What is consciousness?

Brainstorm: What does it mean to

be conscious?
 Defining Consciousness
Definition: awareness of ourselves and our
environment
Spontaneous states of consciousness:
daydreaming, drowsiness, dreaming
Physiologically induced states of consciousness:
hallucinations, orgasm, food or oxygen starvation
Psychologically induced states of consciousness:
sensory deprivation, hypnosis, medication
 Hallucinations: false sensory experiences;
occur without a sensory stimulus
Creative Imagination Scale Test
 Creative Imagination Scale Test
In the first test, you were asked to imagine that
one, two, and then three dictionaries were being
piled on the palm of your hand. Compared with
what you would have experienced if three
dictionaries were actually on your hand, what
you experienced was:
Not at all the same
A little the same
Between a little and much the same
Much the same
Exactly the same
0 1 2 3 4
0% 25% 50% 75% 90 + %
0=Not at all the same
1=A little the same
2=Between a little and much the same
3=Much the same
4=Almost exactly the same
 Creative Imagination Scale Test
In the second test, you were asked to picture
yourself lying under the sun on a beach and
becoming very relaxed. Compared with what you
would have experienced if you were actually
relaxing on a beach, what you experienced was:
Not at all the same
A little the same
Between a little and much the same
Much the same
Exactly the same
0 1 2 3 4
0% 25% 50% 75% 90 + %
0=Not at all the same
1=A little the same
2=Between a little and much the same
3=Much the same
4=Almost exactly the same
Creative Imagination Scale Test

Wilson and Barber report

means of 2.2 on Item 1 and
2.7 on Item 2 for 217
students in an introductory
psychology class.
 True or False?
1) When people dream of performing some
activity, they often move their arms and legs
according to what is happening in the dream.
2) Older adults sleep more and get better
quality sleep than younger adults.
3) Sleepwalkers are acting out their dreams.
4) Sleep experts recommend treating insomnia
with sleeping pills.
5) Some people dream every night; others
never dream.
 True or False?
1) When people dream of performing some
activity, they often move their arms and legs
according to what is happening in the dream. F
2) Older adults sleep more and get better quality
sleep than younger adults. F
3) Sleepwalkers are acting out their dreams. F
4) Sleep experts recommend treating insomnia
with sleeping pills. F
5) Some people dream every night; others never
dream. F
Sleep Patterns
Biological Rhythms and Sleep
 Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Circadian Rhythm
Circadian rhythm: the biological clock; bodily rhythms
24 hour cycle
Temperature changes: as morning approaches, body
temperature rises, fluctuates during the day, then
drops in the evening
Circadian rhythm and age:
Teens and young adults are night owls
Older adults are morning people
At age 20, we begin the shift from night owl to
early bird
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbQ0RxQu2gM
 Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Sleep Stages
Sleep: temporary natural loss of consciousness

90 minute cycles: four stages: NREM-1, NREM-2, N-REM-3, REM

sleep
Waking Beta Waves
Waking Alpha Waves (slower brain waves of a relaxed, awake state)
NonREM Sleep
REM Sleep
Can be measures with an EEG
 REM Sleep versus NonREM Sleep:
REM Sleep (rapid eye movement): recurring sleep
stage; vivid dreams are common;
Also known as paradoxical sleep, because
muscles are relaxed, while other body systems
are active
-- NREM (non-REM) Sleep: all sleep stages except
REM
 Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Sleep Stages
Measuring Sleeps Activity
Eye Movements
Muscle Tension
EEG Patterns
Alpha Waves: slow brain waves of a
relaxed, awake state (right before falling
asleep) NREM-1 stage
Delta Waves: slow brain waves associated
with deep sleep NREM-3 stage
Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Sleep Stages
Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Sleep Stages
Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Sleep Stages
Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Sleep Stages
Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Sleep Stages
Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Sleep Stages
Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Sleep Stages
Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Sleep Stages
 Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Sleep Stages
Parts of sleep
NonREM Sleep
NREM-1
Myoclonic jerk: brief, involuntary twitching of a muscle or
group of muscles
Hypnagogic sensations: sensation of falling or floating
NREM-2
Sleep Spindles: bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain activity
NREM-3: delta waves
Disrupting your stages of sleep:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/09/snooze-button-
sleep_n_4509581.html
 Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Sleep Stages:
What Affects Our Sleep Patterns?
Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN): pair of cell
clusters in the hypothalamus that controls the
circadian rhythm
Melatonin: SCN causes the pineal gland to
adjust melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone)
production, which modifies sleepiness
SCN responds to light:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wvERY31
mU4
Sleep Theories
 Sleep Theories
Sleep theories
Sleep protects: we dont need to be
awake at night, and sleeping when
it is dark keeps us safe
 Sleeps helps recuperation: restores and
repairs brain tissue, while pruning unused
connections
Memory storage: memory consolidation;
sleep strengthens neural pathways
Sleep and creative thinking: boosts
thinking and learning
Sleep supports growth: pituitary releases
growth hormone as we sleep (necessary
for growth and muscle development)
 Sleep and Dream Discussion
In what ways does the amount and quality of
sleep affect your wakefulness, alertness, and
productivity the next day?
OR
Discuss one dream you had. What was the
manifest content? What was the latent
content?