Senses and altered states of consciousness

What is perception?

• Perception is the ability to see colors.
• Perception is the act of making decisions.
• Perception is the process of interpreting sensory information.
• Perception is the process of memorizing information.

What is consciousness?

• Consciousness is the ability to sleep and dream.
• Consciousness refers to the physical state of the brain only.
• Consciousness is the process of forgetting information.
• Consciousness is the awareness of one's own existence and environment, and the processing of reality's information.

What is Gestalt theory?

• Gestalt theory is a psychological approach that focuses on how people perceive and interpret visual information as organized wholes.
• Gestalt theory is a philosophical approach to understanding human emotions.
• Gestalt theory is a method for analyzing statistical data.
• Gestalt theory emphasizes the importance of individual elements over the whole.

What are pshychophysics?

• The examination of psychological disorders related to perception.
• The study of animal behavior in response to stimuli.
• Psychophysics is the study of the relationship between physical stimuli and sensory perception.
• An analysis of the chemical composition of sensory organs.

Which of the following are senses that help us understand the world but are not associated as the traditional five?

• Kinesthesis, the skin senses (temperature, pressure, pain), vestibular system

• Temperature, pressure, pain
• Touch, smell, vision
• Sight, hearing, taste

What is the main characteristic of hypnosis? And how is it different to meditation?

• Hypnosis promotes relaxation, while meditation increases stress.
• The main characteristic of hypnosis is heightened suggestibility, differing from meditation's focus on awareness and mindfulness.
• Meditation involves deep sleep, whereas hypnosis keeps you awake.
• Hypnosis is solely about visualization, unlike meditation which is about breathing.

What is REM sleep? In what stage of sleep does it occur?

• A stage of sleep with no brain activity and no dreams; It occurs in stage I

• A phase of sleep that occurs only in infants; It occurs during the last half hour of your sleep

• REM sleep is a phase of sleep characterized by rapid eye movement, increased brain activity, and vivid dreams; It occurs in stage IV of sleep, also known as deep sleep.

• A type of sleep characterized by slow eye movements and deep relaxation; it occurs in the middle of the night.

What is the retina? What are the two type of light-sensitive receptors found in it?

• The retina is a muscle that controls eye movement.
• The retina contains only one type of receptor called rods.
• The retina is located in the front of the eye.
• The retina is a light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye containing rods and cones.

A prolongued and usualy abnormal inability to obtain adequate sleep is called

(a)  

Please describe the process of understanding reality starting from a sensory stimuli (e.g.: fire, a lightning, an alarm sound, etc.) leading to information. Make sure you use the following words: senses, perception and cognition.