Points of Consciousness

Points of Consciousness
Stephanie Hight
PSY 202
Charlette Martin

Consciousness is a person’s awareness of everything that is going on around him or her at any given moment. There are four different states of consciousness, and they include; sleep, dreams, hypnosis, and drugs. Sleep is an altered state of consciousness that one’s body needs in order to function properly. Our bodies have biological rhythms which require a certain amount of time a person sleeps during a 24 hour period. Some people may only require 4 hours of sleep while someone else may need 8 hours. Circadian rhythm is what causes your body to require some type of sleep.
There are four different kinds of sleep, stage one is called theta waves, which is light sleep. Theta waves indicate the early stages of sleep. Stage two is sleep spindles, which are brief bursts of brain wave activity. Stages three and four are called delta waves, which is deep sleep. Delta waves are slow, long waves indicating the deepest stage of sleep.
There are many sleep disorders and many of them are very common in America. One sleep disorder is sleep apnea, which is a condition where a person stops breathing for longer than 30 seconds. Another sleep disorder is sleep deprivation, which is the most common sleep disorder. Sleep deprivation or lack of sleep is the main cause of car accidents, stress, and reduced productivity. The main reason why people are sleep deprived is they don’t go to sleep early enough to allow themselves the right amount of time they need to get rest.
Hypnosis is another altered state of consciousness. Hypnosis is the state of consciousness in which a person is susceptible to suggestions. A hypnotist may suggest the person focus only on what is being said, or they may suggest the person relax and feel tired. The hypnotist may also tell someone to accept suggestions and use a vivid imagination.
Another altered state of consciousness is psychoactive drug use. Psychoactive drugs can cause a person to be in an altered state because drugs affect thought processes, perception, and/or memory. Some people actually have a physical dependence on psychoactive drugs, where the body craves the drug and cannot function normally without it.
Some drugs called stimulants, also known as “uppers” cause the nervous system to speed up. Some people may use stimulants to lose weight. Another type of drug is called a depressant, which slows down a person’s nervous system. The most common depressant is alcohol, which can cause liver damage and brain damage. Narcotics and psychogenics are two other types of drugs. Narcotics suppress the sensation of pain and are usually prescribed by doctors. Some of them are only prescribed for a short amount of time because they can be highly addictive. Psychogenics are a drug that alter one’s perceptions.
There are several different states of consciousness which can affect one’s thoughts and actions. Each of the above listed states of consciousness have different effects on the mind and body. Some of them are hazardous and some can open the mind to things that may have never been experience in a normal state of mind. * * Resource: Consciousness: Sleep, Dreams, Hypnosis, and Drugs – Interactive Tutorial