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consciousness

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awareness of everything that is going on around you and inside your own head at any given moment, which you use to organize your behavior, including your thoughts, sensations, and feelings. generated by a set of action potentials in communication among neurons just sufficient to produce specific perception, memory or experience in our awareness

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waking consciousness

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where people's thoughts, feelings and sensations are clear and organized and they feel alert.

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altered state of consciousness

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occurs when there is a shift in the quality or pattern of your mental activity. thoughts become fuzzy and disorganized, you feel less alert. different forms: daydreaming, hypnotize, meditative state, under influence of drugs, sleep

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biological rhythms

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natural cycles of activity that the body must go through. some are monthly (menstruation), others are far shorter like the beat of the heart.

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circadian rhythm

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sleep-wake cycle; controlled by the brain, specifically the hypothalamus (tiny section of brain that influences glandular system)

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melatonin

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supplements of hormone that are normally secreted by pineal gland. taken in hopes to sleep better and slow effects of aging. its release is influenced by suprachiasmatic nucleus structure that is sensitive to changes in light and tells pineal gland to secrete this hormone --> causes people to feel sleepy, also influenced by serotonin levels

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jet lag

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body's circadian rhythm has been disrupted by traveling to another time zone. often people take melatonin supplements to treat this

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microsleeps

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brief sidesteps into sleep lasting only seconds.

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sleep deprivation

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loss of sleep - many people have this problem without realizing it. symptoms include trembling hands, inattention, staring off into sleep, droopy eyelids and general discomfort, irritability and depression

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adaptive theory

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proposes that animals and humans evolved different sleep patterns to avoid being present during their predators' normal hunting times, which typically would be at night. theory is true to explain why people sleep

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restorative theory

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states that sleep is necessary to the physical health of the body. chemicals that were used up during the day's activities are replenished and cellular damage is repaired. most bodily growth and repair occur during deepest stages of sleep, when enzymes responsible for these functions are secreted in higher amounts. theory is true to explain why people need to sleep

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REM (rapid eye movement) sleep

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relatively active type of sleep when most of a person's dreaming takes place; voluntary muscles are inhibited, so they move little

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non-REM sleep

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much deeper, more restful kind of sleep; body is free to move around.

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beta waves

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a person who is wide awake and mentally active will show this brain-wave pattern on the EEG; very small waves and very fast.

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alpha waves

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waves detected on EEG that are larger and slower; when person is relaxed and gets drowsy

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theta waves

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slower and larger waves that eventually replace alpha waves when person is more relaxed and sleepy

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stage 1 sleep

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non-rem stage. light sleep = when theta wave activity increases and alpha wave activity fades. if they are awaken at this point, they will probably not believe that they are actually sleep. they can experience vivid visual events/hallucinations, hypnic jerks

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hypnic jerk

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when your body jerks while drifting off to sleep - possibly because our ancestors slept in trees

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stage 2 sleep

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non-rem stage. theta waves dominate. body temperature continues to drop, heart rate slows, breathing becomes more shallow and irregular. EEG will show signs of sleep spindles (brief bursts of activity lasting only a second or two). they will be aware they are sleeping

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non-rem stage 3

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slowest and largest waves - delta waves. makeup 20-50% of brain-wave pattern.

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non-rem stage 4

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once delta waves account for 50% of total brain activity, then the person is said to have entered this deepest stage of sleep, where growth hormones are released from pituitary gland and reach their peak. body is at lowest level of functioning. delta waves eventually become dominant. people are hard to wake up; they may be confused or disorientated when waking up.

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REM stage

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after hitting stage 4, person goes back through stage 3, 2 and 1, until they hit this stage where they are still asleep. if awakened, they feel like they're in a dream state. 90% of dreams take place in this stage, esp those that are vivid and detailed.

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REM paralysis

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condition where voluntary muscles are paralyzed and body is unable to act upon these dreams under normal conditions.

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REM rebound

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occurs when a person is greatly deprived of REM sleep the night before

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REM myth

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when people deprived of REM sleep become paranoid, seemingly mentally ill from the lack of REM sleep. but later studies failed to reliably produce the same results

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forming new connections

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When infants are engaged in REM sleep, they are not dreaming but rather _________ ___ ________ between neurons.

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nightmares

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bad dreams. occurs in children more than adults because they spend more of their sleep in REM state. aging causes fewer nightmares because they have less opportunity to have them. usually vividly remembered upon waking; occur in REM sleep (don't move around)

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REM behavior disorder

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fairly serious condition in which brain mechanisms that normally inhibit voluntary muscles fail, allowing person to thrash around and even get up and act out nightmares.

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sleepwalking

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somnambulism - occurs about 20% of the population and is at least partially due to hereditary. more common in childhood and more frequent in boys than girls. most of the time, they grow out of it by the time they become adolescents.

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night terrors

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rare disorder. more likely in children and less likely to disappear as child grows older. essentially a state of panic experienced while sound asleep. people are in deep stage of sleep and breathing shallowly so breathing seems difficult if they become active. occur in non-REM sleep (more movement)

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insomnia

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inability to get to sleep, stay asleep or get a good quality of sleep. could be caused by worrying, stress, anxiety, too much caffeine, indigestion, aches, pain

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tips to avoid insomnia

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go to bed when you're sleepy, don't do anything in your bed but sleep, don't try too hard to get to sleep, keep to a regular schedule, don't take sleeping pills or drink alcohol or other drugs

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cognitive behavior therapy

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type of therapy in which both rational thinking and controlled behavior are stressed to help people avoid insomnia

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sleep apnea

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person stops breathing for nearly half a minute or more. people do not wake up when this happens and they do not get good night's sleep. disturbs nightly sleep, makes person excessively sleepy, causes heart problems

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narcolepsy

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kind of sleep seizure; disorder. person may slip suddenly into REM sleep during the day. excessive daytime sleepiness that results in person falling asleep throughout the day at inappropriate times and inappropriate places. may occur many times and without warning.

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cataplexy

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sudden loss of muscle tone - symptom of REM attacks. may cause injuries if the person is standing when teh attack occurs.

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Simund Frued and dreams

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He believed that examining the dreams of his patients would help him get at the early memories, conflicts, events and desires from the past that are represented in symbolic form in the dreams. He believed that the true meaning of a dream was latent and only expressed in symbols.

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manifest content

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the actual dream itself

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activation synthesis hypothesis

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theory that says dream is another kind of thinking that occurs when people sleep. it is less realistic because it comes not from outside world of reality but from within people's memories and experiences of the past. frontal lobes are shut down during dreaming.

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activation-information-mode model

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says that info that is accessed during waking hours can have an influence on the synthesis of dreams. created by Hobson and collegues

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Calvin Hall

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collected over 10,000 dreams and concluded that most dreams reflect the events that occur in everyday life; people who grew up in era of black and white tv sometimes have dreams in black and white. there are gender differences in the way male sand females dream. american culture often reflects aggressive dreams compared to other cultures

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hypnosis

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a state of consciousness in which a person is especially suspceptible to suggestion.

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four steps of hypnosis

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hypnotist tells person to focus on what is being said; person is told to relax and feel tired; hypnotist tells person to let go and accept suggestions easily; person is told to use vivid imagination. this only works if the person is willing to be hypnotized.

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hypnotic susceptibility

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the degree to which a person is a good hypnotic subject; cn be tested

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basic suggestion effect

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tendency to act as though their behavior is automatic and out of their control; gives people an excuse to do things they might not otherwise do because the burden of responsibility for their actions falls on the hypnotist

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dissociation

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splitting of conscious awareness (pretending you're at the beach even though your hands in a ice water)

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Ernest Hilgard

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believed that hypnosis worked only on the immediate conscious mind of a person, while a part of that person's mind remained aware of all that was going on, even though the hypnotized part of the mind is blissfully unaware of these same things

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social-cognitive theory of hypnosis

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assumes that people who are hypnotized are not in an altered state but are merely playing the role expected of them in the situation

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psychoactive drugs

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drugs that alter thinking, perception, memory, or some combination of those abilities. many of these drugs were originally developed to help people

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physical dependence

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when a person becomes dependent or addicted to a drug; body becomes unable to function normally with the drug

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drug tolerance

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a sign of physical depependence on a drug; as a person continues to use the drug, larger and larger doses of the drug are needed to achieve the same initial effects of the drug

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withdrawal

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a sign of physical dependence on a drug; user experiences symptoms that result when deprived of the drug. headaches, nausea, irritability, cramping, shaking, elevated blood pressure occur because body is trying to adjust to absence of drug. ex of negative reinforcement - continuing something to avoid unpleasant circumstances

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psychological dependence

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belief that drug is needed to continue a feeling of emotional or psychological wellbeing. body may not need or crave the drug and people don't feel withdrawal symptoms, but they will continue to use the drug because they think they need it. ex of positive reinforcement - continuing a behavior that is followed by pleasurable consequences

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stimulants

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drugs that increase the functioning of the nervous system (either in the sympathetic division of central nervous system, or both). causes heart beat to increase, brain may work faster; won't give people extra energy but will cause them to burn up whatever energy reserves they do have, depressing appetite but causing crash later on (which causes people to just take more pills)

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depressants

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drugs that decrease the functioning of the nervous system

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narcotics

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painkilling depressant drugs derived from the opium poppy; suppress the sensations of pain by binding to and stimulating the nervous system's natural receptor sites for endorphins, the neurotransmitters that natural deaden pain sensations. they slow down action of nervous system so drug interactions with other depressants are deadly

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hallucinogenics

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drugs that alter perceptions and may cause hallucinations

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amphetamines

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stimulants that are synthesized in labs rather than being found in nature. includes benzedrine, methedrine, dexedrine. sometimes used to stay awake or lose weight; used to treat narcolepsy; effect is stimulation and excitement

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methamphetamine

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sometimes used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or narcolepsy.

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amphetamine psychosis

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nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure and strokes. causes addicts to become delusional and paranoid. violence against both the self and others

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cocaine

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natural drug found in coca plant leaves. produces feelings of euphoria, energy, power and pleasure. deadens pain and suppressed the appetite. used rather liberally by both doctors and dentists near end of 19th century. when taken during pregnancy, child can have high risk learning disabilities, delayed language development and inability to cope adequately with stress.

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cocaine physical dependency

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users experience severe mood swing into depression, followed by extreme tiredness, nervousness inability to feel pleasure, paranoia, brain develops craving for the drug because of chemical changes caused by it. three signs: compulsive use, loss of control, disregard for the consequences of use (all that matters is the drug)

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nicotine

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mild yet toxic stimulant, producing slight "rush" or sense of arousal as it raises blood pressure and accelerates the heart, provides rush of sugar into blood stream by stimulating release of adrenalin. has relaxing effect on most people and reduces stress. more powerful than heroin or alcohol

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caffeine

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the stimulant found in coffee, tea, most soda,s chocolate and even many over the counter drugs; natural substance found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa nuts, and other plants. mild stimulant, helps maintain alertness, can increase effectiveness of some pain relievers such as aspirin. often added to pain relievers for that reason

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barbiturates

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major tranquilizers, has strong depressant effects, sleeping pills. drugs that have a sedative effect, ranging from mild sedation or sleepiness to unconsciousness or coma. overdose can lead to death as breathing and heart action are stopped. highly addictive, users quickly develop tolerance. and withdrawals can be serious. when used with alcohol, it could be deadly even in small amounts

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drug interaction

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when one drug is taken in not-so-big doses and used with another drug, major contributor to deaths.

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benzodiazepines

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minor tranquilizers. relatively mild depressant effect. used to lower anxiety and reduce stress. considered safer than barbiturates and used to treat sleep problems, nervousness and anxiety. Valien, xanax, halcion, ativan, and librium. can be addictive and large doses can be dangerous.

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alcohol

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most commonly used and abused depressant. chemical resulting from fermentation or distillation of various kinds of vegetable matter. 10 to 20 million people in U.S. suffer from its addictiveness. gives the illusion of a stimulation because alcohol depresses a person's natural inhibitions. directly stimulates release of GABA neurotransmitter depresant, slowing down neural activity. more gaba --> brain functioning becomes more and more inhibited, depressed or slowed down.

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korsakoff's syndrome

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form of dementia brought about by server vitamin B1 deficiency, caused by alcoholic's tendency to drink rather than eat.

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opium

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made from opium poppy; has pain-relieving and euphoria-inducing properties that have been known for at least 2000 years. commonly used in a form called laudanum and paregoric for teething infants. later on, it was developed for use as a medication - morphine

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morphine

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created by dissolving opium in an acid and then neutralizing the acid with ammonia. thought to be a wonder drug but had addictive qualities. still used today in carefully controlled doses

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heroin

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derivative of morphine that didn't have many of its bad side effects. theory was that this drug was a purer form of morphine and the impurities were substances creating the harmful side effects. but later on, people realized that this drug was even more powerfully addictive and worse than morphine or opium

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methadone

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synthetic opioid that does not produce euphoric high of morphine or heroin. used to control heroin dependency and can be taken only once a day to control withdrawal symptoms that would otherwise follow when stoping heroin use. once person is weaned off these drugs, the natural endorphin system starts to function more normally

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cognitive behavioral interventions

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work to change the way people think about the stresses in their lives and react to those stressors, working toward more effective coping without resorting to heroin

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hallucinogens

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cause the brain to alter its interpretation of sensations and can produce sensory distortions very similar to synthesia, where sensations cross over each other (colors have sound, sounds have smells and so on). two basic types - those that are created in lab and those that are from natural sources.

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hallucinations

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false sensory perceptions.

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LSD

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synthesized from grain fungus called ergot, in the lab. one of the most potent hallucinogens. takes only very tiny drop to achieve a high. people who take it usually want to get high, others feel that it helps them expand their consciousness or awareness of the world around them. "bad trips" (bad experiences) are common. real dangers in the world may go unnoticed by a person under the influence of this drug

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PCP

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drug synthesized in lab, considered a stimulatory hallucinogenic. remains useful only in veterinary medicine as a tranquilizer. depending on dosage, it can be a hallucinogen, stimulant, depressant, or an analgesic (painkilling) drug. can experience hallucinations, distorted sensations, unpleasant effects, acts of violence, suicide, injury to oneself unintentionally.

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MDMA (ecstasy)

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drug synthesized in lab. considered a stimulatory hallucinogenic. technically an amphetamine but produces hallucinations as well. can be deadly when misused. commonly used at "raves". dehydrates the body and raises body temp, so person must drink lots of water. but too much water can lead to coma and death. interaction with other depressants or drugs increases dehydration and rise in body temp

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stimulatory hallucinogenics

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drugs that produce a mixture of psychomotor stimulant and hallucinogenic effects.

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mescaline

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naturally occurring hallucinogen. comes from bottom found on peyote cactus. duration of its hallucinogenic effects can last longer than those of LSD. used by native americans

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magic mushroom

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naturally occurring hallucinogen, contained in certain mushrooms. has been used by native americans

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marijuana

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most commonly abused hallucinogenic drugs. comes from leaves and flowers of hemp plant. its active ingredient is tetrahydrocannabinol. it produces a feeling of well-being, mild intoxication, and mild sensory distortions or hallucinations. effects are mild compared to other hallucinogens. some feel mild euphoria and relaxation, altered time sense, mild visual distortions. higher doses - hallucinations, delusions, paranoia. does not produce physical dependency or physical withdrawal symptoms. negatively effects reaction time and perception of surroundings

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