Introduction

In this unit we look into what it means to be conscious or aware, and how our consciousness can be altered through sleep, drug use, or experiences such as meditation, hypnosis and religious experiences.

This unit should take you about 10-12 hours to complete.

Objectives

By the end of this unit, you should be able to: Explain several different theoretical perspectives of consciousness Describe the functions and phases of sleep Explain several psychological views of dreaming Summarize the major psychoactive drugs and their influence on consciousness and behaviour Describe non-drug altered states of consciousness and how people experience them