Introduction To Psychology
Mr. Gian Ramos
Lesson IV – Consciousness & Sleep
Consciousness
Is a term meant to indicate awareness. It
includes awareness of the self, of bodily sensations,
of thoughts and environment.
It also describes our awareness of internal
and external stimuli. This awareness includes
feeling pain, hunger, thirst, sleepiness and being
aware of our thoughts and emotions.
Awareness of external stimuli includes
experiences such as seeing the light from the sun,
feeling the weather or hearing your surroundings.
Two Dimensions of Consciousness
1. Wakefulness
 Degree of alertness
 Awake vs. Asleep
2. Awareness
 Monitoring external and internal
information
State of Minimal Consciousness
 Coma
Low wakefulness and alertness
 Vegetative State
Wakefulness without awareness
People experiences different states of wakefulness
and different levels of awareness on a regular basis.
(From full awareness to deep sleep)
Sleep
A state that is unique from period of rest that
take place during wakefulness because it is
characterized by relatively low levels of physical
activity and less sensory awareness.
Wakefulness
Characterized by high levels of awareness,
thoughts and behaviors.
Freud’s View Of Human Mind
(The Mental Iceberg)
One of Freud’s major contribution to
Psychology was popularizing the concept of the
conscious versus unconscious mind. Even if it
wasn’t technically his conception.
Freud (1905) created a topographical model
of the mind outlining the features of its composition
and operations. Freud compared the three
layers of the mind to an iceberg when describing
them.
The Conscious Mind
He described the conscious mind, which
consists of all the mental processes which we are
aware and this is seen as the tip of the iceberg.
Example: You may be feeling hungry at this
moment and decided to make a sandwich.
The Preconscious Mind
Noted by: Dionn Christian S. Pante
 Introduction To Psychology
Mr. Gian Ramos
Lesson IV – Consciousness & Sleep

The preconscious mind contains thoughts b) Ideal self

and feelings that a person is not currently aware of, c) Rules and laws to comform
but which can easily be brought to consciousness. It
exist just below the level of consciousness before Biological Rhythms
the unconscious mind. The preconscious is like a Biological rhythms are internal rhythms of
mental waiting room, in which thoughts remains biological activity, recurring, cyclical pattern of
until they succeed in attracting the eye of the bodily changes.
conscious. Example: A woman’s menstrual cycle
The Unconscious Mind A circadian rhythm is a biological rhythm
The unconscious mind is the primary source that takes place over a period of 24 hours such as
of human behavior. Like an iceberg, the most our sleep wake cycle.
important part of the mind is the part you cannot
see.
Our feelings, motives and decisions are
actually powerfully influenced by our past
experiences, and stored in the unconscious.
Freud apply this three system to his structure
of personality or psyche —the id, ego and superego.
Here the id is regarded as entirely unconscious
whilst the ego and superego has conscious,
preconscious and unconscious aspects.
ID
 Pleasure Principle
 Wants
 Pessimism Problems with Circadian Rhythm
a) Selfish Generally, and for most people, our
b) Insticts circadian cycles are aligned with the outside world.
c) Need to be met as soon as
possible Example: Most people sleep during the night
d) Hidden Desires and are awake during the day.

Ego One important regulator of sleep-wake cycle

is the hormone melatonin.
 Reality Principle
 Will Melatonin release is stimulated by darkness
 Realism and inhibited by light.
a) Makes up the decisions and faces the
consequences Sleep Disruptions
b) Confidence to conquer Jet lags: collection of symptoms brought on
c) Resilency by travel from one time zone to another that results
from the mismatch between our internal circadian
Superego cycles and our environment. These symptoms
 Morality include fatigue, sluggishness, irritability and
 Shoulds/Musts insomnia.
 Optimism
a) Conscience
Noted by: Dionn Christian S. Pante
 Introduction To Psychology
Mr. Gian Ramos
Lesson IV – Consciousness & Sleep

Rotating Shift work: work schedule that Sleep

changes from early to late on a daily or weekly  Low levels of physical activity
basis (which may lead to a broken body clock)  Reduced sensory awareness
Example: A person may work from 7:00 am  Regulated by homeostatic and circadian
to 3:00 pm on Monday, 3:00 am to 11:00 am on mechanisms
Tuesday, and 11:00 am to 7:00 pm on Wednesday.  Patterns of activity in the brain measured by
electroencephalography (EEG)
Insufficient Sleep
When people have difficulty getting sleep Areas of the brain involved in
due to their work or the demands of day to day life  Pineal gland secretes melatonin
which lead to sleep debt.  Pituitary gland secretes following
stimulating hormone (FSH),
Sleep Debt luteinizing hormone (LH), and
Result of insufficient sleep on a chronic growth hormone.
basis.
Example: Angela, the family bread winner,
has to work 3 jobs to be able to support their needs.
In return, she only sleeps 2 hours a day.
The consequence of sleep debts includes
decreased levels of alertness and mental efficiency.

Why do we sleep
Adaptive Function
Sleep conserves energy or keeps us safe from
predation but little research supports these ideas.
Cognitive Function
Sleep is necessary from for cognitive function and
memory formation.
\
REM and NREM Sleep
Consequence of Insufficient Sleep Sleep can be divided into two different
general phases:
Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep
Is characterized by darting movements of
the eyes under closed eyelids
Brainwaves during REM sleep appear very
similar to brainwaves during wakefulness
Non-Rem (NREM) sleep

Noted by: Dionn Christian S. Pante

 Introduction To Psychology
Mr. Gian Ramos
Lesson IV – Consciousness & Sleep
Is subdivided into three stages of
distinguishable from each other and from
wakefulness by characteristic patterns of brain
waves.
Why do we dream? Some theories
Activation-synthesis theory
Dreans are electrical brain impulses that pull
random thoughts and imagery from our memories.
Continual-activation theory
During REM sleep, the unconscious part of the
brain is busy processing procedural memory
Threat-simulation theory
Dreaming repeatedly simulates potential threatening
events, thus enhancing the mechanisms required for
efficient threat avoidance
Expectation-fulfillment theory
Dreaming discharges emotional arousals that
haven’t been expressed during the day
Sleep Disorders
Insomnia
Consistent difficulty in falling or staying asleep for
at least three nights a week for at least one month’s
time
Treatments:
 Exercise
 Limiting stimulant use
 Cognitive behavioral therapy
Sleep Apnea
Is when a sleeper’s breathing stops for 10-20
seconds or longer multiple times in an hour
Symptoms:
Snoring and fatique
Treatment:
Continous and Positive Pressure (CPAP)
Machines
Narcolepsy
Is a chronic neurological disorder that causes
constant sleepiness
Someone with narcolepsy cannot resist falling to
sleep at inopportune times
Treatment
Amphetamines
Sleep Walking and Night Terrors
While insomnia, sleep apnea, and
narcolepsy are most common among adults,
sleepwalking, and night terrors occur far more
commonly among children
Sleepwalking
Also known as somnambulism, is
experienced by about 25% of all children at least
once in their life. During one of the episodes, the
child will leave his bed and walk around in a slow,
uncoordinated manner.
Night Terrors
Are intense, vivid, and usually brief periods
of fear. Symptoms include sweating, restlessness,
increased heartbeat, and trashing. While night
terrors are dramatic and frightening, they are
generally not viewed as a sleep disorder unless they
occur in a regular and frequent basis.
Substance Abuse: Disorder
Addictive disorder when the person has a
compulsive patterns of disorder
Physical dependence involves changes in
normal bodily functions
The user will experience withdrawal from
the drug upon cessation of use
Tolerance occurs when a person requires
more drug to achieve effects previously experienced
at lower doses
Psychological dependence is an emotional
need for the drug
Types of Psychoactive Drugs
Noted by: Dionn Christian S. Pante
 Introduction To Psychology
Mr. Gian Ramos
Lesson IV – Consciousness & Sleep
Depressants
Alcohol
Suppress central nervous system activity
Agonists of the gamma-aminobutyric acid
(GABA) neurotransmitter system
Stimulants
Cocaine, amphetamine MDMA
(ecstasy) nicotine and caffeine
Increase over all levels neural activity
Agonists of the dopar neurotransmitter
Opiods
Heroine, morphine, methadone, codeine
Decreased pain
Naturally, the body makes small quantities
of opioid compound that bind to opioid receptors
reducing pain and producing euphoria
Extremely high potential for abuse
Hallucinogens
Marijuana, psylocybin (shrooms), mescaline
(peyote), LSD
Result in profound alterations in sensory and
perceptual experience
Impact different neurotransmitters
Hypnosis
State of extreme self-focus and attention in
which inimal attention is given to external stimuli
Dissociation view: Dissociated state of
consciousness
Social0=-cognitive theory of hypnosis :
people perform a social role
Noted by: Dionn Christian S. Pante