Altered States of Consciousness - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Altered States

of ConsciousnessSlide2

What are

Altered States of Consciousness?

Definition:various states in which the mind can be aware but is not in its usual wakeful conditionForm of consciousness in which a persons sense of self or sense of the world changes

Examples: - sleep - using drugs/alcohol - meditation - hypnosisSlide3

Sleep is a….

Circadian Rhythms

: - biological process that guides how we function

Examples body temperature, blood pressure, sleepiness and wakefulness

Theories of Sleep:

-

Adaptive Theory

: species need time to keep out of trouble - Conserving Theory: sleep is a time to save energy - Restorative Theory: time to replenish the body’s systemsSlide4

- Defined by

brain-wave patterns

(measured by EEG) - Brain waves vary based on: - awake

- relaxed - sleepingSleep is…Types of Brain-Wave Patterns

:

- Beta

 short & quick

(awake/alert) - Alpha slower than beta (relaxed/drowsy) - Theta slower than Alpha (light sleep) - Delta

 slowest pattern (deep sleep)Slide5

NREM Sleep

: - stands for

Nonrapid Eye Movement - early stages of sleep (stage 1-4) - during this type brain electrical activity & vital signs decline

Two Types of SleepSlide6

REM Sleep

: - stands for Rapid Eye Movement

- brain suddenly becomes electrically alive almost as if awake - vital signs all rise - eyes can be seen rapidly moving under the lids - most dreaming occurs here

Two Types of SleepSlide7

NREM Sleep Stage 2

Sleep spindles occur; muscles less tense, eyes rest; half of all sleep is in this state

Sleep StagesResearch states that we sleep in stages

Alpha Wave Period:

Drowsy but awake state when eyes are closed and relaxed

NREM Sleep Stage

1

Transition period between wakefulness and sleep; theta wave appearSlide8

REM Sleep

Cycle now reverses through stage 4 to stage 3 to stage 2 but instead of waking into stage 1 sleeper goes into REM sleep

Sleep Stages

NREM Sleep Stage 4Deepest part of sleep

NREM Sleep Stage 3

Delta waves appearSlide9

How Much Sleep

?

How Much Sleep Do We Need?

- Newborns = 16 hrs - 1 Year Old = 14 hrs - Teens = 9 hrs - Adults = 7-8 hrsSlide10

Your Task

:

Break into your lab groupsEach group will be assigned a sleep disorder/problemUse your book and smart phone to research your assigned disorderBe ready to share with the class your findings!

Insomnia Night Terrors Sleep Walking Sleep Apnea Narcolepsy Hypersomnia

Sleep Disorders

Slide11

Dreams….

mostly happen during REM sleep

can feel real or fantasy/disorganizedhappen in “real time” (feels like 5 min. = dreamed 5 min)three Most common dreams:

1. falling 2. being chased/attacked 3. repeatedly trying but failing at a taskDreamsSlide12

Psychoanalytic Theory

developed by Sigmund Freud's in his book “Interpretation of Dreams” in 1900

dreams are repressed desires and a look a suppressed feelings (unconscious wishes & desires)dreams are symbolic language of the unconscious mind communicating with the conscious mind

Dream TheoriesManifest Content: the surface level of a dream (images, action).

Latent Content

: the unconscious meaning of a dream.Slide13

Activation-Synthesis Theory

:d

eveloped by Harvard psychologists Allen Hobson & Robert McCarley in 1977dreams are by-products of the brain’s regeneration processDreams have no meaning but we try to make sense of them by using past memories & knowledge

Dream TheoriesSlide14

Information Processing Theory

:

developed by psychologist Evansduring sleep, the brain processes what was stored in memory during the day

dreams are brief glimpses of the brain’s sorting, scanning and searching through memories dreams have no meaning.Dream TheoriesSlide15

Mental Garbage Theory

:

developed by psychologists Crick & Mitchinson (also called the Housekeeping Hypothesis)during REM sleep, the brain jettisons mental garbage (i.e. “we dream in order to forget”)

clearing out of unneeded neural connectionsDream TheoriesSlide16

Problem-Solving Theory

:

developed by psychologist Cartwright dreams give us uninterrupted time to deal with emotional issues in our liveswhen we are free of problems, we use our dreams to express creativity

symbols & metaphors convey true meaning to our dreamsDream TheoriesSlide17

Definition

:m

ethod used to narrow consciousness so that outside stresses fade awayMeditation

Additional Info:

is

s

elf-induced

focus on peaceful, repetitive stimulus in order to relax (research supports)p

rovides heightened awareness,

tranquility

, & time of internal

reflectionSlide18

Definition

:Altered state of consciousness in which people respond to suggestions and behave as if in a trance

Hypnosis

Additional Info:

Began w/ German doctor Franz Mesmer in the late 1700’s

b

rought about via

techniques used by a hypnotistis used for

 pain control, anesthetic, reduce anxiety, overcome fears, quit smoking, Slide19

Definition

:Treatment technique in which people are trained to improve their health by using signals from their own body

Provides information in which the subject was unaware of to learn or gain ways to control physical issues/processes Biofeedback

Biofeedback provides info about/treats:h

eadaches

(migraines/tension)

d

igestive disordersblood pressure issuescardiac arrhythmiasReynaud's disease

Epilepsy

paralysis

strokeSlide20

Hallucinogens

:Alters the perceptions of reality & causes other perceptual distortions

Examples  LSD, PSP, marijuana

DrugsNarcotics:

Used to relieve pain & induce sleep

Examples

 opium, morphine, heroinSlide21

Depressants

:slows the functioning & activity of the nervous system

Examples  alcohol, barbiturates, narcoticsDrugs

Stimulants:

increases the functioning/activity of the central nervous system

Examples

 nicotine, caffeine, cocaine, amphetaminesSlide22

Jet-Lag

:Alterations to the body’s circadian rhythms resulting from travel

(east-west or west-east) on a planeOthers:

Near-Death Experiences:

Personal experience with impending death

Cannot be explained by psychologists

Daydreaming/Fantasizing

:

i

magining alternative solutions/choices