States of Consciousness

24092237	consciousness	our awareness of ourselves and our environment
24092238	biological rhythms	periodic physiological fluctuations
24092239	circadian rhythm	the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle
24092240	REM sleep	rapid eye movement sleep, a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. also known as paradoxial sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active.
24092241	alpha waves	the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
24092242	sleep	periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness
24092243	hallucination	false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external stimulus
24092244	delta waves	the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep
24092245	theta waves	brain waves indicating the early stages of sleep.
24092246	insomnia	recurring problems in falling or staying asleep
24092247	narcolepsy	a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times
24092248	sleep apnea	A sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings.
24092249	night terrors	a sleep disorder characterized by by high arousal and an apperance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during stage 4 sleep, within 2 or 3 hours of falling asleep and are seldom remembered.
24092250	dream	a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind. Dreams are notable for their hallucinatory imagery, discontinuities and incongruities and for the dreamer's delusional acceptance of the content and later difficulties remembering it.
24092251	manifest content	according to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream
24092252	latent content	according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream. Freud believed that this functioned as a safety valve
24092253	REM rebound	the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep)
24092254	hypnosis	a social interaction in which one person suggests to another that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts or behaviors will spontaneously occur
24092255	posthypnotic suggestion	A suggestion, made during a hypnosis session, to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized; used by some clinicans to help control undesired symptoms and behaviors.
24092256	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
24092257	withdrawal	the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing the use of an addictive drug
24092258	physical dependence	a physiological need for a drug, marked by unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued
24092259	psychological dependence	a psychological need to use a drug, such as to relieve negative emotions
24092260	addiction	compulsive drug craving and use
24092261	depressants	drugs (such as alcohol, barbiturates and opiates) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions
24092262	barbiturates	drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgement
24092263	opiates	opium and its derivavatives such as morophine and heroin; they depress neural activity temproarily lessening pain and anxiety
24092264	stimulants	drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, and the more powerful amphetamines, cocaine and Ecstasy) that excite neural activity and speed up body functions
24092265	amphetamines	drugs that stimulate neural activity, cuaisng speeded-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes
24092266	methamphetamines	a powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system, with speeded-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes; over time, appears to reduce baseline dopamine levels
24092267	Ecstasy (MDMA)	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.
24092268	hallucinogens	psychedelic drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
24092269	LSD	A powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid (lysergic acid diethylamide).
24092270	THC	the major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations
24092271	near-death experience	an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death; often similar to drug-induced hallucinations
24092272	dualism	the presumption that mind and body are two distinct entities that interact
24092273	monism	the presumption that mind and body are different aspects of the same thing
24093374	dissociation	a split in consciousness which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others
24093375	psychoactive drug	a chemical substance that alters perceptions and mood