Sleep is a state of consciousness characterized by reduced physical activity and sensory awareness. Its regulation is governed by the interplay of two key mechanisms: circadian rhythms, which align sleep with the 24-hour day, and homeostatic processes, which build sleep pressure the longer one is awake.

Sleep

A state of heightened sensory awareness, thought, and behavior, characterized by an awareness of one's surroundings and the ability to communicate or signal understanding. When awake, beta waves are prominent in the brain.

Wakefulness

An altered state of consciousness is any mental state that deviates from a normal waking state. While everyone regularly experiences sleep as a natural altered state, other states can be induced through various means, such as the use of drugs and other substances. Common examples also include daydreaming, hypnosis, and meditation.

Altered States of Consciousness

Consciousness can be conceptualized as a continuous spectrum of awareness. This continuum extends from a state of full, active awareness at one end to a state of deep sleep or unconsciousness at the other, encompassing various intermediate levels of alertness.

Consciousness as a Continuum

Read the following scenario. Identify at least three distinct states of awareness the individual experiences and explain the key characteristics of each state as described in the passage.

Analyzing Shifts in Awareness

States of consciousness change across the day and across the lifespan, and biological rhythms are important contributors to those changes. Circadian rhythms are a specific biological rhythm involved in these shifts, and they are generated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN).

Role of Circadian Rhythms in Consciousness

Human life is characterized by continuous and significant shifts in awareness of both external surroundings and internal states. These shifts cycle through various states, such as the alertness of wakefulness, the distinct experiences of deep sleep and dreaming, and other altered states of consciousness that can be induced.

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In psychology, consciousness is defined as our awareness of both internal and external stimuli. This encompasses awareness of internal states, such as pain, hunger, thoughts, and emotions, as well as external environmental cues, like seeing sunlight, feeling warmth, or hearing a friend's voice.

Consciousness in Psychology

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

States of Consciousness

One's circadian rhythm is a daily cycle that regulates itself in accordance to the outside world. When this cycle is thrown off, it negatively impacts sleep regulation and can lead to disruptions of normal sleep. 

Problems with Circadian Rhythms

Sigmund Freud postulated that every individual has two levels of consciousness:
1. Conscious
2. Unconscious 

Levels of Consciousness

A component of consciousness involving the perception of one's own internal states. This includes physiological sensations like pain, hunger, thirst, and sleepiness, along with cognitive and emotional states such as thoughts and feelings.

Awareness of Internal Stimuli

A component of consciousness related to the perception of the surrounding environment through sensory input. Examples of this awareness include seeing sunlight, feeling the temperature of a room, or hearing another person's voice.

Awareness of External Stimuli

To illustrate the relationship between the conscious and unconscious mind, Sigmund Freud used the metaphor of an iceberg. He proposed that the conscious mind, representing our current awareness, is merely the small, visible tip of the iceberg, constituting only about one-tenth of our total mind. The vast, submerged portion of the iceberg represents the unconscious, which contains the bulk of our mental activity that we are unaware of and cannot easily access.

Freud's Iceberg Metaphor for Consciousness

Based on the provided scenario, identify two distinct examples of the character's awareness of *internal* stimuli and two distinct examples of their awareness of *external* stimuli. Explain your reasoning for each choice.

Analyzing Conscious Experience

A person is sitting on a park bench on a sunny day. They feel the warmth of the sun on their skin and hear children laughing nearby. At the same time, they notice they are feeling hungry and start thinking about what to have for lunch. This person's combined experience of these external and internal events best illustrates which psychological concept?

Biological rhythms are internal cycles of biological activity that appear as recurring patterns of bodily change. These cycles can vary in length, such as a menstrual cycle that takes about $$28$$ days or a body-temperature cycle that changes over about $$24$$ hours.

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