Chapter 5
STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
,Key Learning Goals
5.1 Understand the varying states of consciousness.
5.2 Understand sleep in terms of the roles of biological and circadian rhythms.
5.3 Understand the stages of sleep and the neural and evolutionary bases of sleep.
5.4 Understand the phenomenon of dreaming in terms of its content, its relation to culture
relation to waking life and its interpretation in terms of psychological theory.
5.5 Understand hypnosis in terms of hypnotic induction and susceptibility, hypnotic
phenomena and theories of hypnosis.
5.6 Understand the physiological correlates and long-term benefits of meditation.
5.7 Knowledge of commonly abused drugs in South Africa, alcohol abuse in South Africa an
foetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
5.8 Understand drug effects, mechanisms of drug action, drug dependence and the
relationship between drugs and health.
, ➢ Consciousness is the awareness of internal and ex
stimuli. (Awareness of external events & internal
On the Nature of e.g. sweating, heart racing)
Consciousness ➢ The contents of your consciousness are continual
changing. E..g. internal sensations constantly chan
➢ It moves, it flows, it fluctuates and it wanders.
➢ Recognising that consciousness is in constant flux
James (1902) long ago named this flow the stream
consciousness.
➢ Constant shifting and changing seem to be part o
essential nature of consciousness.
, The Nature of Consciousness
Consciousness includes four components:
➢ Awareness of external events
➢ Awareness of internal sensations
➢ Awareness of the self as a unique being experiencing these events (why me
➢ Awareness of thoughts about the experience
STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
,Key Learning Goals
5.1 Understand the varying states of consciousness.
5.2 Understand sleep in terms of the roles of biological and circadian rhythms.
5.3 Understand the stages of sleep and the neural and evolutionary bases of sleep.
5.4 Understand the phenomenon of dreaming in terms of its content, its relation to culture
relation to waking life and its interpretation in terms of psychological theory.
5.5 Understand hypnosis in terms of hypnotic induction and susceptibility, hypnotic
phenomena and theories of hypnosis.
5.6 Understand the physiological correlates and long-term benefits of meditation.
5.7 Knowledge of commonly abused drugs in South Africa, alcohol abuse in South Africa an
foetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
5.8 Understand drug effects, mechanisms of drug action, drug dependence and the
relationship between drugs and health.
, ➢ Consciousness is the awareness of internal and ex
stimuli. (Awareness of external events & internal
On the Nature of e.g. sweating, heart racing)
Consciousness ➢ The contents of your consciousness are continual
changing. E..g. internal sensations constantly chan
➢ It moves, it flows, it fluctuates and it wanders.
➢ Recognising that consciousness is in constant flux
James (1902) long ago named this flow the stream
consciousness.
➢ Constant shifting and changing seem to be part o
essential nature of consciousness.
, The Nature of Consciousness
Consciousness includes four components:
➢ Awareness of external events
➢ Awareness of internal sensations
➢ Awareness of the self as a unique being experiencing these events (why me
➢ Awareness of thoughts about the experience
