chapter 6- sleep

• consciousness

  • the awareness of objects and events in the external world and of our own existence and mental experiences in any given time
  • it is a psychological construct
  • we make inferences from behaviour, self-reports, and physiological changes that can be measured
  • stream of consciousness is
  • changing
  • selective
  • continuous
  • personal / subjective
• continuum of awareness

  • consciousness exists in lots of states, with no clear boundaries to distinguish where one state of consciousness ends and another begins
  • many describe these different states of continuum from total awareness (focused attention) to a complete lack of awareness (unconscious)
  • this continuum can be broken into two broad categories
  • normal walking consciousness
  • altered states of consciousness
• role of attention

  • it is often used as a measure of consciousness
  • it is defined as concentration of mental activity that involves focusing on a specific stimulus while ignoring other stimuli
  • generally: more attention = higher degree of consciousness
• states of consciousness

  • different states of consciousness are characterised by different levels of awareness and other distinguishable psychological and physiological characteristics
  • there is a variety of conscious experiences, where each state has its own qualities of awareness
  • eg. sleep, meditation, fight-or-flight
• normal waking consciousness (NWC)

  • sometimes called ordinary consciousness, refers to the state of consciousness associated with being awake and aware of objects and events in the external world of one’s sensations, mental experiences and own existence
  • perceptions and thoughts remain organised and clear
  • sense of reality, place and time is maintained
• altered state of consciousness (ASC)

  • altered states can be significantly different from NWC in terms of awareness and experience
  • measurable changes in mental processing of:
  • altered wakefulness; self-awareness; emotional awareness; perceptions of time, place and surroundings; weakening of normal inhibitions or self-control
• naturally occurring ASC's

  • sleep
  • dreaming
  • daydreaming
• induced ASC's

  • meditation
  • hypnosis
  • alcohol
  • drugs
  • accidents
  • disorders