5 ms·

"It could just as easily be near-random memory access, similar to when we dream" Is it established that dreaming is near-random memory access? I thought the wh

"It could just as easily be near-random memory access, similar to when we dream" Is it established that dreaming is near-random memory access? I thought the whole process of dreaming is quite far from being understood, so wouldn't it be a stretch to call it near-random, when in reality there might be pattern, but just one we do not understand yet?

User23 5y ago
Dreams are deeply weird and interesting. I was really disappointed when I took psychology that the dogma was they’re just synaptic static that maybe has something to do with long term memory formation. I’ve had deeply odd dreams, where I’ve been told things I have no way of knowing. I’ve also had dreams where I’m near certain I was communicating with a being that was not merely a figment of my imagination. I’ve had many lucid dreams. Once I had a dream that was so lucid it felt more real than being awake. Either there is something unknown going on or I have perfect recall and am factorially more creative when asleep than awake. I’m well aware of the standard explanation for these phenomena and its sometimes only barely plausible.
- bigyikes 5y ago
  > Once I had a dream that was so lucid it felt more real than being awake. Have you ever taken DMT? Not to imply that what you experienced was physiologically related to the drug. It’s just that being “more real” than reality is often how intense psychedelic experiences are described.
  - User23 5y ago
    I’ve never taken any psychedelic of any sort. On the other hand the brain is basically a drug factory, among other things, so my experience may well have some overlap with psychedelic use.
- allemagne 5y ago
  Dreams being caused by random static doesn't need to mean that there isn't something transcendent, significant, or purposeful going on. For any given pet theory about what dreams "mean" or what they're "for", I just don't think there's a good way of falsifying it. At the same time there's plenty of evidence that everyone's brain is a lot weirder and deeper than what we're consciously aware of. I think the truth just has to lie somewhere a lot spookier than dreams being essentially meaningless.

User23 5y ago

Dreams are deeply weird and interesting. I was really disappointed when I took psychology that the dogma was they’re just synaptic static that maybe has something to do with long term memory formation. I’ve had deeply odd dreams, where I’ve been told things I have no way of knowing. I’ve also had dreams where I’m near certain I was communicating with a being that was not merely a figment of my imagination. I’ve had many lucid dreams. Once I had a dream that was so lucid it felt more real than being awake. Either there is something unknown going on or I have perfect recall and am factorially more creative when asleep than awake. I’m well aware of the standard explanation for these phenomena and its sometimes only barely plausible.

bigyikes 5y ago
> Once I had a dream that was so lucid it felt more real than being awake. Have you ever taken DMT? Not to imply that what you experienced was physiologically related to the drug. It’s just that being “more real” than reality is often how intense psychedelic experiences are described.
- User23 5y ago
  I’ve never taken any psychedelic of any sort. On the other hand the brain is basically a drug factory, among other things, so my experience may well have some overlap with psychedelic use.
allemagne 5y ago
Dreams being caused by random static doesn't need to mean that there isn't something transcendent, significant, or purposeful going on. For any given pet theory about what dreams "mean" or what they're "for", I just don't think there's a good way of falsifying it. At the same time there's plenty of evidence that everyone's brain is a lot weirder and deeper than what we're consciously aware of. I think the truth just has to lie somewhere a lot spookier than dreams being essentially meaningless.