You’ve Got Rhythm Altering Consciousness

1. You’ve Got Rhythm Altering Consciousness Lesson Plan 4

2. Competency • Identify body rhythms and sleep cycles. • Discuss sleep disorders. • Predict the effects of sleep deprivation. • Contrast drug-altered consciousness and self-induced altered consciousness (i.e., meditation and hypnosis). • Generalize the effects of psychoactive drugs. • Differentiate between drug abuse and drug dependence.

3. Overview • Sleep varies throughout the night. In the paper and on the news, stories about people altering their own consciousness through hypnosis, meditation, or drugs are common. Society seems to be fascinated with the desire to change their levels of consciousness. • Consciousness is the awareness of one’s environment and oneself. As most know, one’s level of awareness can range from being focused and attentive to being asleep and anywhere in between. Factors that may cause these changes in consciousness will be discussed throughout this learning plan.

4. Body Rhythms • Body rhythms are biological rhythms- take place in every living thing • Humans- predictable changes in different body systems~ i.e. sleep, temperature, hormone release, heart rate and blood pressure~ controlled by internal and external factors

5. Body Rhythms

6. Biological Clocks • All organisms have their own biological clocks. They work in the absence of environmental cues. • Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)~ primary biological clock found in the hypothalamus of humans • SCN- controlled by light- dictates individual circadian rhythms • SCN triggers the release of melatonin when dark & melatonin causes sleepiness • SCN triggers the discontinuation of melatonin when is senses daylight- causes the person to wake up

7. How Body Rhythms Affect Moods • SAD~ Seasonal Affective Disorder • Possible result of reduced sunlight exposure which can change a person’s circadian rhythms • Related to length of daylight hours • Depressed mood during winter season- mood lightens as days get longer and there is more sunlight • PMS- Premenstrual Syndrome • Recent research shows a connection between body rhythms and emotion fluctuations. • Researchers will not say that fluctuations in emotion are related to psychological disorders

8. Sleep Stages • Not an uninterrupted resting state. • Stages divided into 2 main categories~ non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) and rapid eye movement (REM) • 4 Stages of Non-REM • 1st you relax and experience alpha waves- not yet asleep • Stage 1- light sleep- theta waves- slower than alpha and greater in amplitude (high peaks)- slow breathing • Stage 2- light sleep- sleep spindles- short bursts of rapid, high peaking waves- peak suddenly, go downward quickly and then go back up again • Stage 3- breathing slows even more- delta waves- very slow waves with very high peaks • Stage 4- delta waves- not much difference from stage 3- stage 3 composed of less than 50 percent delta waves and stage 4 more than 50 percent delta waves. Very hard to wake someone in stage 4.

9. Sleep Waves

10. Sleep Stages • REM sleep is deeper than non-REM sleep. • The eyes are, of course, closed, but they can be seen darting back and forth beneath the eyelids. • Muscles become limp and breathing becomes irregular. • Most dreams occur in REM sleep • Most people report vivid, story-like dreams • Dreams are not often reported in other stages • On average, a person progress through stages 1-4 and back up to stage 2 before REM begins. Happens 60-90 min after falling asleep. • Cycle repeated 3-4 times/night

11. Dream Analysis • Dreams have been thought to reveal the future, tell about the past, and help solve issues • Freud- 1st to develop a comprehensive theory of dream analysis • Freud believed that dreams were the keys to unlocking secrets of the unconscious mind • One way the unconscious mind vents through dreams • Dreams are made up of mostly wish fulfillment, sex aggression, and childhood memories- according to Freud • Manifest content (actual story of dream); Latent content (true meaning)

12. Dream Interpretation Theories • Psychoanalytical Theory • Problem-Solving Theory • Mental Housekeeping Theory • Activation Synthesis Theory

13. Dream Content • Females tend to dream more about people they know, indoor settings, friendlier interactions, and enclosed bodies of water such as pools or lakes. They tend to have longer dreams. • Men tend to have more aggression or conflict, outdoor settings, cars, men, weapons, and sexual encounters in their dreams. • Children report having more animals and aggression in their dreams. • Only difference between those with a psychological disorder and those without one are few friends and friendly interactions in their dreams.

14. Sleep Disorders http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW31IanJiAM • Sleep apnea- repeatedly stopping breathing for brief periods in the night- potentially life-threatening • Narcolepsy- excessive daytime sleepiness and periods of sudden lapses into sleep throughout the day. • Insomnia- difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking very early and not being able to go back to sleep • Night Terrors- occur in Stage 4- person will scream, cry or bolt from bed. Eyes may be open, but is not awake. • Sleep Walking- person wanders around or engages in activities while still asleep. Not psychologically damaging. • Nightmares- occur in REM sleep • Sleep Deprivation- lack of needed sleep. Can cause irritability, memory lapses, slower reaction time

15. Psychoactive Drugs • Can influence perception, mood, behavior and/or cognition • Classified as stimulants, depressants, opiates, or hallucinogens based on their affect of the central nervous system/impact on mood/behavior • Stimulants accelerate nervous system functioning, depressants slow nervous system functioning, opiates are considered pain relievers, and hallucinogens alter perception. • Tolerance, abuse, withdrawal, dependence, and addiction • Alcoholics Anonymous

16. Self-Induced Alterations of Consciousness • All cultures alter consciousness in some way • Maulavis of Turkey spin in a controlled yet excited way for the purpose of achieving religious rapture. • Sioux Indians in South Dakota sit naked in the dark and almost unbearable heat in a sweat lodge to achieve euphoria and connect with the Great Spirit of the Universe. • In Jerusalem, Hasidic men dance for hours in the streets to achieve religious ecstasy after reading the holy Torah. • Some cultures even use psychoactive drugs for artistic and religious inspiration.

17. Hypnosis • Hypnosis is a procedure in which a practitioner suggests changes in sensations, perceptions, thoughts, feelings or behavior, and the subject follows the suggestions. • It has been used successfully to reduce pain, rid people of unwanted habits and reduce anxiety and stress. Hypnosis is a state of highly focused attention (absorption) and reduced peripheral awareness (dissociation). • It is a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility and relaxation. It is not really like sleep because the subject is conscious the entire time. • Explained by dissociation theory and sociocognitive theory

18. Meditation • Meditation is considered to be an altered state of consciousness where focused attention is used to help one relax, relieve stress and experience a peaceful state. • Meditation reportedly has the ability to reduce chronic pain, anxiety, high blood pressure and stress hormones. • http://www.how-to-meditate.org/

19. Homework • My Brain Assignment- 40 points due January 31 • Readings: Lesson Plans 5, 6, and supplemental readings • Assignments: Discussion choose either 5.1 or 6.1