Understanding consciousness and what it encompasses is critical to an appreciation of what is meant by a given state of consciousness. The study of variations in consciousness includes an examination of the sleep cycle, dreams, hypnosis, circadian rhythms, and the effects of psychoactive drugs.

Essential questions

How can biology influence our behavior and mental processes?
What happens when a particular neurotransmitter is absent from the body?
How do biological and environmental factors interact to influence our behaviors and mental processes?

Unit Goals & Learning Targets

2.8 The Adaptable Brain

2.O Describe various states of consciousness and their impact on behavior.
2.P Identify the major psychoactive drug categories and classify specific drugs, including their psychological and physiological effects.
2Q Discuss drug dependence, addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal.
2.R Identify the contributions of major figures in consciousness research

2.9 Sleeping and Dreaming

2.S Discuss aspects of sleep and dreaming

Key Figures

William James

First to describe consciousness as a stream, flow of thoughts in the conscious mind

Ernest Hilgard

Famous for his research on hypnosis in human behavior and response

Sigmund Freud

Believed that behavior and personality were derived from conflicting psychological forces that operate at three different levels of awareness: the preconscious, conscious, and unconscious.

Myers' Textbook Modules

22. Understanding Consciousness and Hypnosis (218).pdf

22. Understanding Consciousness and Hypnosis (218)

23. Sleep Patterns and Sleep Theories (225).pdf

23. Sleep Patterns and Sleep Theories (225)

24. Sleep Deprivation, Sleep Disorders, and Dreams (234).pdf

24. Sleep Deprivation, Sleep Disorders, and Dreams (234)

25. Psychoactive Drugs (246).pdf

25. Psychoactive Drugs (246)

Slide Deck

States of Consciousness Slide Deck

Unit 6 - States of Consciousness

Practice Resources

Quizlet Practice

Quizizz Practice

quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5c04d9312e4e0a001bd26a16

Video Resources

Episode 8: Consciousness

Defining Consciousness (00:00:00)Neuroimaging (02:16:01)Dual Processing (03:45:18)Selective Attention (04:22:16)Selective Inattention (05:46:21)Change Blindness (06:12:08)

Episode 9: To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

Four Stages of Sleep (02:38)Why We Dream (04:28)Information Processing (08:13)Physiological Function (08:31)Cognitive Development (08:52)Neural Activity Models (09:04)

Episode 10: Altered States

Hypnosis (0:00)Psychoactive Depressants (05:51)Non-Drug Induced Hallucinations (09:33)

TED Talk: Why do we sleep? | Russell Foster

Russell Foster is a circadian neuroscientist: He studies the sleep cycles of the brain. And he asks: What do we know about sleep? Not a lot, it turns out, for something we do with one-third of our lives. In this talk, Foster shares three popular theories about why we sleep, busts some myths about how much sleep we need at different ages -- and hints at some bold new uses of sleep as a predictor of mental health.

TED Talk: Robert Stickgold - Sleep, Memory and Dreams: Fitting the Pieces Together

Dr. Stickgold studies the role of sleep and dreaming in learning and memory processes. He has studied how dreams change in response to mental challenges, ranging from computer games to living in a zero gravity environment on the International Space Station.