States of Consciousness

1. The Nature of Consciousness
   1. Consciousness - "A state of awareness" or "an awareness of one's own mental processes"
   2. An altered state of consciousness is the experience which is different than when we are alert and awake.

B. Subconscious - below level of awareness

C. Unconscious - autonomic, never aware of it, we may attempt to control with biofeedback.

1. Directed Consciousness - "awareness toward a single focus"
2. Flowing Consciousness - "Drifting or unfocused consciousness"
3. Divided Consciousness - "splitting of two conscious activities that occur simultaneously"
   
   
1. Brain Functions
   1. EEG Brain Waves
      1. Alpha: 8 - 12/sec., found in relaxed state, used during Biofeedback training.
      2. Beta : 13 -14/sec., dominates when mentally aroused.
      3. Theta: 4 - 8/sec., increase with drowsiness, slipping off to sleep.
      4. Delta : at lowest mental arousal, dreamless state of sleep.
2. Sleep
   1. Pre-sleep or "hypnagogic state" at this threshold of sleep we first begin to drift off to sleep, if we held a pencil it may drop. Body activity begins to drop off, often alpha waves appear causing that sudden jerk called "Myoclonia", from here we begin to enter stage 1.
      
      
   2. NRem Sleep - Stage 1
      1. 1 - 7 minutes. You lose awareness of surroundings. If aroused form this state, you subjectively feel you were awake. Theta waves are present.
         
         
   3. NRem Stage 2:
      1. Person is asleep, thoughts are fragmented, the EEG shows a burst of brain activity measured by "Spindles" and peaks called "K complexes"
      2. Eyes may roll side by side or be still, not REM. This stage lasts 5- 10 minutes.
         
         
   4. NRem Delta Sleep., Stage 3 and 4
      1. After 30 minute, Stage 4 DEEP sleep. Delta - Deepest and hardest to waken.
      2. It is the point where it is most difficult to wake you.
      3. After a few minutes to an hour in Delta, may return to stage 2.
         
         
3. REM period.
   1. Dreaming occurs in REM.
   2. 1st REM about 10 minutes, and cycle begins at stage 2 again.
   3. Repeats itself about every 90 min.
   4. Little danger from interrupting REM Sleep, will usually see REM rebound later if one has inadequate sleep. (Increased REM)
      
      
4. Sleep and Sleep Disorders
   1. Average need for sleep is 71/2 hours. 95% of people sleep 61/2 to 81/2 hours.
   2. Little effect between people and length of sleep they receive.
   3. Insomnia
      1. Sleep usually occurs 15 - 30 minutes after falling asleep involves Reticular Formation and changes in body temperature, and secretion of body chemicals.
      2. Specific chemicals neurotransmitters present during onset, sleep and awakening, (serotonin, adrenalin)
      3. Caused by anxiety, illness or change in circadian rhythm.
      4. Drugs interfere with neurotransmitters in blood, i.e. barbiturates reduce REM sleep periods.
      5. 20 - 30% of general population suffer from insomnia. Higher numbers of Elderly, woman, and lower SES individuals.
      6. The risk from insomnia can be physical, or social.
      7. Classification of insomnia:
         1. Transient - from changes in stress, normal cycle, medical condition, or age.
         2. Chronic - Usually before 40, from history of problems, low self esteem, anxiety, also current psychological problems when people tend to internalize their emotions.
            
            
5. Treatment
   1. General Measures
      1. Improve Environment - Expect an "adaptation effect" in new environment, reduce disruptive stimuli like noise and light, etc.
      2. Regular Schedules - Develop flexible routine of waking and retiring, relax before bed, sleep when tired, don't oversleep.
      3. Sleep Full Amount - Regularity important, don't force it
      4. Exercise Regularly
      5. Manage Stress - Improve coping skills, learn cues and association between stressful events, emotions and sleep, learn relaxation or imagery.
      6. Avoid Drug Induced Sleep- Reduce caffeine and Tobacco, recognize alcohol causes fragmentation of sleep (REM), stimulants and other medications also affect sleep, same after drug withdrawal.
         
         
6. Dreams
   1. We dream in color and/or Black & White
   2. We dream of many things usually others, or of everyday experiences, little sexual etc. (Call this "day residue")
   3. We dream from both sides of brain, thought maybe only right side but proven not true from research with split brain patients. Used verbal reports, REM and EEG readings.
   4. Can increase awareness with recordings or immediate writing of them to a note pad.
   5. 1st dream is about 10 minutes, they increase length over time last one is about 60 minutes.
   6. They must be close to REM to remember them.
      
      
7. Theories of Dreaming
   1. Freud - Road to unconscious, symbolic representations of wishes and fears we cannot express in consciousness.
      1. Manifest Content - obvious but superficial meaning of dreams
      2. Latent Content - true meaning of dreams
   2. Activation Synthesis - Hobson and McCarley
      1. Dreams are interruptions of sleep, we find in the lab a surge of electrical impulses from larger neurons in the pons. These extend into nearby areas of the brain which control eye movement and motor activity.
      2. They are active during REM, suggest brain attempts to make sense out of brain activity and bodily changes.
      3. Dreams are the result of the thinking brain reacting to messages of older brain. The REM experience is not scanning a dream, but explained as brain reacting or trying to make sense out of REM itself.
      4. Example of explanations of a Falling Sensation -
         1. Freud - Failure
         2. Activation - muscle tension
            
            
8. Night Terrors
   1. Take place in children during Non-REM Delta sleep, involve terror and movement, no memory remains in morning.
   2. Adults experience nightmares during REM sleep.
      
      
9. Hypnotism (Hypnos = "Sleep")
   1. Some reference to early use by Greeks and Egyptians to treat various illnesses.
   2. Messmer - 1700's, most documented beginning of It's use.
   3. "Group Suggestion" effect, put forces back in balance, due to BELIEF
      1. Called Mesmerism
         
         
10. Hypnotism: Behaviors and Uses
    1. Imagined Perceptions or Hallucinations
    2. Test with giving subject suggestions affecting senses
    3. Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale
    4. 75-80% of population may be hypnotized to some extent
       1. 15% deeply
       2. 10% have little capacity to be hypnotized
    5. Pain Control or Hypnotic Analgesia
       1. Hilgard & Hilgard used it to alter chronic pain in patients who are no longer under treatment for pain. Two types -
       2. Phantom - pain from area or limb which is no longer there.
       3. Referred - chronic pain from injury to an area which is felt elsewhere.
    6. Hypnosis gives direct suggestion of no pain, numbness, movement of pain, or change in the pain itself.
    7. No sensation of pain in presence of painful stimuli under hypnosis Is Analgesia.
    8. Hilgard says a part of the person he calls the hidden observer is aware of pain but in background.
       
       
11. Age Regression
    1. To remember and relive past experiences.
    2. Sometimes subjects do what adults do which shows they do not really think like or become children again, they just act it out.
    3. Outcome depends on the type of instruction given before hypnosis, (+) or (-) expectations of effect.
       
       
12. Post Hypnotic Amnesia -
    1. Selectively forgetting unpleasant experiences or memories after hypnotic suggestion.
    2. Some believe thoughts have been made unavailable to normal consciousness.
    3. Others believe have not been properly encoded into LTM.
       
       
13. Post Hypnotic Suggestions or Hypnotic Control
    1. Goal to control specific behavior after suggestion.
    2. Effects with subjects who attempt to change behaviors which there are not motivated to change has little success, when used on behaviors where subjects have strong motivations to change better success.
       
       
14. Is Hypnotism an Unique State?
    1. 3 Characteristics Present
       1. Selective Attention
       2. Increased Suggestibility
       3. Special Consciousness
          
          
    2. Example - Research with 3 groups of Subjects given different instructions:
       1. A - Told only will be given test of imagination following suggestions.
       2. B - Are hypnotized and informed will have unusual experience
       3. C - Told will be tested for ability to imagine and are also asked to try to score as high as possible
       4. Given suggestions similar to susceptibility scales, A's were least open to suggestions, B's did more suggestions then A's, and C's did just as good as the Hypnotized B's.
       5. Demonstrates behaviors under hypnosis are similar to those performed under motivational instructions.
          
          
15. Other Clinical Uses of Hypnosis
    1. Treatment of Phobias
    2. Treatment of anxiety
    3. Sexual Dysfunction
    4. Personal Improvement
       
       
16. Summary of Theories of Hypnosis
    1. No such thing as hypnotic trance, just conditions similar to relaxation, responding to individual differences.
    2. Subjects often role play, act as they should or are expected to.
    3. Parallel Processing - or hidden observer, aware of 2 sets of stimuli at once. (control-of-pain as pain is still present)
    4. Changed Consciousness which leads to an altered state.