Notes

Consciousness is when an individual is aware of an environment and able to feel, sense, remember, recognize, and rationalize. Thus, the individual can make decisions. States of consciousness also guide a person’s way of thinking. You may find yourself having multiple thoughts at the same time, or your mind may be cluttered by the many things around you.

There are four major consciousness levels:

Superconscious is a highly attentive state of consciousness and perception. In this level, the thinking and organization occur without the person’s active participation. People experience the level of superconsciousness during advanced meditation stages.
Conscious is when a person is fully awake, alert, and functioning as a human being.
Subconscious is when a person is deeply relaxed as well as just before and after sleep. This includes the state during light meditation and hypnosis.
The dream state occurs when a person is asleep, dreaming, and in a deep unconscious state.
onsciousness is explained by two major theories:

Integrated information theory: In 2004, a neuroscientist and psychiatrist in sleep medicine named Giulio Tononi explained the nature of consciousness using the integrated information theory. According to the theory, consciousness can be correlated mathematically in a geometric manner. It is based on a person’s experience integrated with other parts of various experiences. In other words, all the thinking and organization occur without the person’s active participation. This theory explains situations like choosing a place for dinner, buying a book, voting, etc. You apply your experience and rate the choices based on a desirable value.

Global workspace theory: This theory explains our conscious awareness of inputs from various sensory stimuli. Bernard Baars, a professor of psychology and co-founder of the Association of the Scientific Study of Consciousness, proposed the theory in 1987. According to this theory, images and ideas form together as a unified picture of reality. The input then becomes output, or speech and action. This theory examines how brains function through a series of activities.
Research on consciousness and related theories introduced the study of brain wave activity. Electroencephalograms (EEGs) measure brain-wave patterns. This makes it possible to study the components of waking and sleeping.

Four major brain waves relate to sleep and alertness. Their function and likelihood is slightly different between adults and children. Infants show the most different brain waves as compared to other age groups. The four main brain waves are beta, alpha, theta, and delta.

Beta: These brains waves are common among fully awake, alert people of all ages.

Alpha: These brain waves are most common in adults. They typically occur when a person becomes relaxed and drowsy to the point of closing their eyes.

Theta: These waves are seen in people of all age groups when they are sleeping. They can also be observed in awake infants and children, but are abnormal in awake adults.

Delta: These waves occur when a person is in the dream state. They usually begin to take place about 30 minutes after a person falls asleep. This stage is the deepest level of sleep. Delta waves can be seen in children and infants when they are awake as well, but they are abnormal in adults if they are awake.
While you are sleeping, your brain and body continue to function. Sleep is a periodic, natural, reversible, and near-total loss of consciousness. It is important to a person’s health, growth, and mental function. It is common for a person to experience four to five stages of sleep in a night.

The stages of sleep are categorized into two major components. They are REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM sleep. These various stages of sleep are only applicable to adults and older children. They do not apply to infants. Let’s look at the stages of non-REM sleep first.

Non–rapid-eye-movement stage 0: This stage is the prelude to sleep. A person becomes relaxed and closes their eyes.

Non–rapid-eye-movement stage 1 (NREM-1): In this stage, the person is still somewhat awake, or is lightly asleep and might toss and turn. The heart rate and body temperature drops and muscles relax. The person might also experience jerking movements and eyes may begin to roll, or they may even see bizarre images in the mind. In this stage, the brain produces high-amplitude theta waves.

Non–rapid-eye-movement stage 2 (NREM-2): This deeper stage of sleep lasts about 20 minutes. In this stage, a person experiences rapid brain activity and a decline in heart rate and respiration.
Non–rapid-eye-movement stage 3 (NREM-3): In this stage, the person is in a deep sleep that lasts for about 30 minutes. The person experiences slow breathing and pulse rates and limp muscles, and is difficult to wake. This stage is sometimes called delta sleep, because the brain produces slow delta waves.

Non–rapid-eye-movement stage 4 (NREM-4): In this stage, the person’s heart rate, respiration, temperature, and blood flow to the brain decrease. They are in the deepest level of sleep.

During stages 1 to 3, the person may have brief and fragmented dreams.

Rapid eye movement (REM): This is the last of the five stages of sleep. People spend approximately 20 percent of their overall sleep time in this stage and experience dreams. A person can be in this stage for 15 minutes to one hour.
Wakeful consciousness refers to how you are aware of your thoughts, feelings, and the environment around you when you are awake. You experience the normal waking state of consciousness during your waking hours.

There are four common types of wakeful consciousness, and each type depends on a person’s attention level and thoughts.

Selective attention: Selective attention is when you determine what to pay attention to and what to ignore. It means quickly filtering things to determine where and what to focus on in your everyday life.

Selective inattention: Selective inattention is when you actually ignore and avoid things that are not important to you or that upset you emotionally.

Inattentional blindness: Inattentional blindness is when you do not notice something near you or something that is obvious and in plain sight. This happens when your attention and thoughts may be engaged somewhere else.

Change blindness: Change blindness is when you do not notice or are not aware of a shift or change in your visual environment.
Sleep disorders can occur in various forms. Some can be treated. However, others may result from other health issues, such as restless leg syndrome. In restless leg syndrome, a person loses sleep because leg-jerking movements wake them up.

People with sleep disorders are unable to sleep through the night. They may get up, walk around, and open the refrigerator. They may go back to sleep and barely be awake throughout all these actions. Sleep disorders include insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, night terrors, and sleepwalking. Let’s examine a few of these disorders.

Insomnia: A person suffering from insomnia finds it difficult to fall asleep or to stay asleep. An individual typically sleeps for 8 hours and stays awake for 16 hours each day.
Narcolepsy: This is a chronic neurological disorder in which a person’s brain is unable to regulate the sleep cycle. Someone with narcolepsy might experience symptoms like an abnormal sleep cycle and sudden or excessive sleepiness. They may also experience loss of voluntary muscle control and frightening images.

Night terrors: A person who experiences night terrors may scream while asleep. They may also feel intense fear. Night terrors can last from a few seconds to minutes. In some cases, a person might also experience sleepwalking during night terrors.

Sleepwalking: People with sleep disorders like sleepwalking may walk or perform activities while asleep. Sleepwalking is also called somnambulism.

Sleep apnea: This sleep disorder disrupts a person’s sleep due to pauses in breathing. It causes the person’s airway to become blocked during sleep. When the person breathes, air squeezes out of the blockage. Most people with sleep apnea move in and out from deep sleep to the light sleep cycle.

There is no specific treatment for these disorders. However, some people try hypnosis or antidepressants to assist their sleep. Lack of sleep (sleep deprivation) can affect a person’s physical and mental health.
NREM-1: In this stage, the person’s heart rate and body temperature drop and muscles relax. The person is still somewhat awake and in a light state of sleep.

NREM-2: In this stage, the person experiences rapid brain activity and a decline in heart rate and respiration.

NREM-3: During this stage, a person experiences deep sleep and slow breathing.

REM: This stage occurs when a person experiences dreams and their eyes move rapidly.
An altered state of consciousness is a change in one’s normal state of mind with or without one’s intention. For example, a person experiences an altered state of consciousness under anesthesia for surgery. A person with a high fever or with some kind of mental illness might experience hallucinations and an altered state of consciousness. People can also alter and control their states of consciousness. Dreaming, hypnosis, and meditation are examples of altered states of consciousness.

Dreaming is an altered state of consciousness in which you are not awake, but still conscious. You experience dreaming during the REM stage when you are in deep sleep. Scientists believe that dreaming allows a person to experience thoughts and images, solve problems, resolve conflicts, create innovative ideas, and practice things they can’t do during the waking stage. People experience different emotions in dreams, such as joy, fear, sadness, and loneliness. The dream images may be vivid or vague. When the person wakes up, they may or may not remember the dream.
Dream theories relate to how and why a person dreams. Let’s discuss the various theories related to dreaming.

Psychoanalytic theory of dreams: This theory is one of the more respected dream theories. It closely relates to Sigmund Freud’s theory, which states that people are driven by instincts that are repressed during the waking stage. Freud and his followers believed that when dreaming, the brain can access a hidden part of the mind. Dreams are connected with eye movement, muscle movement, balance, and vision.

Information processing theory: This theory states that dreaming is a process to deal with information and observations collected from daily life and memories. It creates images, impressions, and narratives that are inside a person’s head.
Physiological function theory: This theory states that dreams serve a physiological function, providing the brain with periodic stimulation along the sensory pathways.

Cognitive development theory: This theory states that a dream is closely associated with the dreamer’s mental development. A person’s dream has much in common with their intelligence, which is affected by age and growth (or development). This theory also focuses on the interaction between an individual and an environment, such as the physical environment or social environment.

Neutral activity models: These models reflect an anticipation of something that follows an action, with consequences as a result of the action.

All of the theories state that dreaming is a stage during which a person sorts, scans, and searches through information stored in the mind. Additionally, the information relates to what a person experiences in life. Scientist Antti Revonsuo suggests that dreams assist in solving problems that may relate to work, health, or relationships.
Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness during which a person is fully conscious in a clinical sense, but not in a normal state. In this state, the person is more open to different behavior and suggestions. The technique is used to promote behavioral changes in a person. For example, hypnosis might help people quit smoking and with weight reduction. Hypnosis is typically performed by therapists, medical professionals, and psychologists.

A famous hypnosis researcher, psychologist, and professor named Ernest Hilgard developed the neodissociation theory. In it, hypnosis splits the functioning of the main control system of the brain. A person under hypnosis can still recognize what is going on around them. However, the person will not connect with anything while under hypnosis.

Social-cognitive theories view the person as an active participant. The effortlessness associated with hypnosis gets the participant to respond and follow suggestions. This approach has the individual in a calm and relaxed state of mind. Scientists believe hypnosis connects the mind with an individual’s major senses, such as vision, sight, hearing, and touch.
In medical settings, hypnosis is used in the field of obstetrics in giving birth. In gynecology, it is used for premenstrual and menopausal syndromes. Orthopedic professionals may use hypnosis when making adjustments on patients, especially with those who are frightened and tense and who need surgery to restore or realign certain parts of the body. Hypnosis also has a long history in dentistry, specifically in increasing overall patient comfort and encouraging a more rapid recovery.

Therapists use hypnosis to guide a person to relax, fall into a trance state, and push stressful thoughts out of the mind. There are various hypnosis techniques. One of these techniques is the progressive relaxation method.

In the progressive relaxation method, the therapist induces the patient into a calm state by speaking in a low, slow, and soothing voice. The therapist also gives specific instructions on deep breathing. The patient must focus on an object or fixed point and relax the eyelids. The therapist repeats the instructions a few times until the person is totally relaxed.
Meditation is also an altered state of consciousness. It encourages a deeper connection between the self and others. It also reminds a person what to do or how to respond based on ideas or past learning. Meditation is a repetitive practice that trains the mind and relaxes the body for the purpose of realizing an emotional benefit. A person may also practice meditation for physical or lifestyle benefits. Some may practice meditation because of culture, ritual, or religious traditions.

There are a number of mediation techniques, but the activity is typically performed in a peaceful and relaxed environment. Meditation may involve sitting or standing for a long time, closing the eyes, praying, or lying down. Scientists believe meditation can be a treatment for stress. It lowers fear, reduces pain, increases blood flow, and slows heart rate. Meditation can also provide a sense of calm and peace, help control thoughts, increase energy, and more.

A meditation technique can be spiritual and involve repeating a mantra, or it can be a guided relaxation method like those used in yoga. It can also be a method that helps someone ignore the distractions of the outside world. These techniques typically require a person to sit on the floor or on a chair, and then start by focusing on breathing and relaxing the body. The person may pay attention to the thoughts and sensations that arise. In some techniques, the person would focus on the present moment and what is happening around them.
The information processing theory states that dreaming is a process to deal with information and observations collected from daily life and memories. It creates images, impressions, and narratives inside a person’s head.
The use of psychoactive drugs can have psychological and physiological effects on a person. These drugs are developed with the intent to affect brain function and to change a person’s behavior, mood, and consciousness. Psychoactive drugs are useful in treating mental diseases, reducing the impact of various disorders, calming stresses associated with sudden changes or problems in life, and inducing changes in perceptions and consciousness.

Some of the common psychoactive drugs are as follows:

Depressants (such as barbiturates, benzodiazephines, and ethyl alcohol) are a form of chemical that depresses or inhibits the function of the central nervous system and neural activity.
Stimulants (such as caffeine, nicotine, and cocaine) excite neural activity and can temporarily elevate a person’s awareness.
Amphetamines (such as Benzedrine, Adderall, and Dexedrine) are stimulants. They can increase dopamine activity and produce schizophrenic-like paranoid symptoms when used to treat physiology disorders.
Neuroleptic drugs (such as the antipsychotic chlorpromazine) reduce dopamine activity, thereby reducing schizophrenic symptoms.
Hallucinogens (such as marijuana and mescaline) have an effect on thinking and distort perceptions.
Narcotics stimulate endorphins to work as a pain reliever. Some people use morphine, heroin, and codeine recreationally to induce euphoria. While psychoactive drugs may be taken as a prescription medicine under the care of a medical professional, the tolerance and subjective use also create potential for addiction. Addiction leads to other health and mental issues.

Addiction to these drugs can cause a negative impact on a person’s life, including physical dependence and changing behaviors. Some people might begin to experience conditions like mental disorders, eating disorders, and anxiety disorders.
depressants - barbiturates
stimulants - nicotine
hallucinogens - marijuana
narcotics - morphine