Consciousness
our awareness of ourselves and our environment
Fantasy Prone Personality
someone who imagines and recalls experiences with lifelike vividness and who spends considerable time fantaszing
Biological Rhythms
Periodic physiological fluctuations
Circadian Rhythm
the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle
REM Sleep
rapid eye movement sleep, a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur
Alpha Waves
the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
Sleep Spindles
short bursts of brain waves (increased frequency) detected in stage 2 sleep
Hallucinations
false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus
Sleep
periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness
Delta Waves
the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep
Insomnia
recurring problems in falling or staying asleep
Narcolepsy
a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times
Sleep Apnea
a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings
Night Terrors
a sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during Stage 4 sleep, within two or three hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered
Manifest Content
according to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream
Latent Content
according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream
REM Rebound
the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep)
Hypnosis
a social interaction in which one person (the hypnotist) suggests to another (the subject) that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur.
Posthypnotic Suggestion
a suggestion that is made to a person who is hypnotized that specifies an action he will perform (usually in response to a cue) after he has awakened
Addiction
compulsive drug craving and use
Dream
a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind
Dissociation
a split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others
Hidden Observer
Hilgard's term describing a hypnotized subject's awareness of experiences, such as pain, that go unreported during hypnosis
Psychoactive Drug
a chemical substance that alters perceptions and mood
Tolerance
the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug's effect
Withdrawal
the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing the use of an addictive drug
Physical Dependence
a physiological need for a drug, marked by unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued
Psychological Dependence
a psychological need to use a drug, such as to relieve negative emotions
Depressants
drugs (such as alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions.
Stimulants
drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, and the more powerful amphetamines, cocaine, and Ecstasy) that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.
Hallucinogens
psychedelic ("mind-manifesting") drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
Barbiturates
drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment
Opiates
opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety.
Amphetamines
drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing speeded-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes
LSD
a powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid
THC
the major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations
Near Death Experience
an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death such as cardiac arrest often similiar to drug induced hallucinations
Dualism
the presumption that mind and body are two distinct entities that interact
Monism
the presumption that mind and body are different aspects of the same thing
Ecstasy
a synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen. Produces euphoria and social intimacy, but with short-term health risks and longer-term harm to serotonin-producing neurons and to mood and cognition.