Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
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• Ecstasy (MDMA)- a stimulant and mild hallucinogen
• Hallucinogens- psychedelic drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the
absence of sensory input
• LSD- a powerful hallucinogenic drug
• THC- a major active drug in weed; mild hallucinations
• Near-death experience- an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with
death; often similar to drug-induced hallucinations
• Dualism- the presumption that the mind and body are two distinct entities that interact
• Monism- the presumption that mind and body are different aspects of the same thing
I. Levels of Information Processing
a. Consciousness
i. Def of: awareness of ourselves and environment-able to exert voluntary control
and communicate our mental states
ii. Cannot be touched, found or picked up—therefore, it is a construct.
b. Subconscious
i. Most of out sorting, parallel processing occurs here; whirling all the time-includes
daydreams, fantasies, dreaming.
c. Daydreams
i. -4% of population are classified as fantasy prone personalities-have trouble
distinguishing real from imaginary.
ii. Why is daydreaming or under the surface processing a good thing?
1. -allows us to “practice” what to say or do.
2. -enhances creativity when we live in our “make believe worlds.”
3. -good substitute for impulsive behaviors.
II. Stages of Sleep/Dreaming- each cycle last about 90 minutes Circadian Rhythm
a. Stage One-alpha waves on EEG-lasts only a few minutes-“awake” but very relaxed; hair
grows, new cells are made, chemicals in brain are restored.
b. Stage Two-alpha waves disappear; sleep spindles appear on EEG (about 20 minutes);
sleep talking here and in other later stages.
c. Stage Three-transitional stage; sleep walking may occur (non-REM phase)
d. Stage Four-delta waves-deep sleep—when you are really resting-(30 minutes for 3 and 4
together); bed wetting, growth hormones.
III. REM---body is paralyzed but brain is active; 4 or 5 dreams every night; each one a little longer-
last from 5-45 minutes; bp rises, brain fires, eyes move. About 100 minutes a night is REM sleep.
IV. Non- REM
a. Brain is active, but body is at rest
b. This is when you are really resting
c. Bp and breathing is down
V. Theories on why we dream
a. Restorative theories-sleep restores depleted levels of energy; eliminates waste products
from muscles, repairs cells, oculomotor system maintenance=stage 4 sleep increases
after excessive physical exertion. Helps us to “solve problems” (sleep on it). Research
shows people with interpersonal problems enter REM earlier and stay there longer.
b. Reprogramming theories-(Evans/Foulks)-Dreams are the brain’s attempt at interpreting
and assimilating new information. Filing “stuff” away that senses took in during the day;
weaving it together so you can file in under “dreams.”
c. Reverse learning theory-(Crick/Mitchison)-Dreams/sleep enable the brain to erase
information that is no longer needed and file it is a drawer marked “of little use.”
d. Sentinel theory-(Snyder)-wake up briefly at the end of REM to check environment for
danger—(very evolutionary in thought)
e. Freudian theory-Dreams are a safety valve where you can have unacceptable urges or
wishes and no one will know.
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i. Manifest content-“story line” of the dream.
ii. Latent content-“symbols” in the dream of the REAL meaning.
VI. Practical Sleep Issues
a. --Younger people need more sleep than older people BUT genetically influenced.
b. --infants sleep 75% of the time, teens-9 hr. average, adults-7-8 hrs.
c. --Long sleepers tend to die a little earlier than short sleepers.
d. --Walking or talking results when an electrical impulse gets misfired.
e. --Spring forward results in more accidents.
f. --Lack of sleep associated with lots of catastrophic accidents—including implications in
Lexington with air traffic controls.
g. -Also makes you more susceptible to catching colds, flu, etc. because immune system
compromised.
VII. Sleep Disturbances
a. Insomnia-10-15% of adults
i. --usually from getting out of circadian rhythm drugs and alcohol block REM
sleep-incubus attacks (dreaming, mind wandering during the day) can result.
b. Narcolepsy-1 in 2000
i. --falling asleep when there is a lack of stimulation (class, driving long distances,
etc.) Drop into REM in about 5 minutes; don’t get the non-REM restful kind of
sleep they need-why they are tired; brain stem disorder; usually not diagnosed
until 20s; sometimes manifests as a learning difficulty; may be a lack of
hypocretin-neurotransmitter produced in the hypothalamus-haven’t developed a
substitute as yet as currently treating with provigil.
c. Sleep Apnea-1 in 20
i. --intermittently stop breathing and they wake up; symptoms: snoring, irritability
and tired during the day; connected to obesity in some; treated with breathing
mask.
-sleep is…misc
1. RAS (Reticular activity system) is a brain structure involved in sleep (melatonin/serotonin are
the two chemicals)
2. Oculomotor system maintenance- keeps eye muscles toned