What is consciousness simple?
Consciousness means being awake, alert and responsive to the environment. The definition of consciousness may differ in psychology, neuroscience, philosophy and other related sciences. Consciousness is a spectrum. There are several states between a fully conscious state and a fully unconscious state.
What it means to be conscious?
being awake and aware
What is the importance of consciousness?
Consciousness is pervasively bound up with intelligent perception and conceptual thought: it is not mere sensation or “raw feel.” Having thus understood consciousness, we can better recognize how, for many of us, it possesses such deep intrinsic value that life without it would be little or no better than death.
What are the characteristics of consciousness?
awareness or perception of an inward psychological or spiritual fact; intuitively perceived knowledge of something in one’s inner self. inward awareness of an external object, state, or fact.
What are the two aspects of consciousness?
Consciousness is a multifaceted concept that has two dimensions: arousal, or wakefulness (i.e., level of consciousness), and awareness (i.e., content of consciousness). One needs to be awake in order to be aware (rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and lucid dreaming being notorious exceptions).
What is difference between consciousness and awareness?
Scientists differ on the difference between consciousness and self-awareness, but here is one common explanation: Consciousness is awareness of one’s body and one’s environment; self-awareness is recognition of that consciousness—not only understanding that one exists, but further understanding that one is aware of …
Where is consciousness located?
In our standard view of things, consciousness exists only in the brains of highly evolved organisms, and hence consciousness exists only in a tiny part of the universe and only in very recent history. According to panpsychism, in contrast, consciousness pervades the universe and is a fundamental feature of it.
What is the reason for unconsciousness?
Unconsciousness can be caused by nearly any major illness or injury. It can also be caused by substance (drug) and alcohol use. Choking on an object can result in unconsciousness as well. Brief unconsciousness (or fainting) is often a result from dehydration, low blood sugar, or temporary low blood pressure.
How long does unconsciousness last?
What are the long term effects of being knocked unconscious? It depends on the severity of the injury. If you lose consciousness briefly, and suffer a concussion, 75 to 90 percent of people will fully recover in a few months. But severe damage to the brain can cause unconsciousness for days, weeks, or even longer.
What are the stages of unconsciousness?
Levels of consciousness
| Level | Summary (Kruse) |
|---|---|
| Somnolent | Sleepy |
| Obtunded | Decreased alertness; slowed psychomotor responses |
| Stuporous | Sleep-like state (not unconscious); little/no spontaneous activity |
| Comatose | Cannot be aroused; no response to stimuli |
What happens to the brain during unconsciousness?
“We found that during unconsciousness, disrupted connectivity in the brain and greater modularity are creating an environment that is inhospitable to the kind of efficient information transfer that is required for consciousness.”
Do you feel pain when unconscious?
The unconscious person may still feel pain as they did when they were awake. For this reason pain medication will continue to be administered but perhaps by another method such as the subcutaneous route (through a butterfly clip in the stomach, arm or leg).
Can an unconscious person hear you?
Remember: hearing is thought to be the last sense to go in the dying process, so never assume the person is unable to hear you. Even when a person is unconscious or semi-conscious, they might be able to respond with faint pressure from their thumb, or twitch a toe.
How serious is unconsciousness?
Complications of prolonged unconsciousness can be severe. Lack of oxygen to the brain may result in brain damage, and choking can lead to death if left untreated. Emergency first aid may also cause complications.
How do you wake up someone who is unconscious?
Overview
- Check the person’s airway, breathing, and circulation.
- If you do not think there is a spinal injury, put the person in the recovery position: Position the person lying face up. Turn the person’s face toward you.
- Keep the person warm until emergency medical help arrives.
Do your eyes stay open when you faint?
Your eyes will usually stay open. Orthostatic hypotension: this is a fall in blood pressure on standing up, which can cause fainting. It can occur: Due to medication prescribed to lower blood pressure.
Is it OK to sleep after fainting?
When a person faints, they suffer a brief loss of consciousness. It is recommended that you lay the person down and elevate their feet. Most people will recover quickly after fainting once they lay down because more blood can flow to your brain.
What does it feel like right before you pass out?
Feeling lightheaded, dizzy, weak, or nauseous sometimes happens before you faint. Some people become aware that noises are fading away, or they describe the sensation as “blacking out” or “whiting out.”
Which way do you fall when you faint?
Fainting is a sudden, brief loss of consciousness. When people faint, or pass out, they usually fall down. After they are lying down, most people will recover quickly.
Should I go to ER after fainting?
So whether syncope is serious depends on what’s causing it. If it’s potentially cardiac in origin, then, yes, you should definitely get to the emergency department. But if it’s vasovagal, or the result of a situation that has temporarily thwarted the bloodthirsty brain, then lie down and wait for your head to clear.
Do you still breathe when you pass out?
They may be unconscious for a few seconds — as in fainting — or for longer periods of time. People who become unconscious don’t respond to loud sounds or shaking. They may even stop breathing or their pulse may become faint.
How long does passing out last?
Most fainting will pass quickly and won’t be serious. Usually, a fainting episode will only last a few seconds, although it will make the person feel unwell and recovery may take several minutes. If a person doesn’t recover quickly, always seek urgent medical attention.
What is the difference between fainting and passing out?
Faint, black out, swoon, pass out. They’re all names for the same thing—a temporary loss of consciousness followed by a fairly rapid and complete recovery. Fainting occurs when something interrupts blood flow to the brain.
What to do when you feel like passing out?
If you feel like you are about to faint, try to:
- lie down with your legs raised – if you cannot do this then sit with your head lowered between your knees.
- drink some water.
- eat something.
- take some deep breaths.
Why do I suddenly feel like Im going to pass out?
Sometimes fainting is caused by stimulation of the vagus nerve, which can briefly lower both heart rate and blood pressure. The condition is called vasovagal syncope (SIN-cope-ee).
At what blood pressure do you faint?
A change of just 20 mm Hg — a drop from 110 systolic to 90 mm Hg systolic, for example — can cause dizziness and fainting when the brain fails to receive enough blood. And big drops, such as those caused by uncontrolled bleeding, severe infections or allergic reactions, can be life-threatening.
Can anxiety cause blackouts?
Psychogenic blackouts: resulting from stress or anxiety. Psychogenic blackouts occur most often in young adults. They may be very difficult to diagnose.
Is there anyway to remember blackouts?
There are two types of blackouts: partial and complete. If you experience a partial blackout, visual or verbal cues may help you remember forgotten events. If you have a complete blackout, memory loss is permanent. Even with cues, you’re unlikely to remember what happened during this time.