ACTION PATTERNS 311 



Consciousness and Sleep 



On the basis that the reactions of man and animals 

 may be interpreted in terms of action patterns we 

 may interpret the phenomena of consciousness and 

 lack of consciousness or sleep. 



With the first cry of the newborn babe in response 

 to the adequate stimulation of its contact ceptors, 

 begins the development of consciousness. Bright 

 lights, certain sounds, the primary colors, the sun, 

 the green fields, sky and water, animals, people ; the 

 experience of sitting erect, of creeping, walking and 

 talking, of playing games, of the kindergarten ; ju- 

 nior-grade sports ; senior-grade duties ; graduation ; 

 human relations; marriage, all the experiences of 

 life from moment to moment, from day to day, from 

 year to year, add new action patterns. Thus as the 

 human organism progresses from infancy to manhood 

 new action patterns are constantly added to environ- 

 mental contacts. The activation of these patterns 

 constitutes man's conscious life. By this conception 

 consciousness is the response to environmental stimuli: 

 sleep is the absence of response to environmental stimuli. 



For at least two months before birth, the fetus is 

 ready to be conscious, but lacks the adequate environ- 

 mental stimuli which cause the reactions of conscious- 

 ness. The only difference between the unconscious 

 fetus and the awake newborn babe is found in the 

 few simple responses made by the latter to the stimuli 

 of light, sound and physical contact. 



As consciousness increases, motor reactions increase 

 likewise, and the time consumed in sleep lessens. 



