Psych States of Consciousness

Our awareness of ourselves and our environment.

Periodic psychological fluctuations.

The biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle.

Rapid eye movement sleep, a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active.

The relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state.

Periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness - as distinct from unconsciousness resulting in a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation.

False sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus.

The large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep.

• 1. It protects.
• 2. Recuperate: restore and repair brain tissue.
• 3. Remembering
• 4. Growth: Pituitary gland releases hormones during deep sleep.

Recurring problems in falling asleep or staying asleep.

A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times.

A sleep disorder characteried by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings.

A sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, nihgt terrors occur during Stage 4 sleep, within two or three hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered.

The remembered story line of a dream.

The underlying meaning of a dream.

• 1. To satisfy our own wishes.
• 2. To file away memories.
• 3. To develope and preserve neural pathways.
• 4. To make sense of neural static.
• 5. To reflect cognitive developement.

The tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep)

Chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods

A physiological need for a drug, marked by unpleasant withdrawl symptoms when drug is discontinud.

Drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions. Examples: alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates.

Drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgement.

opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening paon and anxiety.

Drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions. Examples: caffeine, nicotine, ampheramines, cocaine, xtc.

A powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system, with sped up body functions and associated energy and mood changes; over time, appears to reduce baseline dopamine levels.

a social interaction in which one person (the hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject) that certain perceptionsm feeling, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur

a suggestion, made during a hypnosis session, to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypotized; used by some clinicians to help control undesired symptoms and behaviors.

a split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others.

An altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death (ex. cardiac arrest); often similar to drug-induced hallucinations.

The presumption that mind and body are two distinct entities that interact.

Mind and body are different aspects of the same thing.