1. States of Consciousness
Sunday, 22 January 2012

2. Outcomes (What you need to know and be able to do)
Explain the term ‘consciousness’?
Explain consciousness as a psychological construct
Briefly describe the work of Rene Descartes and William James
Sunday, 22 January 2012

3. Sunday, 22 January 2012

4. Are you conscious?
Sunday, 22 January 2012

5. Are you conscious?
How do you know?
Sunday, 22 January 2012

6. For the next 5 min you are to write
every thought that pops into you
head.
Sunday, 22 January 2012

7. For the next 5 min you are to write
every thought that pops into you
head.
Consciousness is –
personal, selective, continuous
and changing
Sunday, 22 January 2012

8. Consciousness refers to the
awareness of one’s own existence
and mental activities (including
thoughts, sensations, and feelings)
and of objects and events in the
external world.
Sunday, 22 January 2012

9. William James
How is human consciousness like a stream
Sunday, 22 January 2012

10. William James
Consciousness includes
everything we are aware
of, including our own
existence.
It is like a stream, i.e constant flow of
images, sensations and thoughts, etc.
Consciousness is continually
changing, personal and selective
It has an evolutionary-based role
that enhances our ability to adapt
to the environment.
Sunday, 22 January 2012

11. Rene Descartes
Consciousness includes everything
we are aware of, including our own Thinking provides evidence of
existence (but our senses can’t be our consciousness and
trusted, so we need to rely on knowledge of our own
thinking). existence, e.g. ‘I think, therefore I
am’.
Consciousness is of the mind (i.e. ‘soul’) and can
exist in the body as it does not take up space.
The mind (non-physical) and body (physical) are separate and
different things but interact via the pineal gland in the brain
(dualism)
Sunday, 22 January 2012

12. RECAP
Sunday, 22 January 2012