PSY-101: Principles of Psychology
Chapter 5
Chapter 5: States of Consciousness
CONSCIOUSNESS Level of awareness of the sensations, thoughts, and feelings we experience at a given moment
● Wakefulness ● Daydreaming ● Sleep ● Intoxication ● Meditative ● Hypnotic
SLEEP Why do we spend about a third of our lives sleeping?
● A clean brain is a healthy brain ○ Waste products are removed from our brain cells
while we sleep ● Learning and memory
○ We consolidate memories during sleep to help the brain remain plastic for the upcoming day
● Physical development ○ Growth hormones released during sleep
STAGES OF SLEEP Stage 1
● Waves similar to awake, but very relaxed; Easily awoken Stage 2
● Slower, more regular wave pattern; Deep relaxation Stages 3 & 4
● Heart rate and breathing slow dramatically ● Not “refreshed” if woken
REM – Rapid Eye Movement ● Paralyzed muscles; Dream state
DREAMS Freud’s take
● A window to the unconscious ●
More realistically… ● A byproduct of the memory consolidation process
SLEEP PROBLEMS Sleep debt & deprivation can lead to:
● Depression ● Stress ● Suppressed immune function ● Impairment similar to drunkenness
Insomnia ● Issues for at least 3 nights a week for at least one month ● Can be due to:
○ Use of stimulants, lack of exercise, medications, stress
DRUGS AND INTOXICATION Depressants
● Decrease central nervous system activity ○ E.g., alcohol and the release of GABA
Stimulants ● Increase central nervous system activity
○ E.g., coffee and the release of Adenosine Opioids
● Pain relief and feelings of euphoria ○ E.g., fentanyl mimics our natural pain killing mechanisms
Hallucinogens ● Change perceptual experiences
○ E.g., marijuana and the Endocannabinoid System
DRUG ADDICTION Physical / Physiological dependence
● Brain prepares for use by giving us the opposite effect (e.g., we feel pain if addicted to an opioid) ○ Referred to as withdrawal ○ Typical dose brings us back to baseline, but then
we need an extra dose to get “high” ● Referred to as building a tolerance
OTHER STATES Hypnosis
● VERY misrepresented in media ● Person enters a hyper-relaxed state and becomes
susceptible to the power of suggestion
Meditation ● Refocus of attention
○ E.g., Mindfulness ● Can help manage stress, pain, and sleep problems
