PSYC 2510 Lecture Notes - Reticular Formation, Slow-Wave Sleep, Circadian Rhythm
20 Nov 2012
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Document Summary
Understanding consciousness has driven psychology since it"s birth. Consciousness the awareness of the immediate experience (awareness of internal and external stimuli) Wrote an essay does consciousness exist? . Consciousness is not a thing but a process. Put together all the different things you"re conscious of into a big idea . Interaction in the brain create various states of consciousness. = extent to which brain is integrated. Itt explains why consciousness can occur without stimulation, as in rem sleep. Assumes that all beings can achieve some level of consciousness. We can measure states of consciousness with a eeg. Beta (high-frequency) waves awake, normal alert consciousness. Alpha waves relaxed, calm, lucid, not thinking. Theta waves deep relaxation and meditation, mental imagery. Delta (low-frequency) waves deep, dreamless sleep. Still unsure what relationship brainwaves and states of consciousness have. Attention is important (but not essential) in controlled states of consciousness. Biological rhythms periodic fluctuations in physiological functioning.
