ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

here's a summary on my Psych11 reporting on altered states of consc
Consciousnesss

- the awareness of thought, sensations, and feelings.



Factors influencing states of consciousness:

1. Aspects of consciousness

a. Consciousness is a process

b. Usually marked by a subjective awareness

c. The reality of consciousness



2. Biological Rhythms

a. Circadian Rhythms

- patterns of activity in the body that are regularly repeated.



Points to consider about the BIOLOGICAL CYCLES:

1. Length of the cycle

2. The individual’s variability

3. Human activity cycle



ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS:



I. SLEEP

- The pause that refreshes

PHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS of SLEEP:

1. Kalat (1986-128) proposed 2 theories:

a. The repair and restoration Theory

- states that the body, after working the whole day, has to be repaired and restored of whatever has been worn out.

b. The Evolutionary Theory

- thought of as an instinctive response which is useful to keep us out in danger.

2. McConnell (1986-58)

a. Sleep as adaptive response

b. Sleep as restorative response

Raphe system - responsible for arousal in the brain



SLEEP STAGES:

Stage 0 (pre-sleep stage)

Stage 1 – sleep becomes deep

Stage 2 – characterized by sleep splashes of burst of waves

Stage 3 – characterized by brain waves and sleep spindles tend to disappear

Stage 4 – person will lose consciousness

- person will experience his deepest sleep

REM (Rapid eye movement)

- comes after the 4th stage



EFFECTS OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION:

1. Signs of irritability and impulsiveness

2. Reaction will be slower

3. Poorer intellectual intelligence

4. Apathy



SLEEP DISORDERS:



1. Narcolepsy

- Sleep attack

2. Insomnia

- suffers from real and imagined failures of the sleep



4 Main Types:

a. sleep-onset insomnia

b. sleep-awakening

c. early termination

d. light sleep insomnia

3. Sleep Walking

- occurs at stage 4, mostly during late childhood

4. Sleep Talking

- occurs at stage 0,talking while sleeping

5. Apnea

- characterized by labored breathing while sleeping leading to gasping, wheezing,

snoring sounds



6. Bedwetting

- most common type of sleep disorder, and occurs in stage 4 at REM sleep.



II. DREAMS

- Conscious series of images

FUNCTIONS:

a. Biological – people dream in order to remain asleep

b. Psychological – people dream in order to become awake



KINDS OF DREAMS:



1. Lucid Dreaming – act of maintaining some low level of consciousness

2. Nightmares – the body will seldom be aroused to a panic state



2 types of nightmares:

a. Night terror – begins at 4th stage

b. Anxiety nightmares – usually occurs when a person is recovering from sickness.



3. Daydreams – kind of fantasy or wishful thinking.

-sometimes it is a good motivation for a person.



2 types of QUALITATIVE DAYDREAMS:

1. Positive – motivation for creative thinking.

- provides outlets for our frustrations, anger, boredom, and other emotions.

2. Negative – distracting

- fear of failure, lead to doubt one’s worth and ability.



III. HYPNOSIS

- State of narrowly focused attention in which the hypnotized person somehow becomes

extremely suggestible. (McConnell 1986)

- a condition or state allied to normal sleep which can be artificially induced and is

characterized by marked susceptibly to suggestion and considerable loss of will power and

sensation.



Techniques:

1. Light interaction

2. Deep, sensory, and motor functions

3. Use verbal persuasiveness to introduce a trance.



Somnambulistic – the appearance of being awake though consciousness is under the control of

the hypnotist.

2 THEORIES OF THE MECHANISM OF HYPNOTISM:



1. The Disassociation Theory

- states that the brain systems are independent and isolated.

- controls shifting from normal control system to another system during the

trance.

2. Role Behavior Theory

- explains that hypnosis is simply a result of suggestibility motivating instructions.

McConnell (1986)

- Hypnosis is partly made up of role playing and learning how to control the way you perceive your sensory inputs.



IV. MEDITATION &nb sp;

- most ancient technique for inducing an altered state of consciousness without the use of drugs.

- Resting

- The person focuses his attention on a particular sound or image, breathing deeply, and relaxing his muscle.



V. BIOFEEDBACK

- a trial and error method

The value of this method:

a. certain kinds of learning come more easily during the hypnagogic consciousness and thereby achieve better adjustment in life.

b. strong sensation and vivid imagination that can happen during this state.



VI. DRUGS

- used as a direct method to increase or decrease the activities of the neurons.

- is any substance that can affect the body functions.

- They are taken in small doses that significantly increases or decreases cellular activities in the body.

- it can affect the sensory inputs, the central processing, the motor activity, and the mental processes of the body when taken.



Classification of drugs:



I. STIMULANTS

- drugs that can affect the body’s activity level.

- known as “uppers” and “downers”

A. Uppers

a. Caffeine - most common type of uppers.

b. Amphetamines or pep pills – more dangerous than any other uppers because it can cause

paranoid schizophrenia, a severe mental disorder.



B. Downers

a. Barbiturates – strongest downers.

- Sometimes called the “sleeping pills “

General effects of stimulants in the person’s body activity level:



- Inhibit neutral activity and put a person to sleep.

- Slows heartbeat and retarded breathing

- Slows down mental and physical reaction

- The physical and psychological effects range from mildly unpleasant to immediately deadly.

- Can lead to depression and other types of mental disorders.



Drugs that affect the sensory inputs of the body:

a. Aspirin – type of drug that relieves pain.

b. Analgesics – drugs that can reduce pain.



• Opium poppy – analgesic that inhibits the process painful input in the various neural centers of the brain.

• Opiate – more potent medicine in relieving pain.

• Enkophalin, endorphin, and opliod peptides

• - mild pain killer relievers

• Morphine – comes from opiate, powerful pain killer

• Procaine or novocaine – synthetic forms of cocaine that kill pain by inhibiting neural transmission.

• Cocaine – moderately strong drugs

- made from the leaves of coca plant.

- causes severe damage in throat and nose





Drugs that can affect the central processes of the nervous system:



a. Hallucinogens – capable of producing changes in perception like hallucination.

b .PCP or Angel Dust – replaced LSD and Mescaline as the most abused drugs.

c .LSD and PCP – two strongest hallucinogens.

- causes alteration in the brain and activity perception.

- Distorts time

- Affects the perception of color, sound, and shape

- PCP can cause strong hallucination, and paranoia

d. Paranoia - the users become destructive and violent to others as well as to themselves.



e. Marijuana - useful medicine against :

-high-blood pressure

-tension

-menstrual bleeding

-glaucoma

-Nausea – cancer patients often experience when given chemo.

Strong effect on sensation when the person abused taking marijuana:

-smells are richer

-Most sensory experiences are greatly enhanced or augmented.

-The musical sounds are heard seems to be fuller

-The colors are brighter

-Foods taste better

-Sexual sensations are more intense.

-Time is greatly distorted



Alcohol –affects the motor coordination of the body

-it kills nerve cells

-disrupts motor coordination (muscle movement)

-destroy brain tissues

-changes in behavioral changes w/ chronic drunkenness

-affects speech and encourages emotional outbursts.



DRUGS AFFECT MOTOR COORDINATION:

Moprobamiate – lowers the level of muscular activity

-Increase the output in inhibitory molecules w/ the neuro- muscular synapse.



REASONS WHY PEOPLE USE DRUGS:

Reasons of the adolescents:

-Influence on the peer group

-The need to belong

-The need to relieve monotony, and boredom feelings

-Feelings of inadequacy or emotional problems (such as persistency, anxiety or depression)

Reasons of the older people:

-counteract stress

-disappointment

-frustrations