what are dreams? What purpose, if any, do they serve?
Dreams
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@janesix
As is often the only honest answer we don't know.
I suggest that dreams are the result of brains operating 'as usual' but without sense data to correct the model of reality they construct.
That is to sahat we are conscious/aware of is always largely constructed by the brain; sense data gets used to keep that constructon 'on track'. It is not quite right to say that sense-data drives what we are aware of - I think the brain it corrects a prediction made by the brain.
There are a few good reason to think that. One obvious one is that we can be surprised! In my view surprise occurs when sense-data is very different what we predicted it should be. It is not easy to expain how we can be surprised unles there is a prior expectation.
'Typo blindness' occurs because when we read our brains construct meaning from indirect clues such as a grammar and logic - the visual data of inkstains on a page 'guide' the meaning our brains construct so as long as the data is close to what we expect a typo is not noticed.
When we dream our brains are doing what they always do - construct a model of the world. But there is no sense data to keep it real, so that moel evolves in sometimes bizarre ways.
In summary, I don;t see dreaming as a 'special mode' of mental function - it is usualy brain operation minus the corrective action of sense data.
Dreams are images that your minds create in your sleep. I would love to study dreams in the future it is so cool.
Emotions when going to bed can trigger dreams as well. For example, if you are going to bed romantic or happy, you are more likely to get a good dream which you will remember. Even the you know what dream. Try to take hot showers and even try meditation to influence good dreams. If you go to bed sad or angry or stressed, the odds of a nightmare go up
Emotions when going to bed can trigger dreams as well. For example, if you are going to bed romantic or happy, you are more likely to get a good dream which you will remember. Even the you know what dream. Try to take hot showers and even try meditation to influence good dreams. If you go to bed sad or angry or stressed, the odds of a nightmare go up
You also tend to dream more vividly when you are napping than deep sleeping
I would be happy to discuss dreams with anyone here
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@janesix
I've been have recurring dream about my dog leaving us to live with a pack of wild dogs but coming back to visit with us. I've had it three times now that can remember.
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@secularmerlin
that is a real synchronicity for me secularmerlin
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@janesix
Why is that?
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@secularmerlin
Just a lot of dog/wolf symbolism in dreams occurring for me lately. Not that i have been personally having those dreams. But my research into dreams has been in that direction, and not with my intention.
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@janesix
What has your research suggested to you?
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@secularmerlin
dog/wolf is a basic archetype, and an important one
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@janesix
Important how?
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@secularmerlin
I'm not sure yet. Perhaps a guiding force for evolving consciousnesses
11 days later
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@janesix
A few things one can understand that dreams help with has to do with you waking experiences. If you are trying to get good at something you may dream of it and figure out new ways to get better... plus, it's been shown that it does help you improve whatever activity you are doing if you dream of it. Dreams are also a way to deal with difficult situations. In the old days, if you had a dream of wolves attacking you... you would better better prepared if it actually happened in real life. If you dream of a family member passing away... you will be hurt a little less when it does happen. It prepares you for things that can happen in life.
With all that said, i also think dreams are prophetic. I've personally had dreams warn me of situations that i had no idea would happen. I've had dreams of tragic events that came true. I've had dreams that guided me to something i otherwise would not have done if the dream didn't set my direction. The above is obviously scientific, and this second stuff is pseudoscience. Therefore i don't know for sure... but, i can tell you i've had some really crazy spiritual experiences from dreams. 2 to be exact were profound.
408 days later
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@janesix
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1} I read a book years ago the lab studies found that we do not remmeber our REM sleep dreams, and that is contrary to everything I'm finding on the net these days,
2} that book also stated that in REM sleep males get an erection and Ive not found that info on the net
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..." Everyone dreams. You spend about 2 hours each night dreaming but may not remember most of your dreams. Its exact purpose isn’t known, but dreaming may help you process your emotions. Events from the day often invade your thoughts during sleep, and people suffering from stress or anxiety are more likely to have frightening dreams.
....Dreams can be experienced in all stages of sleep but usually are most vivid in REM sleep.
....Some people dream in color, while others only recall dreams in black and white. '....
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My repeating anxiety dreams are that,
1} I cannot find a private place to take a poop i.e. people keep coming around to my location and I have to keep looking for a new location so I can go,
2} I find a place like outhouse or multiple holed outhouses and there all overfilled with poop.
I think these dreams stem from my needing to pee or take a poop in my sleep and that
It would be nice to find a site where people can check to see how many others have similar type repeating dreams.
Most of my dreams are in color and yes many are some crazy stuff, however, one or two or 3 crazy dreams that stand out;
1} only once do I recall this happening, I was reading a science-fiction book just before falling asleep, and in the dram I became the character I was reading in the books, doing all the stuff he was doing,
2} I was in this high tree or pole, that, was falling over, and as it, and I were falling over, out of know where, the point of another tree or pole penatrates my body --sticks me-- and starts carrying me off in a differrent direction. This was so startling to me in the dream. I mean, I was already in anxiety and then suddenly, out of no-where, without notice, I'm punctured and going off in another direction. Was weird.
3} I was in my 50's the first time a had a dream that I was floating along a river bank pathway about 5' off the ground. Ive had crazier flying body dreams since, and one of those times, once I was awake, I realized I sure dont want my sleeping and waking reality confused around those type dream.
I have had drug induced pychosis twice and both were like acting out dreams while awake.
FInally, since much much of immune system and other health is resultant of sleep, a good analogy of what dreams and/or REM sleep do, is like the following;
With disk doctor by Nortons, around years of 2000, and on a mac, when the disk doctor was optimizing the hard drive, I was provided with a animated visual screen shot of several multi-colored horizontal lines with blocks of color t---hat were dis-combombulated all over the screen-- that represented differrent kinds of data ex apps, memory, whatever, I forget.
So a slightly invisible cursor goes from left to right across screen on each row, moving the individual blocks of data around with what eventually becomes apparrent is that the blocks of color are moving toward being tangent to each other on the same, the the next color of blocks start and they are contigous til the next color.
This process could take maybe 20 minutes or so sometimes and I like to sit in bed and just watch the blocks getting moved to the final position of order.
So I see it like this, during the day we are putting sensory data, in various places of brain, ---cause it come in all disorderly and not orderly--- and during sleep, even tho the visuals appear disorderly, the brain nervous system is putting our{ its } health into order.
............................Space( Time *) i (* TIme)Space.....................
Does Universe have a way of putting disorder back into order, any ongoing disorder? That is for another thread, that I have very definitive ideas about. Watched Leonard Suskind utube and he states that entropy is just hidden information.