6 ms·

I’m 33, when I was ~17 I took a discrete math course. During class teacher posed a challenge- to find algorithm for minimal number of cross beams to make an n b

I’m 33, when I was ~17 I took a discrete math course. During class teacher posed a challenge- to find algorithm for minimal number of cross beams to make an n by m lattice rigid, so it can’t flex like a parallelogram because triangles are fixing angles. I was asleep, realized I was dreaming, and decided to “work” on the problem. I found a solution, woke up and wrote it down. I think it was helpful to be dreaming because usually I cannot visualize more than simple shape, but while dreaming, I could try things out without using paper and pencil.

snazz 8y ago
I’ve sort of experienced the same thing—never quite to the same extent, but close. I wish there were some way to trigger this productive lucid dreaming, because it does feel very cool to wake up with a solution to something you were stumped on while awake.
- egypturnash 8y ago
  If you reduce the problem to "some way to trigger lucid dreaming" there is a lot of information to be found on that subject. If you read a bunch of different guides you start to see a few common techniques. I can't say I've gotten anywhere near the state of attaining lucid dreaming on a regular basis by applying them but there's been some interesting moments in my on-and-off attempts.
- bergerjac 8y ago
  Here's an experiment.. ask a question, out-loud, with intent, immediately before a nap..
- newnewpdro 8y ago
  There's a community of people online who employ dietary supplements to stimulate lucid dreaming. I accidentally discovered it when taking Methylcobalamin B12 supplements. For the first week or so I'd lucid dream every morning for a few hours before fully waking up. It was quite interesting, but would cease happening if I continued taking the MB12. Only after stopping for a few weeks would they recur upon reintroducing the MB12. There are more reliable supplements for stimulating lucid dreaming in particular, I'm pretty sure my MB12 experience is just a minor side effect. I've read it affects melatonin production, and I did find myself growing sleepy earlier and more consistently when taking it. I don't know if that's related to the lucid dreaming though.
  - codazoda 8y ago
    I learned this when taking Vitamin E for an injury. I would have dreams that I remembered when I woke and that is unusual for me. I tried to buy vitamin E for the purpose, recently, and failed to reproduce the result.
    - bbrian 8y ago
      Codeine gave me sleep paralysis a few times.
StreakyCobra 8y ago
This is something people with aphantasia like me will never be able to do. But I would love to have this kind of visual thinking once in my life, just for the experience. This seems to offer a lot for problem solving skills :)
- ghusbands 8y ago
  I also have aphantasia, but a significant subset of my dreams do include visuals (and some don't), so don't count yourself out on learning-while-sleeping.
smacke 8y ago
This is the first time I had heard of this rigid lattice problem and I thought it sounded very interesting; if anyone else is interested, here's a link to some details: http://datagenetics.com/blog/november12014/index.html http://datagenetics.com/blog/november12014/index.html
- Nydhal 8y ago
  Fascinating. I don't know how the two can relate (might be worth some weekend googling/research) but this reminds me of the lattices in the 7th row problem! https://youtu.be/cmdOmOCfo90 https://youtu.be/cmdOmOCfo90
ToonDoom 8y ago
During my maths degree I would often try to solve problems last thing at night. If I could not solve a problem. I’d Go to sleep. I would have no recollection of solving the problem but in the morning I would often be able to immediately solve the problem. This could have been down to a fresh brain but the speed at which I would solve the problem in the morning and pretty much just know the solution I’m convinced I was solving the problem in my sleep and then basically just writing it down when I woke.
- WrtCdEvrydy 8y ago
  In the programming fields, we call this putting in 'on the back burner'... don't spend too long on a single problem. Just put in the back of your brain and come back to it.
  - ksec 8y ago
    Background Thread Processing ( Learning ). I wrote the story about Rust where the programming concepts were hard to grasp and most just give up the first time trying to learn Rust. Normally months or years later, it clicked the 2nd time around for whatever reason.
    - meko 8y ago
      It's an effective method of learning. Expose your brain to the concept, then walk away, come back the next day it later on, repeat. Continue to do this and you'll eventually understand. Repetition is the key to mastery, after all.
- bergerjac 8y ago
  This! The subconscious mind is FAR more powerful than the conscious mind.. It's the part of the mind which is always operating.. A sure-fire tactic is to ask yourself a question right before bed, and allow it to do it's thing
  - ASalazarMX 8y ago
Sutanreyu 8y ago
I used to be able to do the same thing when I was younger; I'm 30 now. I wouldn't ever study growing up, wasting my waking time consuming content --stuff you can't dream up since it's made by others. I would essentially practice what I did know in my sleep (using 'lucid dreaming') being conscious while asleep, as you were. Needless to say this isn't healthy, as now I'm not able to be as conscious while asleep, or seemingly not dream at all, and I'm now a narcoleptic, as I was diagnosed years ago... Essentially asleep while awake, ironically. Something that's not in my favor when I need to get work done. The extra thinking time while your body rests was really nice, though.
- Andrex 8y ago
  I'm not clear -- you believe your narcolepsy was caused by overdoing (so to say) lucid dreaming in your youth? I've not heard of this but I am very curious.
- stevesimmons 8y ago
  If you are 30 now, maybe you just experienced the typical narcolepsy onset pattern in your early 20s. I have narcolepsy. The daytime drowsiness started when I was 19 and got progressively worse during the later years of my university study. I pretty much abandoned attending class by my 3rd year. What you describe as 'lucid dreaming' sounds similar to what I used to call my 'party trick': I would sleep soundly through the compulsory PhD seminars or a few years later my MBA classes, then wake up as the speaker asked for questions. Straight away I would ask a relevant and insightful question! People around me would look stunned: "How could you do that? You were asleep!" So somehow while sleeping, my subconscious mind was still absorbing the talk. When I woke up, I had no idea what the talk was about, but bizarrely I usually knew what question to ask. Even today, 20-25 years later, my MBA and uni friends remark on it.
- akvadrako 8y ago
  "Needless to say" lucid dreaming isn't healthy? What?
- ghusbands 8y ago
  I also did a lot of lucid dreaming and seemingly had it very adversely affect my ability to sleep normally and have 'normal' dreams. It does seem that at least some non-lucid dreams may be a requirement for normal functioning. I have gently suggested to a few friends interested in lucid dreaming that they not get into it too much, for that reason. In my case, I've learned to stop at all controlling the dreams, despite being aware of whether or not I am dreaming, and that seems to have helped. However, both of us are simply relating anecdotes; we may both have had significant sleep issues arise even without the lucid dreaming (albeit in a slightly different form).
xmly 8y ago
Dreaming actually means you are not sleeping well... In your case, you probably were under pressure. But if it continues, it might cause damage to your brain.
- sushid 8y ago
  > Dreaming actually means you are not sleeping well... I'm fairly sure you're the one misinformed. Do you have any source on that? I recently read Matthew Walker's Why We Sleep and why it didn't feel comprehensive, the book did NOT mention anything about dreaming while sleeping being a negative.
steveeq1 8y ago
I had a similar problem when I was 19 and working on a statistics problem. It was finals week and was very tired. Frustrated, I decided to take a nap, except my mind was "awake" during the nap if that makes any sense. Solved the problem in this state quite readily. Unfortunately, I was unable to replicate that "mind awake, body asleep" effect since then. I suspect it is because I was never as tired as I was back then.
meko 8y ago
Discrete math at 17? But can't visualize more than a simple shape? Quite the opposite from myself. Vivid spatial imagination, but abstract ideas take lots of mental effort to assimilate. In calc 1 at 30; after spending three decades hating math I found an interest in it, had just never been 'taught' the right way. It took an acid trip to see the beauty of mathematics.

snazz 8y ago

I’ve sort of experienced the same thing—never quite to the same extent, but close. I wish there were some way to trigger this productive lucid dreaming, because it does feel very cool to wake up with a solution to something you were stumped on while awake.

egypturnash 8y ago
If you reduce the problem to "some way to trigger lucid dreaming" there is a lot of information to be found on that subject. If you read a bunch of different guides you start to see a few common techniques. I can't say I've gotten anywhere near the state of attaining lucid dreaming on a regular basis by applying them but there's been some interesting moments in my on-and-off attempts.
bergerjac 8y ago
Here's an experiment.. ask a question, out-loud, with intent, immediately before a nap..
newnewpdro 8y ago
There's a community of people online who employ dietary supplements to stimulate lucid dreaming. I accidentally discovered it when taking Methylcobalamin B12 supplements. For the first week or so I'd lucid dream every morning for a few hours before fully waking up. It was quite interesting, but would cease happening if I continued taking the MB12. Only after stopping for a few weeks would they recur upon reintroducing the MB12. There are more reliable supplements for stimulating lucid dreaming in particular, I'm pretty sure my MB12 experience is just a minor side effect. I've read it affects melatonin production, and I did find myself growing sleepy earlier and more consistently when taking it. I don't know if that's related to the lucid dreaming though.
- codazoda 8y ago
  I learned this when taking Vitamin E for an injury. I would have dreams that I remembered when I woke and that is unusual for me. I tried to buy vitamin E for the purpose, recently, and failed to reproduce the result.
  - bbrian 8y ago
    Codeine gave me sleep paralysis a few times.

StreakyCobra 8y ago

This is something people with aphantasia like me will never be able to do. But I would love to have this kind of visual thinking once in my life, just for the experience. This seems to offer a lot for problem solving skills :)

ghusbands 8y ago
I also have aphantasia, but a significant subset of my dreams do include visuals (and some don't), so don't count yourself out on learning-while-sleeping.

smacke 8y ago

This is the first time I had heard of this rigid lattice problem and I thought it sounded very interesting; if anyone else is interested, here's a link to some details: http://datagenetics.com/blog/november12014/index.html http://datagenetics.com/blog/november12014/index.html

Nydhal 8y ago
Fascinating. I don't know how the two can relate (might be worth some weekend googling/research) but this reminds me of the lattices in the 7th row problem! https://youtu.be/cmdOmOCfo90 https://youtu.be/cmdOmOCfo90

ToonDoom 8y ago

During my maths degree I would often try to solve problems last thing at night. If I could not solve a problem. I’d Go to sleep. I would have no recollection of solving the problem but in the morning I would often be able to immediately solve the problem. This could have been down to a fresh brain but the speed at which I would solve the problem in the morning and pretty much just know the solution I’m convinced I was solving the problem in my sleep and then basically just writing it down when I woke.

WrtCdEvrydy 8y ago
In the programming fields, we call this putting in 'on the back burner'... don't spend too long on a single problem. Just put in the back of your brain and come back to it.
- ksec 8y ago
  Background Thread Processing ( Learning ). I wrote the story about Rust where the programming concepts were hard to grasp and most just give up the first time trying to learn Rust. Normally months or years later, it clicked the 2nd time around for whatever reason.
  - meko 8y ago
    It's an effective method of learning. Expose your brain to the concept, then walk away, come back the next day it later on, repeat. Continue to do this and you'll eventually understand. Repetition is the key to mastery, after all.
bergerjac 8y ago
This! The subconscious mind is FAR more powerful than the conscious mind.. It's the part of the mind which is always operating.. A sure-fire tactic is to ask yourself a question right before bed, and allow it to do it's thing
- ASalazarMX 8y ago

Sutanreyu 8y ago

I used to be able to do the same thing when I was younger; I'm 30 now. I wouldn't ever study growing up, wasting my waking time consuming content --stuff you can't dream up since it's made by others. I would essentially practice what I did know in my sleep (using 'lucid dreaming') being conscious while asleep, as you were. Needless to say this isn't healthy, as now I'm not able to be as conscious while asleep, or seemingly not dream at all, and I'm now a narcoleptic, as I was diagnosed years ago... Essentially asleep while awake, ironically. Something that's not in my favor when I need to get work done. The extra thinking time while your body rests was really nice, though.

Andrex 8y ago
I'm not clear -- you believe your narcolepsy was caused by overdoing (so to say) lucid dreaming in your youth? I've not heard of this but I am very curious.
stevesimmons 8y ago
If you are 30 now, maybe you just experienced the typical narcolepsy onset pattern in your early 20s. I have narcolepsy. The daytime drowsiness started when I was 19 and got progressively worse during the later years of my university study. I pretty much abandoned attending class by my 3rd year. What you describe as 'lucid dreaming' sounds similar to what I used to call my 'party trick': I would sleep soundly through the compulsory PhD seminars or a few years later my MBA classes, then wake up as the speaker asked for questions. Straight away I would ask a relevant and insightful question! People around me would look stunned: "How could you do that? You were asleep!" So somehow while sleeping, my subconscious mind was still absorbing the talk. When I woke up, I had no idea what the talk was about, but bizarrely I usually knew what question to ask. Even today, 20-25 years later, my MBA and uni friends remark on it.
akvadrako 8y ago
"Needless to say" lucid dreaming isn't healthy? What?
ghusbands 8y ago
I also did a lot of lucid dreaming and seemingly had it very adversely affect my ability to sleep normally and have 'normal' dreams. It does seem that at least some non-lucid dreams may be a requirement for normal functioning. I have gently suggested to a few friends interested in lucid dreaming that they not get into it too much, for that reason. In my case, I've learned to stop at all controlling the dreams, despite being aware of whether or not I am dreaming, and that seems to have helped. However, both of us are simply relating anecdotes; we may both have had significant sleep issues arise even without the lucid dreaming (albeit in a slightly different form).

xmly 8y ago

Dreaming actually means you are not sleeping well... In your case, you probably were under pressure. But if it continues, it might cause damage to your brain.

sushid 8y ago
> Dreaming actually means you are not sleeping well... I'm fairly sure you're the one misinformed. Do you have any source on that? I recently read Matthew Walker's Why We Sleep and why it didn't feel comprehensive, the book did NOT mention anything about dreaming while sleeping being a negative.

steveeq1 8y ago

I had a similar problem when I was 19 and working on a statistics problem. It was finals week and was very tired. Frustrated, I decided to take a nap, except my mind was "awake" during the nap if that makes any sense. Solved the problem in this state quite readily. Unfortunately, I was unable to replicate that "mind awake, body asleep" effect since then. I suspect it is because I was never as tired as I was back then.

meko 8y ago

Discrete math at 17? But can't visualize more than a simple shape? Quite the opposite from myself. Vivid spatial imagination, but abstract ideas take lots of mental effort to assimilate. In calc 1 at 30; after spending three decades hating math I found an interest in it, had just never been 'taught' the right way. It took an acid trip to see the beauty of mathematics.