Lesson 4: States of Consciousness

Attention

Why can’t I remember my dreams?  Was it really a dream?  - - it seemed so real!  Why doesn’t hypnosis work with me?  Is there an “addiction” gene?  Caffeine isn’t really a drug, is it?

If you are like most of us, you may have wondered about some, or all of these topics.  Modules 7 and 8 are designed to answer these questions and more while providing for lively discussion.  The effects of various types of drugs on consciousness and brain functioning will be explored as well.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

  • Identify personal sleep habits and evaluate if they are effective and healthy.
  • Utilize a dream dictionary to apply a symbolic interpretation for a dream.
  • Describe the diagnostic criteria for Substance Use Disorder

Teaching

Consciousness is the sum total of all our perceptions, feelings, emotions, thoughts, and sensations at any given time.

 

During out lives we go through periods of time when our perceptions and thoughts can be altered and we are then in what can be said to be an "altered state of consciousness". Here are some examples:

  • Being really tired
  • Driving at night
  • At a loud concert with lots of people and lights and music
  • Working out (Runner's High)
  • Hangover
  • Migraine
  • Drugs (recreational and prescribed...sorry no lab in this class!!)
  • Sleep

You can tell that in these "altered states" our perceptions, feelings, emotions, thoughts, and sensations are altered. If they are altered too much we can get into trouble (depending on what we are doing or need to do at the time).

Sleep

Click to download Dr. Mark Kavanaugh's paper titled "The Biopsychology of Sleep: The Restorative and Circadian Models"

Substances

Anything that we ingest has the potential of altering our internal chemistry and thus the internal chemistry of the brain. Substances that are known to bring about specific changes in brain function are referred to as "psychoactive" or "psychotropic"...nearly every medication has some degree of "psychoactive" component.

Using substances to alter consciousness has been practiced since the ancient world. Essentially, in moderation, there is little wrong with this practice. However, the use of substances can become problematic. Problems occur when the continued use of the substance is not mitigated by negative effects (lost your job and your spouse but you keep using) and when the tolerance for one drug leads to increased doses and experimentation with other drugs (gateway drugs).

The field of Psychology defines mental disorders is a large volume called the DSM-V. DSM stands for the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" and the V stands for the fact that it is in it's 5th edition.

Problematic substance use can be diagnosed as "Substance Use Disorder" of the user meets a specific number of criteria.

  • Click HERE to visit a website that summarizes a list of symptoms or traits that would raise concerns about Substance Use Disorder.

Dream Interpretation

Dreams have always been mysterious and fascinating to people. Throughout history dreams have been interpreted to have great meaning...right up to the modern day...even in light of modern theories on the neurology of dreaming.

Check out this website which reviews the major thoughts on dreaming and the meaning of dreams...taken from Stephen LaBerge, (1985). Lucid Dreaming. New York: Ballantine

Dreaming: Function and Meaning

Check out the resources on this site...http://www.dreammoods.com/

Analysis of Dreams...http://www.sleeps.com/analysis.html

Dr. Mark Kavanaugh's Thoughts on Dream Interpretation

My personal approach to dreams is based a bit on the symbolic interpretation of the objects, situations, and people that are in our dreams. I used to belong to the Jungian Society at Bowdoin College where collections of analysts would get together an interpret dreams of one another. Very interesting group! (check it out at http://www.mainejungcenter.org/).

When I work with dreams I use a book of dream symbols that serve as starting points in the dream interpretation process. For me the point is not to dictate what the dream means in some sort of objective sense, but to assist the person is coming to a conclusion as to what it means to them.

My focus is first on the characters in the dream, then the action, and finally the thoughts and feelings the person had while in the dream. I then draw on the symbolic meaning of specific characters, objects, and events and explore major life events going on in the person's life. Eventually we often come to some sort of connection between events that are going on in their lives and the content in the dream. At this point the client usually takes over and interprets what the dream must mean.

This can be a powerful experience because the person can often feel deeply connected to the content of the dream and its meaning...it is also empowering because the meaning is generated by them, not from me...and so is the dream...so if there is any resolution or direction to be taken from the dream they know that they came up with it themselves.

Assessment

In this section you will find a list of the required Assessments that accompany this Lesson. The Lesson Discussions are designed for the ONLINE and HYBRID versions of this course. If you are not in an ONLINE or HYBRID version of this course you can ignore these instructions unless otherwise guided by your instructor.

Lesson 4 Discussion A

Describe a dream that you have had, or one that someone close to you has had. Note the objects, events, and feelings that were present in the dream. Many dream analysts feel that dreams are symbolic and that they mean MORE than what is on the surface!

Use the online dream dictionary from the Lesson to look up they SYMBOLIC meaning of images and events within the dream.

Example: Let's say I had a dream where I was being chased in a hotel by a dog...

According to the website, "Hotel" means..."To see a hotel in your dream, signifies a new state of mind or a shift in personal identity. You are undergoing some sort of transition and need to move away from your old habits and old way of thinking. You need to temporarily escape from your daily life. Alternatively, the dream may imply a loss in your personal identity."

According to the website, one of the meanings of "Dog" is..."To see a dog in your dream, symbolizes intuition, loyalty, generosity, protection, and fidelity. The dream suggests that your strong values and good intentions will enable you to go forward in the world and bring you success."

INTERPETATION: I might interpret this as meaning that I am undergoing a transition in my life where I'm becoming more loyal to ideas or to my wife (Yikes, why did I pick this one!!!)...or I might be under pressure to do this (the Dog is CHASING me!)

Lesson 4 Discussion B

Many students in college experience a challenge managing their time and healthy habits (such as sleep and eating). Reflect on how much sleep you are getting and how that impacts your performance in your daily activities. Below is a link to an article titled "Sleep Loss, Learning Capacity and Academic Performance", read the introduction, conclusions, and "Practice Points"...reflect on how the results of this study may pertain to your particular situation.

Curcio, G., Ferrera, M., & De Gennaro, L. (2006). Sleep loss, learning capacity and academic performance. Sleep Medicine Review. 10. 323-337

Lesson 4 Quiz

The following are the questions that you will find in the Lesson 4 Assessment. Prepare your answers ahead of time and paste them into the answer boxes.

  1. Reflect on what you have learned about the diagnostic criteria for Substance Use Disorder. Share any personal experiences or concerns related to this topic.