Psychology 1000 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Circadian Rhythm, Circadian Clock, Sleep Paralysis

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Dr.Mike

Document Summary

State of consciousness: by this, psychologists mean a pattern of subjective experience, a way of experiencing internal and external events. Altered state of consciousness: refers to variations from our normal waking state. Philosopher david chalmers (1995) notes that conscious experience is at once the most familiar thing in the world and the most mysterious . Thus, no matter what your awareness is focused on a lovely sunset or an itch on your back you can reflect upon the fact that you are the one who is conscious of it. Consciousness is intimately connected with the process of selective attention. Selective attention focuses conscious awareness on some stimuli to the exclusion of others. If the mind is a theatre of mental activity, then consciousness reflects whatever is illuminated at the moment the bright spot on the stage and selective attention is the spotlight or mechanism behind it.