AP Psych: Understanding Consciousness and Hypnosis
what length of our lives do we spend in dreams
6 years
neural activation dream theory explanation and critical considerations
Explanation: REM sleep triggers neural activity that evokes random visual memories, which our sleeping brain weaves into stories Critical Considerations: The individual's brain is weaving the stories, which still tells us something about the dreamer
what is ghrelin
a hunger arousing hormone which is increased with sleep deprivation.
what is leptin
a hunger suppressing hormone that decreases with sleep deprivation
SCN
a pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm. In response to light, the SCN causes the pineal gland to adjust melatonin production, thus modifying our feelings of sleepiness
what is narcolepsy
a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times
what is cortisol
a stress hormone that stimulates the body to make fat. Is increased with sleep deprivation
latent content
according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream
what is manifest content
actual storyline of the dreams often reflect our experiences and preoccupations
what affects your circadian rhythm
age and experience
near death experience
an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush w death such as cardiac arrest
consciousness
awareness of ourselves and our environment
circadian rythum
biological clock; regular body rythms that occur on a 24 hour cycle
why is REM sometimes called a paradoxical sleep
body is internally aroused with waking like brain activity, yet asleep and externally calm
how does sleep help creativity
break that sleep provides and even dreams allow us to awaken with a fresh new approach (von Kekule)
psychoactive drug
chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods
who are night terrors only seen in
children or adults on drugs
what is sleep deprivation linked to
concentration, difficulties, irritability, unhappiness, fatigue, illness, obesity, hypertension, and poor motor performance
stage 2 sleep
deeper sleep, more difficult to awaken, larger theta waves, sleep spindles, sleep talking
what do depressants do
depress the functioning of the CNS, reduce neural activity and slow body functions
how does sleep deprivation affect the brain
diminished attentional focus and memory consolidation, and increased risk of depression
what do hallucinogens do
drugs that alter perceptions of reality and distort sensory and perceptual experiences
amphetamines
drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing speeded up body functions and associated energy and mood changes
when does dreaming occur
during REM sleep
stage 3 sleep
even deeper sleep, delta waves, difficult to awaken, delta waves begin
what are different kinds of ways to treat insomnia
excercise, avoid caffeine and rich foods before bed (milk for serotonin instead), keep regular sleep schedule with no naps, avoid stressors (looking at clock ruminating, etc.)
stimulant
excite neural activity and speed up the body functions
cognitive development dream theory explanation and critical consideration
explanation: dream content reflects dreamers' cognitive development- their knowledge and understanding Critical consideration: do not address the neuroscience of dreams
information processing dream theory explanation and critical considerations
explanation: dreams help us sort out the days events and consolidate our memories critical consideration: but why do we sometimes dream about things we have not experienced?
explain and state the critical considerations of Freud's wish fulfillment
explanation: dreams provide a "psychic safety value"- expressing otherwise unacceptable feelings; contain manifest (remembered) content and a deeper layer of latent content- a hidden meaning Critical consideration: lacks any scientific support: dreams may be interpreted in many different ways
physiological dream theory explanation and critical consideration
explanation: regular brain stimulation from REM sleep may help develop and preserve neural pathways critical consideration: this does not explain why we experience meaningful dreams
hallucinations
false sensory experience such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus
why do we lose muscle tone/paralysis when we are in REM
helps void acting out our dreams. Sleepwalking and talking must therefore occur during nREM in most people
what do PET scans show of hypnosis
hypnosis reduces brain activity in a region that processes painful stimuli, but not in the sensory cortex which receives the raw sensory input. Hypnosis does not block sensory input but it may block our attention to those stimuli.
how does sleep deprivation affect the joints
increased inflammation and arthritis
how does sleep deprivation affect the heart
increased risk of high BP
why is sleep apnea bad
it can put great stress on the heart
what does sleep deprivation do to the immune system
it suppresses it
what is the role of ventrolateral preoptic nucleus? What happens to it with age?
located in the hypothalamus it "shuts off" brain activity associated with wakefulness. It degenerates with age
PCP
loss of contact w reality, insensitivity to pain
cognition
mental processes
what is narcolepsy linked to
neurotransmitter linked to alertness, orexin, produced in the hypothalamus
can hypnosis enhance recall of forgotten events
no we can encode everything we see around us, therefore we cannot recall forgotten events
can hypnosis force people to act against their will
no you cannot
LSD
non addicitve, but can produce "bad trips" flashbacks
nREM sleep
non-rapid eye movement sleep; encompasses all sleep stages except for REM sleep
can anyone experience hypnosis
one has to be open to being hypnotized in order to be hypnotized
sleep
periodic, natural loss of consciousness
how does sleep support growth
pituitary releases more growth hormone during deep sleep-may explain why we spend less time in deep sleep as we age
cocaine
powerful and addictive stimulant derived from the coca plant, producing temporary alertness and euphoria
methamphetamine
powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the CNS with speeded up body functions and associated energy and mood changes; over time, appears to reduce baseline dopamine levels
what does ecstasy do to your neurons long term
produces long term harm to serotonin producing neurons and to mood and cognition
REM sleep
rapid brain waves, dreaming, increased heart rate, cortical activity, sexual arousal, paradoxical sleep
REM sleep
rapid eye movement sleep; recurring sleep state which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body syst are active
what is insomnia
recurring problems with staying or falling asleep
alpha waves
relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
what happens in general as sleep deepens
sleep waves increase in amplitude and decrease in frequency
stage 1 sleep
slowed breathing, irregular larger brain waves (theta waves), hallucinations, feelings of falling
stroop effect
slowed mental processing when for example the word red is written in green letters
hypnosis
social interaction in which I person (subject) responds to another persons (the hypnotist's) suggestions that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts or behaviors will spontaneously occur
dissociation
split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others
what stage does sleep walking and talking occur in
stage 3
when do night terrors occur
stage 4 sleep
how do narcotics reduce pain
stimulate endorphin receptors to produce numbness
nicotine
stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco
posthypnotic suggestion
suggestion to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized; used by some clinicians to help control undesired symptoms and behaviors
what do morning people do better
take more initiative, do better in school, are less vulnerable to depression
sleep apnea
temporary cessation of breathing during the night
what do advocates of the social influence theory believe
that hypnotic phenomena reflects workings of normal consciousness
what do EEGs show while asleep
that the brains auditory cortex still responds to sound stimuli even during sleep
tolerance
the diminishing effect with regular use of the same does of a drug, requiring the user to rake larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug's effect
delta waves
the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep
what did Dement observe
the moment the brain's perceptual window to the outside world slammed shut
REM rebound
the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep)
how do people with adequate sleep on average feel about their lives
they on average feel better about their lives
hypnotherapists
try to help patients harness their own healing powers
what are night terrors
uncontrollable screaming and arousal without the ability to be awakened, unlike night mares, this occurs during NREM-3 sleep, within two or three hours of falling asleep and are seldom remebered
Narcotics
used to relieve pain and induce sleep- also called opiates
stage 4 sleep
very deep sleep, delta waves, sleepwalking, bedwetting
how does sleep help memory
we recall better after a good night's sleep
what is the restorative value of sleep
we restore and repair brain tissue and prune unused neural pathways
what is the protective value of sleep
we sleep at night, as we are not adapted for hunting/gathering in darkness. Sleeping in darkness keeps us away from dangerous nocturnal predators
when is thinking sharpest during the day
when we are at our peak of circadian arousal
why is REM important
without it, we may experience REM rebound
is your brain's motor cortex active during REM sleep
yes but your brainstem blocks its messages
can hypnosis be therapeutic
yes by a hypnotherapist.
can hypnosis relieve pain
yes due to the fact it can reduce fear, thus reducing hypersensitivity to pain
