3 ms·
I have sometimes wondered if what we seem to remember of dreams is just a rationalization our conscious mind makes of the state it finds our brain in when we aw
by mannykannot 3y ago
I have sometimes wondered if what we seem to remember of dreams is just a rationalization our conscious mind makes of the state it finds our brain in when we awake.
If, however, scanning shows a good deal of similarity between the states a subject’s brain goes through while asleep and when recalling a dream afterwards, the most parsimonious explanation would seem to be that memories of dreams do represent what was going through one’s mind while asleep.
- vharuck 3y agoThis seems likely to me. When we recall memories, we "fill in the gaps" during the recall process. For example, paraphrasing a quote because you can't recite it verbatim: you'll express the ideas and emotions important to you, include impactful words or phrases, but otherwise make it up. Dreams are like really fuzzy memories. So when we try to recall them, we have to add a lot. When a person talks about a dream they had, they're probably saying more about their mental state as they're recalling the dream than during the dream.
- lotsofpulp 3y agoI cannot remember dreams at all unless my sleep is interrupted.