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Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN ha, that's pretty cool. but how would that explain being able to control your dreams? dreams never really bother me too much coz most of the time i realise im dreaming. it also wouldn't explain dreaming about something that obviously has a big impact on your life at the time.

Well, controlling your dreams (lucid dreaming) is obviously not 'random' firing of neurons - I would say that due to some level of awake-ness/awareness/whatever you want to call it, you would be exerting control over the directions in which the neurons are firing, and the areas of the brain they're firing off into, thus resulting in a controllable dream.

As for dreaming about big impact life events, I would say it's entirely reasonable that due to having seen or thought about the event in question so much/often during waking hours, that the information/stimuli would be quite 'fresh' in many areas of the brain, perhaps increasing the likelihood of those 'random neurons' sparking off something in relation to the said event.

Damn, I hate using so many '''''''''' but hey, most of this is just conjecture anyway As far as I'm aware, Psychologists haven't come up with a solid explanation for dreaming, just a whole bunch of theories.

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Originally posted by Sushipunk Well, controlling your dreams (lucid dreaming) is obviously not 'random' firing of neurons - I would say that due to some level of awake-ness/awareness/whatever you want to call it, you would be exerting control over the directions in which the neurons are firing, and the areas of the brain they're firing off into, thus resulting in a controllable dream. As for dreaming about big impact life events, I would say it's entirely reasonable that due to having seen or thought about the event in question so much/often during waking hours, that the information/stimuli would be quite 'fresh' in many areas of the brain, perhaps increasing the likelihood of those 'random neurons' sparking off something in relation to the said event. Damn, I hate using so many '''''''''' but hey, most of this is just conjecture anyway As far as I'm aware, Psychologists haven't come up with a solid explanation for dreaming, just a whole bunch of theories.

nice answer cool idea, i like it.

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Originally posted by Theresa So do any of you interpret your own dreams?

nope

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Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN nice answer cool idea, i like it.

Haha, well, it's the best theory I've heard so far anyway.

I'm not really big on Freudian psychoanalysis, which is what most of the other 'less tangible' theories seem to stem from, so yeah

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Originally posted by Theresa Ok... So do any of you interpret your own dreams? Do you ever wonder if they mean anything? Do you like hearing other peoples dreams, and trying to interpret them? I am no expert on the dream process, but I theorize that dreaming is something similar to defragging a computer. Your brain filters through all of the information it has processed, including thoughts, feelings, images, conversations, etc.etc.etc. and while going through this, it spews out what often seems like a very disjointed and confusing story. I think, however, that the "story" it creates is significant in some way. Your brain is being left to its own devices, with no conscious control (if you're in REM state). Our brains are powerful machines when we have control over them, but when we lose control, is it not safe to assume that what it does on its own is important, or meaningful in some way? Anyway, I wonder what dreams mean, or if they mean anything. I wonder what the significance is in certain things involving dreams. When you dream about someone, what are the implications? Etc.etc.etc. I've been thinking about it lately because in the past 2 days, I have had 3 people tell me I was in their dreams. 1 - a girl from one of my classes. I have hardly said more than a few sentences to this girl, and don't even know what her name is. However, she had a dream about me. She told me that I was her room mate and that I had invited her ex over despite her own wishes of not having him in the house. She said she interpreted it as me being her "common sense" or "intelligence". It was a compliment, but at the same time it was weird. 2 - a guy I used to date. He wouldn't tell me the details... but I haven't spoken to him in months upon months. Out of no where he had a dream about me. 3 - my boyfriend. Now this one bothers me a little. He said that in the dream, he and one of his friends (who was driving) came to pick me up. This alone is weird, as we've never been in a car together with someone else other than ourselves driving. Then at some point, they dropped me off somewhere. He says that he felt both in his dream, and in reality this great sense of uneasiness - that something was really wrong. He said that in the dream, he insisted on going back to get me... and then he woke up. He said it really bothered him, as the feeling he had was awful. To me, being in someone's dream has some type of significance. What it is, I dunno. What are your thoughts? Is there really anything to any of this, or is it just a load of hobunky and dreams mean squat?

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Your dream means that your mother never breast-fed you enough. Also, that you feel phalically inadequate. Don't worry, many men have this same complex. If you ask me, it's that some women's vaginas are just way too big. Who the fuck needs to pass like 900 children out of them anyways? that's just irresponsible. I mean, the world would have so few problems if people were just more responsible with their sexuality - less children per household would solve several resource variables such as food supply, tax rates, public school funding, urban planning, and even law enforcement policy regarding minors. It's a simple logistics issue dealing with the overwhelming number of poor families having more children than they can afford. Perhaps it comes down to a racial issue though - is it just me or do Mexican Catholics only take time from breeding to pick peaches? I like peaches. Unfortunately, most peaches these days are imported from China. China, that place that seems to have an overwhelming surplus of lead that they like to put into food. Because that solves so many economic problems that might arise? They're just like "Hey, we should put lot of lead in product - just for hell of it!" Except, ya know, in China-talk, not regular. Which leads me to believe that perhaps the language barrier is what the true issue here is; I mean, how many of the world's issues would be solved if everyone just spoke the same language? A lot, that's how many. But then we have problems like which language to choose? what language is the clearest, most accurate, specific and concise form of communication? Which one truly has as few roots into cultural evolution as possible? Perhaps we should all just speak in numbers like 092359 29-38509 340690 =-234=6-90-2349 9406 =3-46 =9034 56 See just there I told you an entire essay of what your dreams meant and you didn't even know how to interperet, did you? Maybe you should learn better maths so that you can know what your dreams mean. I'm pretty sure that's the problem here. =/

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There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

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Originally posted by Halcyon+On+On

Lol, wtf?

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Originally posted by Sushipunk Well, controlling your dreams (lucid dreaming) is obviously not 'random' firing of neurons - I would say that due to some level of awake-ness/awareness/whatever you want to call it, you would be exerting control over the directions in which the neurons are firing, and the areas of the brain they're firing off into, thus resulting in a controllable dream.

Oh yes that reminds me of an article I read on-line. Dunno where I found it, but it stated that a person had a higher chance of achieving the lucid state in dreams if they woke up after a nap, stayed up for about an hour, then went back to sleep. I put that to the test earlier this year, because I'm completely horrible at lucid dreaming, but it turned out that it worked.

The article also gave several suggestions on what to try out if you reached the lucid state in your dreams: turning a light switch on and off and observing its effects, looking at yourself in a mirror, and trying to go through a mirror and seeing what happens. The light switch experiment was most interesting for me because even though a person can drastically alter their environment in a matter of seconds, it seems that it is extremely difficult for one to alter the light sources in one's surroundings. For example, flipping a light switch might make the light in the room turn on, and you might be aware that a light has turned on, but the amount of lighting in the room seems to stay relatively unchanged, and shadows don't seem to recede or fade as what typically should happen in the real world.

I know I'm just rambling, but I had fun in the short time I played around with lucid dreaming. I should give it another go sometime.

Urgh, I'm really quite jealous of those people (apparently almost everyone) who can sometimes remember their dreams. I never have the slightest hint of a memory of a dream when I awaken.

Interpreting them is probably just foolishness, but I'd like to have the experience. I've tried everything, though, and it just doesn't work; the only thought in my head right after I wake up is the overwhelming desire to go back to sleep.

being woken up works, even if you are awake for just 5 minutes.

living next to a car choked highway will give you the best dreams ever, just leave the patio door open! (seriously, its disturbing)

we dream every time we reach REM sleep, its rare that we remember. i usually only remember for 5-20 minutes, but its often crazy, or work related bullshit|

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'That's like telling a Kodiak bear to stop fcking older men.'

I had the most random fucking dream last night involving two of my cousins, a TA, a camp site, some weird mini-RV-thing, a weird town just outside of the camp, a violent/stormy beach, a hill, a restaurant and a shitload of champagne and expensive alcohol.

Was really, really weird.

/random

Edit: Also, I've noticed that my dreams have become more strange and "out there" since I've started sleeping with Soma.FM's Drone Zone station on softly in the background. I'd suggest trying it for a week or two.

Last edited by idoru on Oct-31-2007 at 10:31

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Originally posted by biznology being woken up works, even if you are awake for just 5 minutes. living next to a car choked highway will give you the best dreams ever, just leave the patio door open! (seriously, its disturbing) we dream every time we reach REM sleep, its rare that we remember. i usually only remember for 5-20 minutes, but its often crazy, or work related bullshit|

Yay! Petrol fumes are awesome!

Sweet dreams!

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