consciousness.

STUDENT ACTIVITY LESSON PREVIEW (5 minutes)

SHEET PSY 079 (Introduction to Psychology) BS
PSYCHOLOGY / SECOND YEAR Session # 11
LESSON TITLE: CONSCIOUSNESS AND ITS ALTERED
STATES PART 2 Materials:
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Textbook, pen and notebook, index card/class list
Upon successful completion of this lesson, the psychology
student can:

1. Discuss the mechanism of sleeping and dreaming; 2.

Learn the different disorders related to sleep;
3. Theoretical explanations on dreams; Textbook Reference:
4. Discuss the essential information on hypnosis; and 5. Feist, G. J., & Rosenberg, E. L. (2019). Psychology:
Identify the psychoactive drugs that can alter one’s Perspectives and connections. McGraw Hill Education.

To have a preview of our discussion today, please watch the short video by visiting the provided

link: Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFnyLmL9t2I

MAIN LESSON (60 minutes)

The video that you have watched refers to consciousness. Pretty much, it provides additional knowledge what
state of consciousness is. In today’s discussion, we will still talk about consciousness. However, this time, we will
discuss how consciousness is altered. So, stay put and pay attention to the continuation of last session’s discussion
and we will talk about alteration of consciousness shortly. In our previous discussion about consciousness and its
training, we have learned that meditation offers specific practices for working with consciousness. Yet consciousness
varies constantly on a daily basis without much intervention, by virtue of our degree of wakefulness or our moods. In
this session, we discuss two major sources of variation of consciousness: sleeping and dreaming.

SLEEPING

Though a time of rest, sleep in fact is an active process. We behave while we sleep – moving, dreaming,
sometimes even talking and walking. The sleeping brain is very active, but it is only partially processing information
from the outside world.

Two Essential Characteristics of Sleep

▪ It creates a perceptual wall between the conscious mind and the outside world.

▪ The sleeping state can be reversed in an instant by waking (Dement, 1999)

Circadian Rhythms – these are the variations in physiological processes that cycle within approximately 24-hour
period. Many physiological systems, including the sleep-wake cycle, feeding, hormone production, and cellular
regeneration, vary on circadian basis (Refinetti, 2006), as do psychological processes, such as memory (Reichert et
al., 2016) and mood (McClung, 2015). The mood disorder of depression may well result, in part, from a circadian
pattern of arousal that differs from what most people experience (McClung, 2015).

The body has an internal timekeeper located in the hypothalamus, called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN),
which regulates physiological activity on daily cycles (Moore & Eichler, 1972; Weaver, 1998). When the retina senses
light in the morning, it stimulates the SCN, which in turn signals the nearby pineal gland to decrease the amount of
melatonin it releases (Itri et al., 2004). Melatonin is a hormone that plays a role in relaxation and drowsiness. In the
evening, decreased activity in the SCN prompts the secretion or melatonin which increases relaxation. Because of
melatonin’s role in regulating sleep,

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melatonin supplements are often taken to combat the effects of jet lag. The daylight shifts of travel affect the body’s
secretion of melatonin (Wieczorek, 2016).

Rapid Eye Movements (REM) – these are the quick movements of the eye that occur during sleep, thought to mark
phases of dreaming.

Non-REM (NREM) Sleep – has relatively few eye movements; those that occur are slow.

Development of Sleep Over the Lifespan

▪ REM sleep declines rapidly over the life span. During adolescence and adulthood, the amount of sleep that
involves REM steadily decreases.
▪ Newborns and infants spend so much more time in REM sleep than adults which has led some researchers to
hypothesize that the main function of REM sleep is to assist in brain growth and development. ▪ The amount to
REM sleep over the life span does correspond to the degree of brain plasticity and neural growth (Dement, 1999).

The Function of Sleep. Sleep supports several restorative processes in the CNS: neural growth, metabolic cleanup in
the brain, memory consolidation, and protection against cellular damage (Bellesi et al., 2013; Xie et al, 2013).

Sleep also seems to help in the cleanup of cerebral toxins that build up throughout the day. Sleep deprivation
inhibits the growth of new neurons and impairs production of the chemicals that make up the myelin sheath, which is
crucial for the smooth and rapid conduction of neural impulses (Ballesi, 2015). Children who experience chronic sleep
disturbances show decreased connectivity and neuron loss in key memory areas of the brain, which has long-term
implications for cognitive development (Jan et al., 2010). Sleep is also crucial for several types of learning, primarily
because it affects memory (Mantua et al., 2016; Reichert et al., 2016; Schreiner & Rasch, 2016).

The relationship between sleep and memory is not always straightforward. Apparently, it is not just a matter of
total sleep hours but also when you sleep that matters. What appears to be really important for learning and memory is
getting sleep at the appropriate place in the circadian cycle (Buxton et al., 2012).

Sleep not only helps make memories more solid, but it also makes them more accessible later (Dumay, 2016).
How this happens is unclear, but perhaps by getting rid of material we do not need so that the material we need is
easier to access. So, we have to forget some things that we learn, so that we better remember the key points. Recent
findings that sleep leads to synaptic pruning occurs during sleep (de Vivo et al., 2017), which is associated with
forgetting.

Another important function of sleep is fighting cell damage. When our bodies use energy through the process of
metabolism, some cells are damaged. Specifically, when we metabolize oxygen, by-products of this process known a
free radicals damage cells, including brain cells (Harmon, 2006). Sleep aids cell function by triggering the production of
enzymes that fight cell damage (Ramanathan et al., 2002).

DISORDERS OF
SLEEP

Insomnia – taking more than 20 minutes to fall asleep, having

trouble staying asleep, and/or not feeling rested after a night’s
sleep for 2 or more consecutive weeks (Krystal,
2005).

Sleepwalking – occurs when a person gets out of bed during

sleep, usually during the first third of the sleep cycle, and
engages
in activities that normally occur during wakefulness, such as
walking, eating, dressing, or
bathing.

Narcolepsy – it is the excessive daytime sleepiness. People with

this condition may fall asleep at inopportune times throughout the
day, often with little to no warning.
Sleep apnea – it is characterized by brief pauses in breathing during sleep (NHLBI, 2012). Apnea can cause disruption
in the sleep cycle, which leads to daytime fatigue. It may be obstructive (airflow blockage and can cause snoring), or
central apnea (difficulty breathing).

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Hypersomnia – it exists when a person sleeps more than 10 hours a day for 2 weeks or more. It involves strong urges
to nap throughout the day, often inappropriate times, such as during meals or in the middle of the conversations.

Night terrors – occurs when a person, often a child, speaks incoherently and ultimately awakens suddenly in a terrified
state from sleep; it may also involve walking around in one’s sleep (Smith et al., 2008). The individual may scream, bolt
upright from bed, and appear very confused and frightened. He or she may wake up sweating and breathing very fast,
with dilated pupils.

Nightmares – these are frightening or distressing dreams. These are huge problems of veterans with posttraumatic
stress disorders (PTSD).

DREAMING

Dreams – are the succession of images, thoughts, and feelings we experience while asleep. The images are loosely
connected by unusual associations and not well recalled afterward.

Theoretical Perspective on Dreams

▪ Psychoanalytic Theory – dreams are the royal road to the unconscious (Freud, 1900/1953). He argued that
conflicting impulses, thoughts, feelings, and drives that threaten the waking mind are released as a visual
compromise in distorted and disguised form by the sleeping mind. Each dream is an attempt to fulfill
unacceptable desires or satisfy unconscious wishes.
o Manifest level: the dream that we consciously recall after waking up; the surface level of the
dream. o Latent level: the deeper, unconscious level, where the true meaning of a dream lies.

▪ Biological Theory – argues that dreams are devoid of meaning and are a result of random brain activity
(Hobson, 2001, 2002) – there are three biologically based dimension of consciousness (AIM).
o Activation: the amount of neural activation and ranges from low to high activation.
o Input: refers to whether the stimulation is internal or external.
o Mode: the mental state – from logical (wakeful) to
loose-illogical (dreaming).

This figure is Hobson’s model of consciousness. Each

state of consciousness occupies a unique place in this three
dimensional space. Our days normally cycle between
waking, non-REM, and REM states of consciousness (Hobson,
2001).

▪ Cognitive Theory – dreams are not that different from everyday

thinking. Some standard processes that we use during our waking
life, such as imagery, memory, speech, and problem solving,
operate in a similar manner during dreaming (Cavallero & Foukes,
1993; Kahan, 2001). Some people develop an ability to know
when they are dreaming (lucid dreaming) and can therefore
control the events and outcomes of the dreams (LaBerge, 1985).
Others are able to reflect on and evaluate their experiences while
dreaming (Kahan, 2001; Kahan & LaBerge, 1994).

HYPNOSIS – it is a state of mind that occurs in compliance with instructions and is characterized by focused attention,
suggestibility, absorption, lack of voluntary control over behavior, and suspension of critical faculties of the mind (Raz &
Shapiro, 2002; Stewart, 2005). People may be easily hypnotized when they are relaxed, but they can be hypnotized
without relaxation (Raz & Shapiro, 2002).

Theoretical Explanations of Hypnosis

1. It is a state in which one part of the brain operates independently.

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2. Hypnosis does not alter consciousness, nor do hypnotized individuals give up control of their behavior. Instead,
they behave the way they think a hypnotized person would behave; in other words, they are role playing (Orne,
1959).
3. In a neuroscience standpoint, hypnosis is not imitation but rather real brain activity. Neuroscientists have studied
whether hypnosis might help eliminate stroop effect – a delayed reaction when there is a mismatch between
font color and the meaning of the color word (Raz et al., 2005).

ALTERING CONSCIOUSNESS WITH DRUGS

Psychoactive Drugs – these are naturally occurring or synthesized substances that, when ingested or otherwise taken
into the body, reliably produce qualitative changes in conscious experience.

Problems arise when people become dependent on a drug to maintain normal function and to cope with the
challenges of daily life.

o Tolerance: people require increasing amounts of the drug to get the desired effect.
o Withdrawal symptoms: the adverse effects people with physical dependence experience if they stop using
a drug.
o Hallucinations: convincing sensory experiences that occur in the absence of an external stimulus. o
Addiction: results from habitual use or physical and psychological dependence on a substance. People who
are addicted continue to use a substance in spite of knowing that it is harmful and often in spite of attempts to
quit.

Common Psychoactive Drugs, Their Primary Effect on Consciousness, and Their Risks
PSYCHOACTI DRUG SHORT-TERM EFFECTS RISKS
VE DRUG CLASSIFICATION

Depressants Alcohol Relaxation, depressed brain Accidents, brain damage,

activity, slowed behavior, reduced liver damage, blackouts, birth
inhibitions defects

Sedatives Relaxation, sleep Accidents, slowed heart

rate, possible death

Opioids Euphoria, pain relief, bodily relaxation Slowed heart rate and
breathing, death

Stimulants Caffeine Alertness, nervousness, Anxiety, insomnia

increased heart rate

Nicotine Arousal, stimulation, increased Cardiovascular disease,

heart rate lung cancer risk with
smoking

Cocaine Exhilaration, euphoria, irritability Insomnia, heart attack, paranoia

Amphetamines Increased alertness, Insomnia, paranoia,

excitability, difficulty accelerated heart rate
concentrating

Ecstasy (MDMA) Mild amphetamine and Depression, mental deficits,

hallucinogenic effects, high body cardiovascular problems
temperature and dehydration;
 sense of well-being and social
connectedness

Hallucinogens Marijuana Euphoric feelings, relaxation, mild Memory problems, respiratory

hallucinations, time distortion, illness, immune system
attention and memory impairment, impairment
fatigue

LSD (lysergic Strong hallucinations, distorted Accidents, insomnia

acid time perception, synesthesia
diethylamide-
25)

You may also watch the YouTube link below to have an audiovisual learning about psychoactive

drugs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icD3l5bhhKY

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CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING (20 minutes)
You will answer and rationalize this by yourself. This will be recorded as your quiz. One (1) point will be given to correct
answer and another one (1) point for the correct rationalization. Superimpositions or erasures in you
answer/rationalization is not allowed. You are given 20 minutes for this activity.

Multiple Choice

1. The following are all functions of sleep but:

a. It produces enzymes that protect against cellular damage.
b. It promotes lapses in one’s memory.
c. It helps with metabolic clean up in the brain.
d. It restores neural growth.
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:________________________________________________________________________________________
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2. Ben, a second-year college student fell asleep several times while he is engaged in various activities like reporting in
class, answering exams, and sometimes, even during meals and while praying even if he had more than 8 hours of
sleep. Which of the following best characterizes this situation?
a. Narcolepsy
b. Insomnia
c. Hypersomnia
d. Sleep apnea
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:________________________________________________________________________________________
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3. George is a very critical person, to the point that he objects to what people say most of the time. When he
participated in an experiment about hypnosis, the experimenters were surprised because they did not expect that
with George’s mentality, he would become suggestible, would lack voluntary control over his behavior and his
 critical faculties will be suspended. The experimenters’ observations support which of the following explanations?
a. The hypnosis is not imitation but rather real brain activity.
b. Hypnosis is a state in which one part of the brain operates independently.
c. Hypnosis is a gateway to the unconscious.
d. Hypnosis makes people behave the way they think a hypnotized person would behave.
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:________________________________________________________________________________________
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4. What psychoactive drugs activate the nervous system?

a. Stimulants
b. Depressants
c. Hallucinogens
d. All of the psychoactive drugs mentioned activate the nervous system
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:________________________________________________________________________________________
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5. In lucid dreaming, people become are that they are dreaming and can sometimes even control their dreams. Lucid
dreaming is most consistent with which theoretical explanations of dream?
a. Biological
b. Cognitive
c. Psychoanalytic
d. Combined theories
ANSWER: ________

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RATIO:________________________________________________________________________________________
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6. Which of the following is incorrect about night terrors?

a. Night terrors occur when a person speaks incoherently and ultimately awakens in a terrified
state. b. Night terrors are typical dreams with a frightening plot.
c. An individual who experienced night terrors wake up the next morning with no recollection of the event. d.
Though night terrors are rare in adults, adults who suffer from them tend to exhibit higher levels of depression,
anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive traits.
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:________________________________________________________________________________________
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7. Twenty minutes after falling asleep, Jodie is under the impression that a series of images are passing across the
ceiling of her bedroom. In the morning, she talked about it – remembering all the details of what she thought she
saw. Which of the following would most likely be associated in this event?
a. Rapid Eye Movements (REM)
b. Non-Rapid Eye Movements (NREM)
c. Sleep debt
 d. Sleep disorders
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:________________________________________________________________________________________
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8. Nina, a nurse in the emergency room of XYZ Medical Center works on a shifting schedule every two weeks. In the
first two weeks of the month, she works in the morning, and evening on the second two weeks of the month. Which
of the following would most likely occur?
a. Insomnia
b. Hypersomnia
c. Narcolepsy
d. Disruption in the circadian rhythms
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:________________________________________________________________________________________
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9. Even though it can make people feel more aroused in social settings, this popular drug is a
depressant. a. Marijuana
b. Cocaine
c. Heroin
d. Alcohol
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:________________________________________________________________________________________
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10. The following drugs are all classified as stimulants except for:
a. Amphetamines
b. Ecstasy
c. Opioids
d. Nicotine
ANSWER: ________
RATIO:________________________________________________________________________________________
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RATIONALIZATION ACTIVITY (THIS WILL BE DONE DURING THE FACE TO FACE INTERACTION) The instructor
will now rationalize the answers to the students. You can now ask questions and debate among yourselves. Write the
correct answer and correct/additional ratio in the space provided.

1. ANSWER: ________
RATIO:____________________________________________________________________________________
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2. ANSWER: ________
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RATIO:____________________________________________________________________________________
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RATIO:____________________________________________________________________________________
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RATIO:____________________________________________________________________________________
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6. ANSWER: ________
RATIO:____________________________________________________________________________________
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7. ANSWER: ________
RATIO:____________________________________________________________________________________
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8. ANSWER: ________
RATIO:____________________________________________________________________________________
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RATIO:____________________________________________________________________________________
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10. ANSWER: ________
RATIO:____________________________________________________________________________________
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LESSON WRAP-UP (5 minutes)

You will now mark (encircle) the session you have finished today in the tracker below. This is simply a visual to help
you track how much work you have accomplished and how much work there is left to do.

You are done with the session! Let’s track your progress.

To better gauge your understanding in this discussion, kindly answer the question below with honesty on a sheet of
paper: 1. What was the most important thing you learned during this class.
2. What important question remains unanswered?

(For the next lesson, continue working on module for session #12, Memory)

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