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Understanding Psychology Book Cover Image
Understanding Psychology, 6/e
Robert S. Feldman, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

States of Consciousness

Selected Rethink Answers

2. List:

(1) Wish Fulfillment Theory (Freud) states that our dreams are one way our unconscious gets messages to us that our conscious state can't realize.

(2) Reverse Learning Theory–dreams flush out unnecessary information.

(3) Dreams for Survival Theory–permit information needed for survival to be reconsidered and reprocessed; may help us to remember.

(4) Activation-Synthesis Theory–(Hobson) brain makes sense of chaotic memories, could also be reflection of unconscious wishes.

Since all theories suggest purposes that help organize information and help us reflect on information, it might be dangerous to eliminate dreaming altogether. For society, if many people made the choice and took the pill and theories held true about dreams providing time for the organization of information and dreams being an avenue to our unconscious; not dreaming could cause a real deficit in the way we function as a society.

4. Physical and Psychological Effects of Meditation

  • Studies show long-term meditation may improve health and longevity.
  • Oxygen use decreases, heart and blood pressure decline.
  • Psychological Effects–although we feel relaxed when we meditate it does not suggest we are overburdened physically or psychologically but it may suggest that there is a stronger mind-body connection than we previously realized.

Meditation may allow us greater opportunities to relax and take time out from our day.