obesityCan be inheritedSlide21

Sleep Disorders: Night Terrors

Uncontrollable screaming and arousal without the ability to be awakenedSeen only in children or adults on drugs

Occur during stage 4 sleep typically, not REM like nightmaresAlfie's Night TerrorsSlide22

Sleep Disorders: Sleepwalking and Sleeptalking

Stage 4 sleep disorder where individuals walk and talk in sleep and do not recall anything in the morning

Seems to run in familiesBecause children experience longer stage 4 sleep, it is more common in childrenSleepwalkers (somnambulists)usually return to bed on their ownSlide23

Dreaming

REM sleep- EVERYONE dreams!We spend 6 years of our lives in dreams!Average person has 4-5/night- write them down, talk about them before going back to sleep.

Manifest Content – actual story line of the dreams – often reflect our experiences and preoccupations (e.g. Tetris dreams)Sensory stimuli from the outside may intrude – alarm clock, smells – indicating some level of awareness even when unconsciousSlide24

What are dreams?

Freud’s Wish FulfillmentInterpretation of Dreams (1900)

Manifest vs. Latent Content (i.e. Water = Emotion)Dreams unleash (safely) our unconscious Lacks any scientific backingExample: Tidal waves often appear in our dreams when are under a lot of pressure or when significant change is occurring. They may be a an indication that we feel a little overwhelmed, that maybe we fear we won’t be able to cope or adjust with what we see in our own futureSlide25

What are dreams?

Information Processing/Cognitive Dev’t

Manifest Content reflects our waking experiences (we dream about our lives)Think about our day, sort out our experiencesImprove and organize memoriesDoes not explain dreams about places we have never seen/things never experiencedCorrelation b/w sleep &

gradesSolve problems that happen throughout your day by looking at them in a different waySlide26

What are dreams?

Activation-SynthesisHobson and McCarley’s

TheoryREM sleep causes neural activity that the brain weaves into storiesDreams mean nothingSlide27

What are dreams?

Physiological FunctionPreserve neural pathways we use, get rid of the ones we don’t

Infants with developing brains spent much time in REMGives no explanation about the meaning of dreams“Mental Housekeeping”- clean out the dust in the brain (info we don’t need) aka “reverse learning”Slide28

Lucid Dreaming

A person is aware that they are dreaming while the dream is in progressA.k.a. conscious dream. Dreamer can actively

participate in and often manipulate the imaginary experiences in the dream environment. Lucid dreams can be extremely real and vivid depending on a person's level of self-awareness during the lucid dream.Slide29

Do we need to dream?

People deprived of REM sleep (and therefore in overall sleep time) display irritability, fatigue, increased reaction time, hallucinations“The Men Who Did Not Sleep”- DementCats and REM Deprivation90 Hours- Decrease in sensory acuity, slowed reaction time, decreased memory ability, hallucinations.

201 Hours- Peter Tripp- Mental agility tests were intolerable, visual hallucinations, conspiring doctors (could’ve been partially caused by stimulants)11 days- Randy Gardner- decline in concentration, motivation, perception, analytical abilities, memory, motor control, reaction time, hallucinations, delusions, forgetting tasks, microsleepsReal Life: Exxon Valdez, Chernobyl, ChallengerSlide30

Hypnosis

Greek root: hypnos, meaning “sleep”

Anton Mesmer (1732-1815) and “mesmerism” as a cureHypnosis is a systematic procedure used to produce a heightened state of suggestibilityNot everyone can be hypnotizedWillingness to be hypnotizedThose with good imagination and fantasy life, who are able to concentrate, and who have a favorable opinion of hypnosis

HypnotismSlide31

Power of Hypnosis…?

Age Regression: acting like of reliving one’s child-stateHypnosis may cause hypnotized people to feel like children, but they often still have adult abilities

Memories that have been “hypnotically refreshed” are often a combination of fact and suggestionActing against one’s will?People do not do this because they are hypnotized

They may perform unlikely acts simply because anyone in authority can induce people – hypnotized or nor – to act against one’s will (Milgram, Zimbardo)Slide32

Hypnosis as Therapy

Hypnotherapists try to help clients heal themselvesPosthypnotic suggestions: suggestion made to hypnotized client that influence client’s later behavior

Posthypnotic amnesia: client told they will not remember anything that happened while they were hypnotizedHypnotherapy as a supplement to therapy has been shown to be helpful – particularly in managing obesity, but not for drugs, smoking or alcoholHypnosis has been successful in pain management

Hypnotized people can endure things from ice baths to surgery without anesthesia!Hypnosis can be used for pain management in lieu of addictive pain killersIn Europe, the surgical use of hypnosis is on the riseSlide33

Meditation

Techniques that attempt to focus attention and promote relaxationDeliberate attempt to alter consciousness

Concentrative Meditation attempts to focus all attention on ONE thing: a word, a sound, etc. so that the same information is cycled through the nervous system repeatedly.Zen: Focused breathing (Buddhism)Transcendental: Repetition of a specific, secret

mantra (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1959- Hindu)(Description)Sufi: Frenzied dancing and prayer (e.g. whirling dervishes)

Can be used for relaxation, suppression of sympathetic nervous systemSlide34

Drugs and Consciousness

Psychoactive drugs are chemicals that influence the brain, alter consciousness, and produce psychological changes

Recreational Use involves the self-administration of drugs in ways that deviate from medical or social normsDrug Abuse – pattern of use that diminishes fulfillment of responsibilities at home, work, or schoolSlide35

Results of Substance Abuse

Tolerance refers to a person’s progressively decreasing responsiveness to a drug, leading to increased amounts required to produce the same effectReverse Tolerance

- Happens with certain substances- In the immediate short term, the substance will have more of an effectWithdrawal, the unpleasant physiological symptoms (head ache, nausea, tremors) that follow discontinued use may occur, indicating that…

Physical Dependence has occurredPsychological dependence may also prompt the individual to continue using the drugAddiction results when continued use is necessary to prevent withdrawalSlide36

Do Now:

Jayden is a graduate student who began drinking alcohol in college. When he first started drinking, 3-4 shots of vodka would cause him to display signs of intoxication. Now, however, he has to drink at least a half of a bottle of alcohol to feel the effects. When he ceases to drink, Jayden experiences tremors, sweating, and slight nausea. It has come to the point where he has been slacking on his graduate studies and missing class. What are some effects of drug use that Jayden is experiencing? Is he dependent?Slide37

Dependence(4 of the following 7 symptoms)

Developing a toleranceExperiencing withdrawalUsing substance for a longer period or in greater quantities than intended

Presence of a desire or repeated attempts to cut back on useSpending a lot of time using/obtaining the substanceReduction or cessation of usual activitiesContinued use despite awareness of drug’s harmful effectsSlide38

Depressantsaka “Sedative-Hypnotic Drugs”

Depress the functioning of the CNS, reduce neural activity and slow body functionsWithdrawal: tremors, nausea, sweating, restlessness, irritability,

anxiety, possibly death (stroke, heart attack)….Why???Long term: Addiction, Tolerance Slide39

Depressants: Alcohol

Increases Serotonin, GABA, Dopamine, causing:

mild euphoria, relaxation, lowered inhibitions (misperceived as stimulant)Slowed neural processing (don’t drive!)Perception, motor processes, judgment, visual acuity, cognitive functioning are impairedMemory disruption (“black outs”)**Slide40

Depressants: Alcohol

Behavioral tolerance?Promiscuity/Driving and alcohol?

Highly physically and psychologically addictive~14 million Americans abuse alcohol (NIAAA)1 in 13 adults, or 7% of adult populationMen

are 3x more likely to become alcoholics than womenFetal Alcohol SyndromeSlide41

Depressants: Barbiturates

Sleeping pills and TranquilizersBind to GABA (inh

.) receptors and block Glutamate (Exc.)Calming, sedative effect – reduce inhibitionse.g. Nembutal (Exorcism of Emily Rose)Slide42

Depressants: Benzodiazepine

Like Barbiturates, they enhance the effects of GABA (inhibitory neurotransmitter)Used to treat anxiety, insomnia, agitation, seizures, muscle spasms, alcohol withdrawalTolerance and physical dependence result after time

Ex: Diazepam (Valium), Lorazepam, XanaxSlide43

Depressants: Propofol

Increases effects of GABABlocks Sodium Channel (Think back to neural firing!)Short term: mild euphoria, hallucinations, and disinhibition; Used as sedative for anesthesiaSlide44

Michael Jackson: This Is ItSlide45

In conclusion….

What are some reasons for why people use depressants?How do they work? (Mechanisms and effects)Why are they so dangerous?Alcohol poisoning kills 79,000/year (

College Stats)Some celebrities who have overdosed at least partially as a result of depressants:

Marilyn Monroe:

Acute Barbiturate Poisoning (Nembutal)

Jimi Hendrix

: Acute Barbiturate PoisoningElvis Presley:Sedatives

Anna Nicole Smith:

Clonazepam,

Lorazepam

, Diazepam, Sleeping pills

Heath Ledger:

DiazepamSlide46

Stimulants

Increase central nervous system activity and speed up body functions; arousal responseSlide47

Stimulants: Meth

Methamphetamine (Speed)Euphoria, triggers release of dopamine

Irritability, insomnia, seizures, depression, violence, psychosisHIGHLY addictiveSlide48

Stimulants: Nicotine

Euphoria, triggers epinephrine and norepinephrine releaseSuppresses hunger and increases alertnessStimulates release of dopamine: highly addictive!

Withdrawal leads to insomnia, anxiety, irritability and weight gainPhilip Morris- “Death saves $$”Depression, divorce, disabilitiesSlide49

Stimulants- Caffeine

CaffeineWakefulness, increased metabolism (3-4 hours)Withdrawal leads to fatigue and headachesSlide50

Stimulants- Cocaine

Fast euphoria – fast crashBlocks _________ reuptake (pleasure)

HIGHLY addictiveWithdrawal leads to fatigue, irritability, increased appetite, depressionBlow (Johnny Depp)Slide51

Stimulants- Ecstasy

Ecstasy (MDMA)Stimulant and mild hallucinogenTriggers release of serotonin and prevents its reabsorption

Destroys serotonin-producing neurons – permanent depressionSuppresses immune systemRomeo and Juliet (4:30)Ecstasy and Death articleSlide52

Though Ecstasy may not be as deadly in the long run as alcohol, cocaine or heroin use, the drug "has the potential to cause death," said Washington state toxicologist

Barry Logan. "Some people are more sensitive to it than others.“Marissa Ann Napier was one of them.

Doctors who treated her and the medical examiner who performed her autopsy think the Ecstasy in Marissa's system -- .87 milligrams of MDMA per liter -- caused seizures. The convulsions in turn caused labored and irregular breathing, which eventually caused her oxygen-starved brain to shut down.Marissa was brain dead, though her heart was just barely beating, when she arrived at Harborview, said

Shawn Skerrett, the doctor who treated her there. She was unconscious and breathing ineffectively, Skerrett said. Her pupils had become fixed and dilated. A pink frothy foam was coming out the side of her mouth, consistent with pulmonary edema, or lungs that are filled with water

.

"This was a horrible case, and not one you easily forget," said

Skerrett.Though Marissa's friends later told sheriff's deputies that she also had taken hallucinogenic mushrooms at the party, medical examiners found only caffeine and MDMA in her system.Slide53

Hallucinogens

Drugs that alter perceptions of reality and distort sensory and perceptual experiencesSlide54

Hallucinogens: LSD

Albert Hofmann, Timothy LearyHours of mild euphoria, hallucinations, sensory distortion, and “mind expansion”

Non-addictive, but can produce “bad trips” and flashbacksCan result in psychosis, memory loss, paranoia, panic attacks, nightmares and aggressionLucy in the Sky with DiamondsSlide55

Marijuana

THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, produces symptoms such asMild hallucinationsEuphoriaEnhanced sense of well-being

RelaxationDistortion of timeMemory disruptionBrain shrinkageIntensified sensory experiences(munchies)Some users may experience anxiety and paranoiaSlide56

Narcotics

Used to relieve pain and induce sleep – also called opiatesOpium, morphine, heroinOxycodone

Stimulate endorphin receptors to produce euphoric numbnessHighly addictiveWithdrawal symptoms include chills, sweating, anxiety, diarrhea, spasmsSlide57
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Influences on Drug Use

Biological InfluencesHereditary tendencies: twin and adoptive studiesPredisposed to addiction

Dopamine deficiencies may provoke usagePsychological InfluencesFeeling life is meaninglessPeople under stress or experiencing depressionSocial Influences

Peer pressureTeenage rebellion and thrill-seekingSeeking social networks with similar interests can perpetuate usage or help to quitExpectations, social setting, and cultural beliefs and values can affect usage patternsAttitudes and beliefs about drug use may come from family environmentSlide61

Near Death Experiences

Altered state of consciousness Oxygen deprivation induced “tunnel vision”“hallucinatory activity of the brain?”No way to really know…Slide62

Intervention

http://www.hulu.com/search?query=intervention&st=0&fs=nullSlide63

Describe the following dream using Freud’s Theory, Information Processing Theory, and Activation Synthesis.

As I was walking down the hallway of school, I noticed that my best friend was wearing a red shirt and was walking next to my ex. Feeling overwhelmed with anger, I began running through the hall away from them, but I didn’t seem to get any further. I suddenly came across a large puddle of water that I slipped on.

Later on in another dream, I found myself in a dark parking garage being pursued by someone. I tried running but the person pulled out a gun and shot in me in the back. I tried calling out but it turns out the person who shot me was a close friend, but I couldn’t tell who specifically it was.

Analyze this!!