The Sleepy Student

Remember: Summarize the different stages of consciousness.

1			Jessie works full-time and attends classes four evenings a week. When he is not at work or at school, he is studying. Jessie, like many college students, is a little sleep-deprived. He spends too much time in waking consciousness. Define what waking consciousness is like for Jessie:

The Sleepy Student Continued

Relate: Summarize the different stages of sleep

2			Let's say that Jessie regularly falls asleep in class. Often he finds himself sitting and paying attention to his teacher when a strange thing happens. His body begins to relax; he starts to feel a bit cooler. Without realizing it, his eyes have actually closed. Jessie is experiencing what stage of sleep? As Jessie continues to battle to stay awake during class, he is sometimes startled by a sound or sudden noise in the classroom. But he always falls right back to sleep. Jessie is in what stage of sleep? When the professor shows a movie in the darkened classroom, Jessie finally stops fighting. His body becomes still. What stage of sleep in Jessie in? By the time the movie ends and the professor turns the lights back on, Jessie is snoring soundly and completely unaware of where he is or that he is asleep. In fact, he does not even hear the other students file out of the class for the evening break. What stage of sleep is Jessie in?

Dreams

React: Explain REM sleep

3			1) Most people have experienced trying to "wake up" during or after a bad dream, only to find that they cannot move or speak despite feeling "awake." How do you explain this? 2) Many people report that they do not dream. Is this possible? Why or why not?

Sara and the Starship Enterprise

Relate: Differentiate the explanations of dreaming.

Dreams are one of the most fascinating and controversial topics in psychology. Let's examine what Freud has to say about the true meaning of dreams.

Sara was recently hired as a full-time professor at a local community college. She is very excited to finally start her new career and can't wait for her first class. The night before class she has a strange dream. She dreams that she is driving the Starship Enterprise through her hometown on her way to class. But there's a problem. She needs to parallel park the Enterprise in front of the college before she can enter the school. Sara finds that this chore impossible and awakens before finishing the dream.

Pretend you are Sara's therapist. Let's dissect her dream:

4			1. Sara's experience of driving the Enterprise is what kind of dream content? 2. The underlying fear of her first day of class is what kind of dream content? 3. Freud might say that the Enterprise in Sara's dream represents an Unconscious Wish Fulfillment for power and control. She wants to fly the big ship. Other psychologists might take a more practical look at her dream. Supposing that dreams actually do have underlying meaning, what do you think Sara's dream means?

Doggie Dreams

Relate: Differentiate the explanations of dreaming.

5			Dog owners often claim that dogs dream much like people do. Imagine you are sitting on the couch when your dog, Bowser, starts moving his legs and emitting sounds that seem like a quieter version of his usual barking. Imagine that Bowser is dreaming about chasing a squirrel. Maybe this time he will actually catch it! Describe two other possibilities that may explain Bowser's dream hunting.

Sleep Disorders

React: State the impact of sleep disturbances Millions of Americans suffer from sleep disorders.

6			How you would know if you had the one of disorders listed below? 1. Insomnia 2. Sleep Apnea 3. Night Terrors 4. Narcolepsy 5. Sleep walking

Melatonin

React: State the impact of sleep disturbances.

7			Did you know that taking the over-the-counter drug Melatonin could help regulate your sleep patterns? People who take Melatonin at night claim to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, whereas people who take Melatonin during the day claim to feel awake and alert. This is quite perplexing. Based on chapter text about sleep and wake cycles, what do you think is the primary function of Melatonin?

The Hype about Hypnosis

Remember: Define hypnosis

8			Although hypnosis is often dismissed as a stage act or gimmick, it is actually something most people do daily. In a rudimentary way, hypnosis could be described as "vegging out." It is a time when you put your "talking" brain on a shelf and allow other people or things to make "suggest" what you should think or do. When during your day might you do this?

Danger!

Relate: Define hypnosis

9			If hypnosis is a state of heightened susceptibility to outside influences, are there any dangers involved when placing someone under a hypnotic trance? Explain your answer.

Dreaming of Diamonds

React: Define hypnosis.

10			If you wanted your spouse to buy you a diamond or a corvette, when might be a good time to suggest this? Explain your answer.

Masters of Meditation

Remember: Describe the effects of meditation

11			Name some common practitioners of meditation you've seen in popular culture.

Meditation

Relate: Describe the effects of meditation

12			Meditation is quite different from hypnosis. Rather than "zoning out," you tend to "tune in." Explain what this means.

The Benefits of Meditation

Remember: Describe the effects of meditation

13			List five of the benefits that meditation offers:

Are you Altered?

14			Many people would argue that humans seek, even need, altered states of consciousness. List the altered states you experience on a regular basis or have experienced in the past. How might this list and an understanding of consciousness help you in your daily life?

What Do You Think?

15			1. Psychoactive drugs influence emotions, perceptions and behavior. Why do you think people use psychoactive drugs? 2. Do you think there are other things people can do to achieve those results without the use of substances?

Cookie Craziness

16			Can you be addicted to cookies? Using the information in the chapter, explain your answer.

the case of ... the woman who dreams of stress

Arlene Amarosi, a working mother, has been under a lot of stress this year. She has been having difficulty getting to sleep and often lies in bed staring at the ceiling while worrying about her problems. As a result, she's often tired throughout her workday and relies on coffee and caffeinated energy drinks to keep her going.

Lately Arlene's sleep has been disturbed even more often than usual. Several times over the last week she has been awakened by disturbing dreams. In these dreams she is always at work, struggling to keep up with an impossible workload. She is struggling with the new software that her company recently trained her to use, but no matter how fast she goes, she can't keep up with the workflow. The dream ends when Arlene wakes up in a panic. It often takes Arlene hours to get back to sleep, and she has been feeling even more tired than usual during work.

17			1. Arlene is worried that her recent dream experiences indicate that something is wrong with her. If you were Arlene's friend and wanted to reassure her, how would you help her to understand the normal experience of sleep and dreams? 2. Which theory of dreaming seems to best explain Arlene's disturbing dreams, and why? 3. How might meditation help Arlene? 4. If you were Arlene's health care provider, how would you advise her to overcome her insomnia? 5. What are some effects on Arlene of her high caffeine intake? What would happen if she just suddenly stopped drinking coffee and energy drinks? How would you advise her to modify her caffeine use?