States of Consciousness

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States of ConsciousnessPsychology 12Sleep JournalResearchers are still exploring the reason for sleep and dreaming. Consider what would be lost and gained if the need for sleep were eliminated.

Over the next five days you will be keeping a sleep journalWhat is Consciousness?Consciousness: an organisms subjective awareness of internal and external events in its environmentAttention: internal processes that set priorities for mental functioning

AwarenessLevels of awareness:HIGH: Controlled processes that require attention (and interfere with other functions-studying, reading)MIDDLE: Automatic processes requiring minimal attention (such as riding your bike)LOWEST: Minimal or no awareness of the environment

SleepSleep is a behavior AND an altered state of consciousnessWe spend about a third of our lives in sleep.

Facts about SleepMost adults need seven or eight hours' sleep a nightFamous figures like, Margaret Thatcher, Napoleon and Florence Nightingale only needed four A cat sleeps for an average of 12 hours a dayMost of our dreams occur during rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep. We have around three to five REM episodes a nightNarcolepsy is a medical disorder that impacts 1 in approximately 2,000 people in the USA--narcolepsy a condition that causes them repeatedly to fall asleep in the middle of a meal, at the wheel of a car or in mid-conversationAn adult sleeping for eight hours will burn approximately 50 caloriesA giraffe sleeps for an average of 1.9 hours a dayAlmost two thirds of the population claim they do not get enough sleep

Are You Sleep Deprived?Task: Set up a small mirror next star and see if you can copy the star using your non-dominant hand while watching your hand in the mirrorthe task is difficult, and sleep deprived people typically make more mistakes/errors than non-sleep deprived.In your Dreams: The Mysteries of SleepWhy do we sleep? More than 80 years after the world's first sleep laboratory opened in Los AngelesIn spite of intensive investigations of the sleeping brain, we still do not know the answer. Sleeping and dreaming remain among the greatest mysteries of the human organism essential to life, yet inexplicable and frustratingly unproductive.

In your Dreams: The Mysteries of SleepWhy do we sleep? While the exact function of sleep is unknown, but according to the evolutionary theory, sleep evolved to conserve energy and protect us from predators.According to the repair/restoration theory, sleep is thought to be necessary for restorative value, both physically and psychologically.

In your Dreams: The Mysteries of SleepWhy do we sleep? Need for sleep varies among individuals, but ranges from 20 hours for infants to 6 hours for adults in their 70s

In your Dreams: The Mysteries of SleepLoss of Sleep suppressed immune system impaired creativity and concentration slowed performance and misperceptions on monotonous tasks.

In your Dreams: The Mysteries of SleepBenefits of Sleeprestoration of energy repairing of brain and body tissuerelease of growth hormones

What is the nature of sleep?Most people think of sleep as a state of unconsciousness, punctuated by brief periods of dreaming.

Sleep is actually a state of altered consciousness, characterized by certain patterns of brain activity and inactivity.Stages of SleepEach night, we go through four to five cycles of distinct sleep stages. And each stage has its own rhythm and corresponding changes in brain activity and behaviour.

Stages of SleepA sleeper progresses through Stages 1 through 4, then climbs back from Stage 4 to Stage 1 or 2, then experiences REM sleep.

Stages of SleepForty to 50 percent of sleep takes place in Stage 2, which dominates the transition phase after the first two-three sleep cycles.

Stages of SleepThe average person progresses through the stages of sleep 4 to 6 times per night.

Brain WavesEEG (Electroencephalograph- electro-en-cef-lo-graph)An instrumentformeasuringandrecordingtheelectricactivityof thebrain

Stages of SleepStages of sleep: Quiet Sleep and Active Sleep

Stages of SleepStage 0: A person is relaxed with eyes closeda.EEG (Electroencephalograph- electro-en-cef-lo-graph: aninstrumentformeasuringandrecordingtheelectricactivityof thebrain) shows alpha wavesb.This period of falling asleep is also called the hypnagogic state. (hip-na-gog-ic)c.The "waking" period between being asleep and wakefulness is called the hypnopompic state. (hip-no-pom-pic)

Stages of Sleep:Early Stages of Sleep:As you begin to fall asleep, your body temperature decreases, your pulse rate drops, and your breathing becomes slow and even. Gradually your eyes close and your brain briefly emits alpha waves which are associated with absence of concentrated thought and with relaxation. Your body may twitch and your eyes roll, and brief visual images flash across your mind (although your eyelids are shut). EEG Activity During SleepStage 1: Light Sleep Alpha WavesStage 2: Eye movements & brain waves slow; sleep spindles

Stages of Sleep:Quiet Sleep-Stage 1and is characterized by sensory images and slow rolling eye movements and recognized by the appearance of theta waves on an EEG. Gradually your eyes close and your brain briefly emits alpha waves which are associated with absence of concentrated thought and with relaxation. Your body may twitch and your eyes roll, and brief visual images flash across your mind (although your eyelids are shut)

Stages of Sleep: Early StagesIn Stage I: This stage is characterized by sensory images and slow rolling eye movements and recognized by the appearance of theta waves on an EEG-- lower in amplitude and frequency than alpha waves. Your pulse slows a bit more and your muscles relax, Breathing becomes uneven and your brain waves grow irregular. If you were awakened during this stage, you would report that you were just drifting.Lasts from 30 seconds to about 10 mins.

Stages of Sleep: Early StagesIn Stage II Brain waves shift from low-frequency waves to high frequency wavesa pattern that indicates you have entered Stage II sleep. Your eyes roll slowly from side to side.

EEG Activity During SleepStage 3: very slow waves - delta waves appearStage 4: almost all delta wavesVery hard to wake during this stage

Stages of Sleep: Early StagesIn Stage IIISome 30 minutes later, you drift down into a deeper level of Stage III sleep, and larger-amplitude delta waves begin to sweep your brain every second or so.

Stages of Sleep: Later StagesStage IV Deepest sleep of all, and it is often difficult to wake at this stage. Large, regular Delta waves occurring more than 50% of the time indicate you are in a state of deep sleep. If you are awakened by a loud noise, you may feel disorientated. Talking out loud, sleepwalking, and bed-wettingall of which may occur at this stageleave no trace on the memory.

Stages of Sleep: Later StagesStage IV Deep sleep is important to your physical and psychological well-beingOn average a person spends 75% of sleep time in Stages IIV.

EEG Activity During SleepREM stage: rapid, irregular and shallow breathing, eyes jerk rapidly, both wake and sleep waves (sawtooth pattern)

Stages of Sleep--REMOnce in Stage IV, something curious happens, while your muscles are even more relaxed than before, your eyes begin to move rapidly. This is called REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) Your pulse rate becomes irregular and the levels of adrenal and sexual hormones in your blood riseas if you were in the middle of an intensely emotional and physically demanding activity. Often your face or fingers twitch and the large muscles in your arms and legs are paralyzed. Your brain shows waves that closely resemble those of a person fully awake. For this reason, REM sleep is called active sleep.

Stages of Sleep--REMStages I-IV are called NREM (non-REM) or quiet sleep. It is during REM sleep that almost all dreaming normally takes place.REM sleep lasts about 15-45 minutes after which you retrace the descent to State IV. You go through this cycle every 90 minutes. Each time the length of Stage IV sleep decreases and REM sleep increases, until you eventually wake up.

Stages of Sleep--REMREM sleep is also often referred to as paradoxical sleepyour brain and body are giving signs of active arousal, yet your musculature is deeply relaxed and unresponsive (paralysis)contradictory responses

How would paradoxical sleep or REM sleep serve an important adaptive function?

Think about the problems and dangers that would ensue if we were to act out our dreams while sleeping!

Stages of Sleep--REMAt no point does your brain become totally inactiveREM sleep seems to serve psychological functions such as building efficient learning and memory processes.

Stages of Sleep--REMThe Sleep Cycle in Cats:During NREM sleep , cats often sleep in an upright position. With the onset of REM sleep, cats normally lie down. Can you explain why?

During REM sleep large muscles are temporarily paralyzed, which causes the cat to lose motor control and lie down.

The Mysteries of SleepWe spend one-third of our lives asleep. Imagine the possibilities if we could do without it. It would be the equivalent of adding 25 or 30 years to the average life-span an enormous gain, at the expense of nothing more than the loss of slumber.

A World without SleepThe modern 24-hour society, with its round-the-clock provision of services, has radically changed our sleep habits. Instead of our biological clocks, the sleep of modern workers is regulated by alarm clocks, electric light and artificial stimulants. Power napping is an essential tool for top executives, especially in Japan, where inemuri, as it's called, is widely practiced and accepted as a sign of hard work. The powerful, like the powerless, doze when they can. Regular adequate sleep six to eight hours, in a comfy bed has become a luxury for many, something of which they can only dream.

A World without SleepSome Japanese people suffer so much from work-related stress that they can't get to sleep even at home; instead, they spend up to $75 to attend a concert that is aimed specifically at sending them to sleep.

Sleeplessness & DisastersExxon Valdez disaster in Alaska. When the tanker ran aground on 24 March 1989 and discharged 260,000 barrels of crude oil into the sea, it triggered one of the worst ecological disasters in history, which cost an estimated $2bn to clear up. The official inquiry by the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that overtiredness of the crew was a key cause. Sleeplessness & DisastersLack of sleep has similarly been blamed for the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster in what is now UkraineThree Mile Island nuclear reactor breakdown in the USthe Challenger space shuttle accident that claimed the lives of its seven astronauts. The ferry accident on the Queen of the North (the Inside Passage Ferry disaster ), which took two lives. Sleeplessness & DisastersAt a more mundane but no less important level, tiredness is known to be a key cause of car accidents. Scientific films made of subjects driving a simulator show the terrifying consequences of sleep deprivation. As their blinking speeds up and their eyes start to close, the vehicles they are nominally in charge of slew across the motorways, ending up, in one case, in the middle of a field. Sleeplessness & DisastersEven these virtual motorway accidents are not as disturbing as the story of Michael Corke, a music teacher in Chicago, who died of sleeplessness in 1993. A grainy amateur video shows him at his last school concert, walking unsteadily to the conductor's podium and raising his baton, as if he were 90 years old. At that point, he had gone two months without sleep. Soon after, he was admitted to the University of Chicago hospital. Doctors initially diagnosed multiple sclerosis. Doctors administered sedatives in a dose sufficient to induce coma in any normal human being, but Corke was unaffected. He was finally diagnosed with the rare genetic disorder of fatal familial insomnia, for which there is no treatment and no cure. He died, aged 42, after six months without sleep. The condition has so far been identified in just 25 families worldwideSleep DeprivationProlonged sleeplessness, however, is crippling. Anyone who has gone for two nights without sleep will know what this means as the siren call of slumber beckons irresistibly. Peter Tripp, a New York disc jockey, was among the first to discover its cost and he did so in public. He took part in a "wakeathon" in January 1959 to raise funds for polio research, during which he went 201 hours without sleep while continuing to broadcast from a glass booth in Times Square. As the hours passed he became aggressive, started hallucinating and began to suspect his support group of a conspiracy against him. Yet he managed to broadcast for three hours a day throughout, though not without the help of (unidentified) stimulants. He survived the experiment, and his symptoms of irritation and paranoia became recognized as classically linked to extreme sleep deprivation.

Sleep DeprivationLosing SleepExploring PsychologyIn 1959 New York disk jockey Peter Tripp stayed awake for 200 hours it raise money for charityAfter about 50 hours, he started having mild hallucinations, seeing cobwebs in his shoes when there were none there and thinking that specks of dirt were bugsBy 100 hours, he became delirious and saw a doctors tweed suit as a tangle of furry worms; at 120 he needed a stimulant to keep him awake. After 150 hours, he was disorientated, not knowing who or where he was, and he became paranoidhe backed against a wall, letting no one pass behind himBy 200 hours, his hallucinations had taken a sinister turn, and he thought a doctor trying to examine him was an undertaker come to bury him.

Sleep DeprivationFive years later, Randy Gardner broke the record with a stint of 11 days awake in January 1964. He also experienced hallucinations and became increasingly grumpy with those around him, though he reportedly did without the stimulants. Instead, his friends took him on walks at night and forced him to do push-ups when he showed signs of drowsiness. On completion of his feat, when asked at a press conference how he had done it, he replied: "It's just mind over matter." Then he curled up in bed and slept for 15 hours. Gardner's record was authenticated by a sleep researcher and professor of psychiatry at the Stanford School of Medicine, on the basis of direct observations and electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings of Gardner's brain.

Sleep DisordersWhile sleep is essential to life, most of us feel we do not get enough of it.We are a nation of insomniacs, with two-thirds of the population complaining they cannot sleep. Insomnia is so common that doctors say the preoccupation with it is now itself a medical problem. The greatest enemy of sleep is worry about not getting enough of it. Most people who lose sleep will be able to recover it the next night, and will be able to cope in the meantime.

Sleep Disorders: When Sleep Becomes a ProblemAre you one of those lucky people who takes sleep for granted? If so you may be surprised to discover the following facts:An estimated two-thirds of adults suffer from sleep problems and about 25 percent of children under age 5 have a sleep disturbanceOne in five adults is so sleepy during the day that sleepiness interferes with their daily activities. Each year [Americans] spend more than $98 million on over-the-counter sleep aids and another $50 million on coffee to keep them awake during the day.Twenty percent of all automobile drivers have fallen asleep for a few seconds (microsleep) at the wheel

Sleep Disorders: Dyssomnia & ParasomniaPsychologists divide sleep disorders into two major diagnostic categories: 1) Dyssomnias: involve problems in the amount, timing, and quality of sleep2) Parasomnia: which include abnormal disturbances occurring during sleep

Sleep Disorders: DyssomniaInsomnia: The term literally means lack of sleep. People with insomnia have persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or they wake up too early. As much as 10% of the population genuinely suffers from insomnia, and nearly everyone occasionally experiences unwanted sleeplessness.A telltale complaint of insomnia is that the person feels poorly rested the next day. Most people with serious insomnia have other medical or psychological disorders as well, such as alcohol and other drug abuse, anxiety disorders, and depressionUnfortunately, the most popular treatment for insomnia is drugseither over the counter pills or prescription tranquillizers and barbiturates (which decrease Stage 4 and REM sleep therefore affect the quality of sleep)

Sleep Disorders: DyssomniaSleep Apnea: (Apnea literally means no breathing) Repeated interruption of breathing during sleep because air passages to the lungs are physically blocked or the brain stops activating the diaphragmIf you snore loudly or have repeated awakenings followed by gasps for breath, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. Research shows that sleep apnea may kill neurons in your brain that are critical for learning and memory. It can also lead to high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and accidents. Sleep Disorders: DyssomniaNarcolepsy: A serious sleep disorder that is somewhat the opposite of insomniait is the sudden and irresistible onset of sleep during normal waking hours. It afflicts one person in 2000 and generally runs in families.During an attack, REM-like sleep suddenly intrudes into the waking state of consciousness. Victims experience sudden attacks of muscle weakness or paralysis (cataplexy). Such people may fall asleep while walking, taking or driving a car. Long daily naps and stimulant or antidepressants may help reduce the frequency of narcolepsy attacks.

Sleep Disorders: ParasomniasNightmares: Anxiety-arousing dreams generally occurring near the end of the sleep cycle, during REM sleepNight Terrors: Abrupt awakenings from NREM (non-rapid-eye-movement) sleep accompanied by intense psychological arousal and feeling panicSleep walking: Which tends to accompany night terrors also occurs during NREM sleep.Sleep talking occurs with about equal probability in REM and NREM sleep. It is even possible to engage some sleep talkers in a limited conversationThese events are more common in children, but they can also occur in adults, usually during times of stress or major life events.Help with Sleep DisordersDuring the Day:Exerciseit works away tensionAvoid Stimulantscoffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolateAvoid Late Meals & Heavy DrinkingStop Worryingfocus on problems at a set time earlier in the dayUse Presleep Ritualsfollow the same routine every nightIn Bed:Use progressive muscle relaxation-tense and relax muscle groupsApply yogagentle exercises to help relaxationUse fantasiesimagine yourself in a tranquil settingUse deep breathingTry a warm baththis can induce drowsinessSleep Journal #2Have you ever had a reoccurring dream? If so, what is the nature of it? What do you think it means?

Why do we dream?Is there special meaning and information in our dreams? Why do we have bad dreams? Why do we dream at all? These questions have fascinated writers, poets, as well as psychologists.

How art has opened the door to dreamsSleep and dreams feature heavily in Shakespeare. "We are such stuff/As dreams are made on; and our little life/Is rounded with a sleep," says Prospero in The Tempest. "To sleep: perchance to dream ay, there's the rub. For in that sleep what dreams may come?" ponders an anguished Hamlet while wrestling with his dead father's advice. Slumber is suggested in the very title of A Midsummer Night's Dream, wherein the Queen of the Fairies, awakes from her sleep only to fall in love with the grotesque Bottom. In Macbeth, the title character has murdered sleep, and is no longer able to sleep as a result of his overwhelming guilt.Artists have long been influenced and inspired by their nocturnal muses

Sleep & InspirationDreaming, which occurs during REM sleep, is the one event during the hours of slumber that turns out to be more productive than it appears. Paul McCartney claimed to have woken from a dream with the theme for The Beatles' hit "Yesterday" in his head. Robert Louis Stevenson said the story of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde came to him while asleep Dmitri Mendeleev reported that he "saw" a chart of all the elements ranged in front of him while dozing at his desk on 17 February 1869. Two weeks later, he published what has become the Periodic Table of the Elements.

History of SleepEfforts to understand the causes and role of sleep begin with Aristotle, the first person to consider sleep in a methodical way. He argued that it was caused by the heart cooling down. Other Greek philosophers and physicians said its cause lay in the isolation of the body from its senses but they mistook the heart rather than the brain to be the centre of the body's sensory perception. History of SleepNot until 2,000 years later did it become possible to study the sleeping brain directly. Nathaniel Kleitman opened the first sleep laboratory at the University of Los Angeles in 1925. His team were the first to discover that sleep consisted of different stages, with REM (rapid eye movement) sleep alternating with deeper sleep every 90 minutes. Kleitman's work laid the foundation for modern sleep research.

Theories of SleepRepair/Restoration Sleep allows for recuperation from physical, emotional, and intellectual fatigueSurvival ValueSleep evolved to conserve energy and protect our ancestors from predators

Three Major Theories of Dreams1) Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic ViewOne of the oldest and most controversial explanations for why we dream is Freuds psychoanalytic view2) Biological View3) Cognitive View

The Interpretation of DreamsAfter Sigmund Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams in 1899 that the study of sleep and dreams really began to seize the imagination of artists. Freud's work was a huge influence on the surrealists, and particularly Salvador Dali, who was inspired by the psychoanalyst

The Interpretation of Dreams: Wish Fulfillment A.K.A. Psychoanalytic theory: Dreams represent disguised symbols of repressed desires and anxieties Manifest Content: symbols used to disguise true meaning of dreamLatent Content: true unconscious meaning of a dreamSometimes a cigar is just a cigar.- Freud, on themeaning of dreams

The Interpretation of DreamsFreud:Among his best-known cases was that of the Wolf Man, a rich young Russian called Sergei Pankejeff who had a nervous breakdown at the age of 17 that left him incapable of leading a normal life. His therapy focused on a nightmare he had at the age of four, when he dreamed that he opened a window to see half a dozen wolves sitting motionless in a tree. Freud concluded that this reflected a "primal scene", witnessed by Pankejeff, of his parents having sex.

The Interpretation of DreamsAlthough the account strikes a modern audience as dated and contrived, Freud's theory that the "manifest content" of a dream (what appears to the dreamer) is created by the unconscious desires that give rise to it has stood the test of time. By analyzing the manifest content, Freud claimed it was possible to trace the desires underlying the dream that were too painful or distressing for the dreamer to acknowledge directly. Dreams became the "royal road to the unconscious".

The Interpretation of DreamsIt is fashionable to dismiss Freud's theories today as misguided. But, in an essay by Professor Mark Solms, a neurosurgeon at St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine, writes that research over the last 100 years confirms Freud's view. Neuroscientific evidence gives every reason to take seriously the radical hypothesis first set out in Freud's book that dreams are motivated phenomena driven by our wishes... In fact, aspects of Freud's account of the dreaming mind are so consistent with the currently available neuroscientific data that I personally think we would be well advised to use Freud's model as a guide for the next phase of our neuroscientific investigations."

Why do we dream?Activation-synthesis hypothesis:Dreams represent random activation of brain cells during REM sleep (biological)Problem SolvingDreams focus on the problems we have in an attempt to find a solution/information processingThreat simulationDreams evolved to help us practice skills we need to avoid threats.

Why do we dream? Theories--Cognitive ViewDreams are simply another type of information processingthat is our dreams help us sift and sort out our everyday experiences and thoughts. And the brain periodically shouts out sensory input so that it can process, assimilate and update information.It is supported by the fact that REM sleep increases following stress and intense learning periods. For example, college students often report examination-anxiety dreams. You cant find your classroom, youre running out of time, your pen doesnt work, or youve completely forgotten to study.Gender and Cultural DiversityDo men and women dream about different things? Are there differences between cultures in dream content?In reference to gender, research shows that men and women tend to share many common dream themes. But women are more likely to dream of children, family, and familiar people, household objects, and indoor eventsMen more often dream about strangers, violence, weapons, sexual activity, achievement, an outdoor events.Interestingly, other evidence suggests that as gender differences and stereotypes lessen, segregation of dream content by gender becomes less distinct.Gender and Cultural DiversityAre there differences between cultures in dream content?Across cultures, research has found both similarities and differences in dream content. Dreams involving basic human needs and fears (like sex, aggression, and death) seem to be found in all cultures. And children around the world dream of falling, being chased, and being unable to do something they need to do.In addition, dreams around the world typically include more misfortune than good fortune, and the dreamer is more often the victim of aggression than the cause of it.Drugs and Consciousness

Drugs and ConsciousnessPsychoactive Drugs

Do you (or does someone you know) use caffeine (in coffee, tea, chocolate, cola) or nicotine as a pick-me-up?How about alcohol as a way to relax and lessen inhibitions?All threecaffeine, nicotine, and alcoholare psychoactive drugs.How it differs from abuse, and how chemical alterations in consciousness affect a person psychologically and physically, are important topics in psychology.

Drugs and Consciousnesshttp://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/natureofthings/2010/downsideofhigh/Documentary about the relationship between teenagers who start smoking marijuana (before the age of sixteen) and the increased chances of becoming schizophrenic (four times more likely). Drugs and ConsciousnessA Letter to ParentsMarijuana is the illegal drug most often used in this country. Since 1991, lifetime marijuana use has doubled among 8th and 10th grade students, and increased by a third among high school seniors. Our research shows that accompanying this upward pattern of use is a significant erosion in antidrug perception and knowledge among young people today. As the number of young people who use marijuana has increased, the number who view the drug as harmful has decreased. Among high school seniors surveyed in 1997, current marijuana used has increased about 72 percent since 1991. The proportion of those seniors who believe regular use of marijuana is harmful has dropped by about 26 percent since 1991.--From Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1998

Drugs and ConsciousnessWhat factors do you think have influenced the trend toward increased use of marijuana?

Drugs and ConsciousnessDescription of Marijuana use written by J.R. Tinkleman (1975):Initial effects of cannabis use at low doses using includes euphoria, heightening of subjective sensory experiences, alterations in time sense, and the [feeling]of a relaxedpassivity. With timethese effects are intensified with impaired memory function, disturbed thought patterns, lapses of attention and afeeling of unfamiliarity.What are some of the emotional and psychological effects of that dependency? Drugs and ConsciousnessHow Drugs WorkPsychoactive drugs influence the nervous system (and our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours) in a variety of ways.Like hormones, drugs are carried by the blood and taken up in a target tissue in various parts of the body. When a drug is introduced into the body it comes into contact with capillaries (smallest blood vessel). From there it is gradually absorbed into the blood.Then drug molecules act like neurotransmitters and hook onto the ends of nerve cells (neurons) and send out their own chemical messages.

Drugs and ConsciousnessHow Drugs WorkFor example, alcohol molecules tell a nerve cell not to fireas more cells cease firing, the alcohol user becomes slower and may eventually lose consciousness. LSD molecules may cause circuits in different areas of the brain to start firing together instead of separately resulting in hallucinations.

Drugs and ConsciousnessClassification of Psychoactive DrugsThere are four major categories which include, hallucinogens, opiates, depressants, and stimulants

Drugs and ConsciousnessI) HallucinogensThese drugs produce intriguing alterations of consciousness from hallucinogens, including visual, auditory, or kinesthetic hallucinations.According to some reports, colours are brighter and more luminous, patterns seem to pulsate and rotate, and senses seem to fusethat is colours are heard or sounds tasted.Hallucinogens are referred to as psychedelics (from the Greek mind manifesting) They include mescaline (from peyote cactus), mushrooms, LSD, and marijuana.

Drugs and ConsciousnessHallucinationsPerceptions that have no direct external causeseeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or feeling things that do not existare hallucinations.

Drugs and ConsciousnessExperiencing hallucinations:Hypnosis, meditation, certain drugs, withdrawal from an addictive drug and psychological breakdown may cause hallucinationsPeople hallucinate when they are dreaming, day-dreaming and when they are deprived of sleepPeriods of high emotion, concentration or fatigueHallucinations are very much alike from one person to the nextthe reactions are similar because of the way drugs affect the brainportions of the brain that respond to incoming stimuli become disorganized, while the entire central nervous system is aroused

Drugs and ConsciousnessMarijuanaGenerally classified as a hallucinogen, even though it has the same properties as a depressant (including drowsiness and lethargy) and a narcotic (acting as a weak painkiller)in low doses, it also produces mild euphoriaModerate doses lead to an intensification of sensory experiences and the illusion that time is passing very slowly.High doses may produce hallucinations, delusions, and distortions of body imageThe active ingredient in marijuana is THC, or tetrahy-dreacannabinol, which attaches to receptors that are abundant throughout the brain. The presence of these receptors implies that the brain produces some THC-like chemicals of its own.

Drugs and ConsciousnessMarijuanaSome researchers report use of marijuana can lead to impaired memory, attention and learning, and may also be related to birth defects and lower IQ in childrenAdditionally, chronic marijuana use can lead to throat and respiratory disorders, impaired lung function, decreased immune response, declines in testosterone levels, reduced sperm count, disruption of the menstrual cycle and ovulation

Drugs and ConsciousnessMarijuanaMarijuana may also be habit-forming, but withdrawal symptoms are mild because the drug dissolves in the bodys fat and leaves the body very slowly, which explains why a marijuana user can test positive for days or weeks after useOn the positive side, marijuana has been found to be therapeutic in the treatment of glaucoma, in alleviating the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, in increasing appetite, and in treating asthma, seizures, epilepsy, and anxiety

Drugs and ConsciousnessLSD (acid) in 1943, Albert Hofman, the Swiss chemist who first synthesized LSD in a laboratory, accidently licked some of the drug off his finger and later recorded it in his journal

Last Friday, April 16, 1943, I was forced to stop my work in the laboratory in the middle of the afternoon and to go home, as I was seized by a peculiar restlessness associated with a feeling of mild dizziness. Having reached home, I lay down and sank in a kind of drunkenness which was not unpleasant and which was characterized by extreme activity of imagination. As I lay in a dazed condition with my eyes closed (I experienced daylight as disagreeably bright) there surged upon me an uninterrupted stream of fantastic images of extraordinary plasticity and vividness and accompanied by an intense, kaleidoscope-like play of colours. This condition gradually passed after about two hours. (Hofman, 1968)

Drugs and ConsciousnessLSD (acid)The best-known potent hallucinogen is LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)it is one of the most powerful drugs known.LSD is an ordourless, tasteless, and colourless substance, but one of the most potent drugs knownAs little as 10 micrograms of LSD can produce measurable psychoactive effects in one individual. An amount the size of an aspirin is enough to produce effects in 3000 people. Low reported abuse rates may be due to the extreme and powerful experience of LSDLSD is a dangerous drug and bad LSD trips can be terrifying and may lead to accidents, death, or suicide

Drugs and ConsciousnessII) Opiates (narcotics)--Drugs that are derived from opiumIncludes morphine and heroinOpiates numb the senses and thus are used medically to relieve painThey are highly attractive to people seeking an alternated state of consciousness because they produce feelings of relaxation and euphoria. They produce their effect by mimicking the brain's own natural chemicals for pain control and mood elevation, called endorphins

Drugs and ConsciousnessII) Opiates (narcotics)--Drugs that are derived from opiumThis mimicking of the bodys natural endorphins creates a dangerous pathway to drug abuse. After repeated flooding with artificial opiates, the brain eventually reduces or stops the production of its own opiatesif the users attempts to stop, the brain lacks both the artificial and normal level of painkilling chemicals and withdrawal becomes excruciatingly painfulThe euphoria, pain relief, and avoidance of withdrawal all contribute to make opiates, like heroin, extremely addictiveinterestingly, when opiates are used medially to relieve intense pain, they are seldom habit-forming, however when taken recreationally, they are strongly addictive

Drugs and ConsciousnessIII) Depressants (downers)Act on the CNS (central nervous system) causing relaxation, sedation, loss of consciousness and even deathIncludes, alcohol, barbiturates, and anti-anxiety drugs like Valium.Because tolerance and dependence (both physical and psychological) are rapidly acquired with these drugs, there is strong potential for abuse

Drugs and ConsciousnessIII) Depressants (downers)Anxiety Medication

Anti-anxiety medication can relieve some symptoms of anxiety, but it also comes with side effects and safety concernsincluding the risk of addiction.Benzodiazepines, and newer options like antidepressants and beta-blockers.These medications can be very effective, but they shouldnt be thought of as a cure. Anxiety medication can provide temporary relief, but it doesnt treat the underlying cause of the anxiety disorder. Once you stop taking the drug, the anxiety symptoms often return in full force.Many medications for anxiety are also habit forming and physically addictive, making it difficult to stop taking them once youve started.

Drugs and ConsciousnessDepressants (downers)It is often said that alcohol is a stimulant at low doses, which accounts for its reputation as a party drug, and a depressant at higher doses. The truth is that alcohol is always a depressantpeople become less self-conscious, less inhibited, more relaxed, and more in the mood for a party, even after just one or two drinks, because the alcohol has depressed neural activity in the brain and other parts of the nervous system.As drinking increases, so too does relaxation, disinhibition, poor judgment, and lessened emotional and behavioural controlall of which leads to serious personal and social problemsIn very large doses, alcohol can be lethal

Drugs and ConsciousnessDepressants (downers)Alcohols effects are determined by the amount that reaches the brain. Because the liver breaks down alcohol at a rate of 1 ounce/hour, the number of drinks and the speed of consumption are both important. People can die after drinking large amounts in a short period of time.Mens bodies are more efficient than womens at breaking down Following equal consumption: women have a higher blood alcohol level than do men.Combining alcohol with other drugs, like barbiturates (both depressants) can be lethaltogether they can relax the diaphragm muscles to such a degree that the person literally suffocates (Actress Judy Garland died from this combination)

Drugs and ConsciousnessDepressants (downers): Alcohol

Drunk drivers are responsible from almost half of all highway-related fatalitiesDrugs and ConsciousnessIV) Stimulants (cocaine, caffeine, nicotine, amphetamine, methamphetamine)Increase the overall activity and responsiveness of the CNS to produce alertness, excitement, elevated mood, decreased fatigue and sometimes increased motor activity.

Drugs and ConsciousnessStimulants : CocaineCocaine is a powerful CNS stimulant (extracted from leaves of the coca plant), that can be sniffed as powder, injected intravenously, or smoked in the form of crack.Produced a feeling of alertness, euphoria, well-being, power, energy, and pleasure. Also acts as an agonist drug to block the reuptake of our bodys natural neurotransmitter that produces these same effects (dopamine)Drugs and ConsciousnessStimulants : CocainePotential for physical damage and severe psychological dependence: even small initial doses can be fatal because cocaine interferes with the electrical system of the heart, causing irregular heartbeats and, in some cases, heart failure. It can also cause heart attacks and strokes by temporarily constricting the blood vesselsThe most dangerous form is Crack/Rockand its lower price makes it affordable and attractive to a large audience, but its greater potency also makes it more quickly addictive and dangerous

Drugs and ConsciousnessDrug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse refers to drug taking that causes emotional or physical harm to the individual or othersAddiction: is a broad term referring to a persons feeling of compulsion to use specific drugs or to engage in certain activitiesDrug abusers are those people who regularly use illegal drugs or excessively use legal drugs

Drugs and ConsciousnessDrug Abuse and TreatmentWhy Do People Abuse Drugs? Avoidance issuesBoredomSocial Issues: Fitting-in, gain more self-confidenceForget about problemsAnxiety issuesto relax

Drugs and ConsciousnessDrug Abuse and TreatmentThe greatest risk associated with the abuse of psychoactive drugs is loss of controlwhich manifests itself as an overwhelming and compulsive desire to obtain and use drugs

Drugs and ConsciousnessDrug Abuse and TreatmentTreatment for drug abuse involves:1. The drug abuser admitting that he/she has a problem2. The drug abuser entering a treatment program/getting therapy3. The drug abuser must remain drug free. Many drug abusers are encouraged to join support groups to help them reduce drug use and fight off the temptation of returning to drugs. Many drug abusers suffer relapsethat is, they return to using drugs. This is why support groups are so beneficial for the user.

Drugs & Consciousness-ActivityREAD: Addictive Drugs as the Brains Evil TutorAnd in a paragraph, fully answer the question: Why do addicts abuse drugs?

Healthier Ways to Alter ConsciousnessHypnosis, Biofeedback & Meditation

Healthier Ways to Alter ConsciousnessAs we have seen, altered states of consciousness (ASCs) may be reached through everyday activities such as sleep and dreaming, or psychoactive drug use.But there are also less common, perhaps healthier, routes to alternate states.

Exploring Psychology: Not Feeling PainVictor R. entered a hypnotic trance by focusing on Chopins Lush Nocturne in E-flat, as it was played in the movie The Eddy Duchin Story. Victor visualized scenes from the movie and wrapped his mind in appealing thoughts. His blood pressure and pulse rate remained steady for 75 minutes.During the 75 minutes, Victor was undergoing a gallbladder operation! He had refused the anesthetic, and during the surgery, he swears he felt no painjust a little tugging. He even talked and joked with the surgical team during the procedure. After the surgery, he stood up and walked down the hall, riding the elevator to his hospital room.

HypnosisHow can hypnosis eliminate the pain involved in surgery?Hypnosis shifts our perceptionsBy altering a persons state of consciousness, people can be made conscious (aware) of things they are usually unaware of and unaware of things they usually notice.

HypnosisRelaxyour body is so tiredyour eyelids are so very heavyyour muscles are becoming more and more relaxedyour breathing is becoming deeper and deeperrelaxyour eyes are closing and your whole body feels like leadlet gorelax.

These are some of the suggestions most hypnotists use to begin hypnosis

Hypnosis

Once hypnotizedSome people can be convinced they are standing on the edge of the ocean listening to the sound of waves crashing and feeling the mist on their facesWill eat a delicious apple that is actually an onionand relish the flavourTold they are watching a very funny movie or sad movie, they may begin to laugh or cry at their self-created vision

Hypnosis

What is hypnosis?It is a state of consciousness resulting from a narrow focus of attention and characterized by heightened suggestibilityAlso described as the trancelike state of heightened suggestibility, deep relaxation, and intense focus

Hypnosis

Characteristics: Narrowed, highly focused attention (participant is able to tune out competing sensory stimuli)Increased use of imagination and hallucinations (in case of visual hallucinations, a person may see things that arent there)A passive and receptive attitudeDecreased responsiveness to painHeightened suggestibility (willingness to respond to proposed changes in perception this onion is an apple)

Hypnosis

The Power of Suggestion: Many theorists believe that a persons suggestibility (willingness to respond to proposed changes in perception) increases their ability to be hypnotized

Hypnosis

The Power of Suggestion: Theorist: Theodore Barberhypnosis is not a special state of consciousness, but simply the result of suggestibilityIf people are given instructions, told to try their hardest, they will be able to do anything that hypnotized people can do

Hypnosis

The Power of Suggestion: Theorist: Earnest HilgardHypnosis is a special statePeople who are hypnotized are very suggestible; they go along with the hypnotist and can more easily imagine and remember things

Hypnosis

The Power of Suggestion: Theorist: Sarbin & CoeHypnotized people behave as they do because they have accepted to role of a hypnotized subject

Hypnosis: TRY THIS

The Power of Suggestion: The Yawning PollTo illustrate the power of suggestion, start to yawn as you talk to friends and familyHow many times do you have to yawn before the other person also yawns?How many people are immune to the yawn?

115

Hypnosis

Myths and FactsForced Hypnosis: People can be involuntarily hypnotized or hypnotically brainwashedHypnosis requires a willing, conscious choice to relinquish control of ones consciousness to someone else. The best subjects are those who are able to focus attention, are open to new experiences, and are capable of imaginative involvement or fantasy

Hypnosis

Myths and Facts2. Unethical Behaviour: Hypnosis can make people behave immorally or take dangerous risks against their willHypnotized people retain awareness an control of their behaviour, and they can refuse to comply with the hypnotists suggestion.

Hypnosis

Myths and Facts3. Faking: Hypnosis participants are faking it, playing along with the hypnotistAlthough most participants are not consciously faking hypnosis, some researchers believe the effects result from a blend of conformity, relaxation, obedience, suggestion, and role playing. Others believe the effect results from a special state of altered consciousness

Hypnosis

Myths and Facts4. Superhuman Strength: Hypnotized people can perform acts of special, superhuman strengthWhen non-hypnotized people are simply asked to try their hardest on tests of physical strength, they generally can do anything that a hypnotized person can

Hypnosis

Myths and Facts5. Exceptional Memory: Hypnotized people can recall things they otherwise could not.

Although the heightened relaxation and focus that hypnosis engenders improves recall for some information, people also are more willing to guess. Because memory is normally filled with fabrications and distortions, hypnosis generally increases the potential for error.

Hypnosis

Therapeutic UsesOccasionally used in surgery and for treatment of chronic pain and severe burnsFound its best use in medical areas in which patients have a high degree of anxiety, fear and misinformation (dentistry, childbirth)because pin is strongly affected by tension and anxiety, any technique that helps person to relax is useful

Hypnosis

Therapeutic UsesIn psychotherapy, it can help client relax, remember painful memories and reduce anxiety and has been used with modest success in treatment of phobias and in efforts to lose weight, stop smoking and improve study habits

Biofeedback

A technique where a person learns to control bodily states with the help of specialized machines.Biofeedback has been used to teach people to control a variety of physiological responses: brain waves, heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, sweat-gland activityPrinciple: feedback makes learning possible

Biofeedback

A technique where a person learns to control bodily states with the help of specialized machines.Biofeedback involves having the participant connected via wires to a computer. Electrodes are attached to different parts of body that are targeted for measurement and modificationusually, head, hands, fingers, feet or musclesSignal is transmitted from electrodes to computer and provides immediate info about levels of physiological activityRelaxation and visualization techniques are practiced during session and the computer then indicates any changes in physiological activity as a result of practice of techniques

Biofeedback

Biofeedback involves using machines to tell people about very subtle, moment-to-moments changes in the body.People can experiment with different thoughts and feelings while they watch how each affects their bodiesIn time, people learn to change their physiological processes.

Biofeedback

Example: Tension HeadachesResult from constriction of the frontalis muscle in the foreheadcure involved specialized training of muscular controlUse biofeedback to teach people to relax this special muscle.In study, the practice went on for weeks, and while others were given similar treatments without biofeedback, only biofeedback group improved significantly.

Meditation

Suddenly, with a roar like that of a waterfall, I felt a stream of liquid light entering my brain through the spinal cord. The illumination grew brighter and brighter, the roaring louder. I experienced a rocking sensation and then felt myself slipping out of my body, entirely enveloped in a halo of light. I felt the point of consciousness that was myself growing wider, surrounded by waves of light .(Gopi Khrishna, 1999)

Meditation

This is how spiritual leader Gopi Khrishna describes his experience with meditation

Does it sound attractive?

Most people in the beginning stages of meditation report a simpler, mellow type of relaxation, followed by a mild euphoria.With long practice, some advanced meditators experience feelings of profound rapture and joy or strong hallucinations.

Meditation

This is how spiritual leader Gopi Khrishna describes his experience with meditation

Does it sound attractive?

Most people in the beginning stages of meditation report a simpler, mellow type of relaxation, followed by a mild euphoria.With long practice, some advanced meditators experience feelings of profound rapture and joy or strong hallucinations.

Meditation

What is meditation?

The term is generally used to refer to a group of techniques deigned to refocus attention, block out distractions, and produce an alternate state of consciousness.

Success in meditation requires controlling the minds natural tendency to wander

Meditation

Three Major Approaches

Transcendental Meditation: involves the mental repetition of a mantra, usually a Sanskrit phrase. The participant sit with eyes closed for 15-20 minutes twice a dayMindful Meditation: (Buddhist tradition) focuses on the present moment. The person may move his or he focus through the body from tips of the toes to top of the head, while paying particular attention to areas that cause pain.Breath Meditation: concentrating on ones respirationthe process of inhaling and exhaling

Meditation

Is Meditation Good for You?

Researchers agree that most people can benefit from systematic relaxation techniquesHas been found to help lower blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration rateThe reported benefits come from those who practice itmay be biased.Other data suggests that some people may actually be sleeping during meditation, so benefits may result from deep relaxation

Meditation

Is Meditation Good for You?

Researchers have found that meditation enhances the coordination between the brain hemispheresAlso found that those who meditate use a larger portion of their brain, and that faster and more powerful gamma waves exist in individuals who meditate regularly (past studies have shown that the type of increased coordination associated with more powerful gamma waves correlates with improvements in focus, memory, learning and consciousness).

States of Consciousness Inquiry ActivityTASK: You will create a technology-based presentation (not a poster) that answers one of the inquiry questions about States of Consciousness