ITP 5 - CONSCIOUSNESS

• Consciousness is the state of being aware of and able to think about one’s environment, thoughts, and experiences.
• Altered states of consciousness are any conditions that significantly differ from a normal waking state. These changes can affect perception, thoughts, feelings, self-awareness, and even time perception.
• Natural altered states of consciousnes

  • Sleep
  • Dreams
• Sleep is a natural, recurring state where consciousness is altered, primarily marked by reduced interaction with the environment and decreased awareness of surroundings.
• Stages of Sleep

  1. Wakefulness
  2. Drowsiness
  3. Light Sleep
  4. Deep Sleep
  5. REM
• Stages 1-4 are NREM. Stage 5 is REM, where most dreams manifest and brain activity peaks, similar to wakefulness.
• Each stage has distinct brain activity patterns measured by electroencephalogram
• Dreams are sequences of images, thoughts, and emotions occurring primarily during REM sleep. They can range from mundane to surreal, often influenced by subconscious thoughts and emotions.
• Recurring Dreams - Repeated dreams that may reflect unresolved issues or persistent thoughts.
• Lucid Dreams - Dreams where the dreamer becomes aware they are dreaming and can often control the dream’s direction.
• Sigmund Freud’s iceberg theory is a model that represents the structure of the human psyche. It compares the mind to an iceberg, where the visible tip above the water represents the conscious mind, while the much larger submerged portion represents the unconscious mind.
• Freud’s iceberg theory describes the mind as having three main levels.

  1. Conscious
  2. Preconscious
  3. Unconscious
• Conscious - The tip of the iceberg, this is the part of the mind that we are aware of and can directly access.
• Preconscious - The part just below the surface, this contains information that is not currently in our awareness but can be easily brought into consciousness.
• Unconscious - The vast majority of the iceberg, this is the deepest and most inaccessible part of the mind, containing repressed thoughts, desires, and memories.
• The conscious and preconscious parts of the mind contribute to the manifest content of dreams.
• The unconscious part of the mind contributes to the latent content of dreams.
• Sleep hygiene refers to habits and practices that are conducive to sleeping well on a regular basis.
• Deliberate altering states of consciousness

  1. Meditation
  2. Hypnosis
• Meditation - A mental practice where an individual uses techniques like mindfulness, focused attention, or guided imagery to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state.
• Hypnosis - A person enters a state of heightened suggestibility, which means they are more open and likely to comply with requests or suggestions made by the hypnotist.
• Autohypnosis - Self-induced hypnosis where a person enters a hypnotic state without the assistance of a therapist, typically for self-improvement or relaxation.
• Psychoactive Drugs - Substances that alter brain function, resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, or behavior.
• Blood-Brain Barrier - A selective barrier made up of tightly packed cells that protect the brain by regulating the entry of substances from the bloodstream into the brain.
• Stimulants - Drugs that increase activity in the brain and nervous system, leading to heightened alertness, energy, and euphoria.
• Examples of Stimulants

  • Caffeine, nicotine, cocaine
• Depressants - Drugs that slow down brain activity and nervous system function, often inducing relaxation or sleep.
• Examples of Depressants

  • Alcohol, opioids, morphine
• Hallucinogens - Drugs that cause profound distortions in a person’s perception of reality, including hallucinations.
• Examples of Hallucinogens

  • Cannabis, magic mushrooms, ecstasy