The Aware Mind- Elements of Consciousness PDF

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Titchener's theory began with the question of what each element of the mind is. He concluded from his research that there were three types of mental elements constituting conscious experience: Sensations (elements of perceptions), Images (elements of ideas), and affections (elements of emotions)....

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The Aware Mind: Elements of Consciousness

1. Analyse the different meanings of consciousness. Consciousness is a state of awareness. It means to be aware of what is happening, both internally (inside our bodies) and externally (around us). When we are unconscious, we are not aware of what is happening around us. When we focus on ourselves and what is happening in our own thoughts, that is called self-awareness. Humans and animals have different states of consciousness or awareness. Sometimes we need to sleep and then we are not aware of our environment. Scientists try to explain why we have different states of consciousness. They considered three main reasons: -

Variations in alertness: sleep allows us to repair our bodies and to conserve energy. We would have to eat a lot more if we had to be awake all the time. Sleep can also contribute to safety. Humans and some animals are more vulnerable at night, as we can’t see very well. It’s safer to sleep in a safe place (like a house or burrow) and wait for daylight, than to risk walking around lions and crocodiles at night!

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Awareness of ongoing sensations: if we weren’t consciously aware of sensations, we would react purely on instinct. Some animals run when they hear unusual sounds. They don’t stop to analyse the sound, they just run. We have more awareness of ongoing sensations, so when humans hear something, they can consider their options and possible responses. Such flexibility in options can increase an organism’s chances of survival.

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Self-awareness: being self-aware increases our desire to survive and leads to actions which increase self-preservation. Children under the age of 18 months lack self-awareness.

One-way scientists test to see whether animals or people are self-aware is through the “rouge” test. Rouge means red in French. The scientists make a red mark on the subject’s forehead. When the subject is shown a mirror, if they try to touch the red mark in the mirror, they are not considered to be self-aware. If they touch the red mark on their own face, that indicates self-awareness. Many parts of the brain are involved in creating consciousness, but mainly the cerebral cortex, thalamus and reticular formation. If these parts are damaged, the person will become unconscious. 2. Explain what happens to consciousness during the wake and sleep cycles of human circadian rhythms. Humans follow a 24-hour pattern of wake and sleep. Our waking and sleeping cycles are based upon a biological clock known as circadian rhythms (sir-kaydee-un rhythms). Our circadian rhythms consider external cues, like sunlight, to know when to be asleep and when to be awake. Sunlight and similar cues are known as “time givers” (German zeitgebers) because they are ways for our bodies to tell the time. During the winter, daylight hours shorten and night lasts longer. This lack of light can interfere with some people’s circadian rhythms and cause a type of depression known as major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern.

While we are awake, our brains experience three states of consciousness: Alpha waves: awake, but relaxed Beta waves: awake and actively alert Gamma waves: when our brains process sensory input, especially visuals, we are in a gamma wave state About one third of our lives is spent sleeping. During sleep, we experience two different types of sleep. The first is non-rapid eye movement (N-REM) sleep. The second is rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Non-rapid eye movement sleep occurs in four stages: STAGE 1

DROWSY, STARTING TO FALL ASLEEP – LASTS 10 TO 15

STAGE 2 STAGE 3 STAGE 4

MINUTES Light sleep, will still wake up to unusual sounds – lasts 15 minutes Deep sleep Deepest sleep – if woken now, person will be confused/disoriented

Between 90 and 120 minutes after first falling asleep, we enter the rapid eye movement phase of sleep. This phase is named for the movement our eyes make while we sleep, rapidly moving back and forth underneath closed eyelids. This is the phase during which we dream. Our bodies experience a form of paralysis (cannot move) during this phase, which serves to protect us from hurting ourselves by trying to run away from something in a dream. Sleeping is necessary for our bodies to function. During sleep, our bodies heal injuries. While we are still growing, growth hormones are released during sleep, so children and teenagers need a lot of sleep to develop physically. Sleeping also helps

us to form memories. If you are sleep deprived, you will struggle to remember what happened during the waking hours. 3. Describe how consciousness can be affected in various forms of damage to the brain When our brains are damaged, this can affect our state of consciousness. Coma: This is an abnormal state of deep unconsciousness. A person who is in a coma does not have sleep-wake cycles, cannot be awakened, does not respond to pain or light and is incapable of voluntary behaviour. This state occurs when both hemispheres of the brain or the reticular formation are damaged. Comas usually last for 2 to 4 weeks, after which the patient will either begin to recover, or die. Vegetative state: people who begin to recover from a coma will enter a vegetative state. This state means the patient is awake, but not conscious. Their eyes may open, they grind their teeth, scream, smile or cry. However, they are not aware of their surroundings and cannot respond in a normal way. Brain death: when the brain is damaged to such an extent that the damage is irreversible, the patient suffers from brain death. This is measured by a lack of brain activity (no electrical impulses) over a 24-hour period. A patient who Is brain dead can be kept alive artificially, using machines to help them breathe and keep the heart pumping blood, but once the machines are switched off, the patient’s bodily functions will stop and the patient declared dead. Near death experiences: people who died or nearly died and were resuscitated using medical equipment, have experienced a “near death experience”. These patients report a feeling of floating above their own bodies and seeing a bright light. Scientists have found that a brain in extreme distress can reach a heightened state

of consciousness, which, coupled with the release of certain chemicals can cause that “out of body” feeling. Seizures: an abnormal level of brain activity that appears suddenly. Can be partial (isolated areas of the brain) or generalised (all over the brain). Partial seizures can often be sensed before they start, this is known as an aura. Certain feelings or physical responses accompany seizures: PARTIAL SEIZURE: DÉJÀ VU PARTIAL SEIZURE: JAMAIS VU

FEELING OF RELIVING THE PAST Familiar things feel strange and

GENERALISED SEIZURE: TONIC-

unknown Lose consciousness, violent

CLONIC

contractions, can result in injuries, 5-

GENERALISED SEIZURE: ABSENCE

minute coma Lose consciousness, there is still blinking, head turns and eyes move

4. Describe and identify various ways in which consciousness can be altered using drug and non-drug methods (pp.219-226) People can use psychoactive drugs to alter their state of consciousness. When they do, they can suffer from tolerance, addiction, and withdrawal. Tolerance is when your body becomes used to the drugs and you need to take more to achieve the same effect. Addiction is when someone has become dependent on a substance or activity and will continue to take the substance or engage in the activity, even if there are negative consequences. Withdrawal is when your body has become used to having the drug in its system, then you stop taking the drug and the body experiences negative physical symptoms, such as shaking, sweating and tiredness.

Withdrawal can be life-threatening, which is why certain drugs require “weaning” to gently reduce the effects of withdrawal. (Excitation, as mentioned below, refers to a state of excitement, whether physical or mental excitement.) DRUG MARIJUANA

EFFECTS Excitation, vivid imagery, mild euphoria, depression,

LSD CAFFEINE NICOTINE

social withdrawal Vivid, colourful hallucinations Excitation and alertness Increases heart rate and blood pressure, reduces fatigue (tiredness), improving mental clarity, relaxes

COCAINE

muscles Alertness, elevated mood, confidence, sense of

AND AMPHETAMINES RITALIN ECSTASY (MDMA)

well-being Alertness, increased concentration Increases heart rate, blood pressure and body

ALCOHOL

temperature, makes person more sociable Creates a warm flush, reduces anxiety, can lead to

OPIOIDS

coma or death in high doses Medicinal (helps with coughing and controlling diarrhea), euphoria, pain relief, reduced anxiety, muscle relaxation, sleep. Higher doses can lead to death (stop breathing due to muscles relaxing too much).

Non-drug methods for altering states of consciousness include hypnosis and meditation. Hypnosis is a state of relaxation and increased suggestibility. Meditation is a voluntary state of positive emotion and absence of thought. Hypnosis can have

some therapeutic applications, while meditation is extremely beneficial for a healthy mind. Further methods for altering your state of consciousness include changing your environment, as in scuba diving, high altitude mountain climbing etc. Read through the other ways on page 226. 5. Define and provide examples for all key concepts associated with this learning unit (all terminology in Chapter 6) Hallucinogen: chemical that produces hallucinations (sensations that are not real, such as seeing, hearing, or feeling things that aren’t there) Insomnia: inability to fall asleep or stay asleep Narcolepsy: sleep disorder that causes person to fall into a sleeping state at unexpected times...