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I wrote a paper on the relationship between the regions of the brain responsible for day dreaming (or the default mode network) and the dramatically reduced nor

I wrote a paper on the relationship between the regions of the brain responsible for day dreaming (or the default mode network) and the dramatically reduced norepinephrine levels that occur (80% below waking) during REM sleep and the contents of dreams. It's called Dreaming Is the Inverse of Anxious Mind-Wandering. If it's something that interests you, you can read it here: https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/k6trz https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/k6trz It was discussed on hacker news here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19143590 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19143590

yamrzou 3y ago
Interesting. How is the absence of dreams interpreted from this point of view?
- FailMore 3y ago
  I'm not sure I'm afraid. The best understanding I have is that even though we may not remember our dreams we still do have them (i.e. if you were woken in REM sleep you would likely recall a dream). We remember dreams using the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine. This is responsible for working memory. In the same way that it is difficult to recall a series of random numbers, a dream can quickly slip from memory because of the short term nature of the memory generated by this neurotransmitter. (In my view this supports the view that we act in obviously maladaptive ways dreams in order to highlight this behaviour. If our long term memory was storing these dreams automatically (I think you analyse a dream you do store it in long term memory, but in an intellectual way), we would be reinforcing our maladaptive patterns. By storing the dream in working memory, the brain can highlight the behaviour without reinforcing it.
  - yamrzou 3y ago
    The link to working memory is very interesting. Thanks.
astrange 3y ago
I can say that taking Strattera hasn't changed the content of my dreams - they can be pretty vivid but they're never nightmares. Maybe some negative things happen but it doesn't feel like it at the time. > It is interesting that those who do a lot of mediation have been seen to be less reactive to norepinephrine (a neurotransmitter associated to stress). But from your older comment, that applies to me.
- FailMore 3y ago
  I am not familiar with Strattera. What does it do?
  - astrange 3y ago
    It selectively increases norepinephrine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomoxetine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomoxetine
- LoganDark 3y ago
  > Maybe some negative things happen but it doesn't feel like it at the time. I sometimes have dreams that any normal person would probably consider a nightmare, but I don't experience a nightmare. I'll wake up, and then realize that the dream I just woke up from probably should've been extremely scary, but I wasn't scared. Maybe it's the autism.

yamrzou 3y ago

Interesting. How is the absence of dreams interpreted from this point of view?

FailMore 3y ago
I'm not sure I'm afraid. The best understanding I have is that even though we may not remember our dreams we still do have them (i.e. if you were woken in REM sleep you would likely recall a dream). We remember dreams using the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine. This is responsible for working memory. In the same way that it is difficult to recall a series of random numbers, a dream can quickly slip from memory because of the short term nature of the memory generated by this neurotransmitter. (In my view this supports the view that we act in obviously maladaptive ways dreams in order to highlight this behaviour. If our long term memory was storing these dreams automatically (I think you analyse a dream you do store it in long term memory, but in an intellectual way), we would be reinforcing our maladaptive patterns. By storing the dream in working memory, the brain can highlight the behaviour without reinforcing it.
- yamrzou 3y ago
  The link to working memory is very interesting. Thanks.

astrange 3y ago

I can say that taking Strattera hasn't changed the content of my dreams - they can be pretty vivid but they're never nightmares. Maybe some negative things happen but it doesn't feel like it at the time. > It is interesting that those who do a lot of mediation have been seen to be less reactive to norepinephrine (a neurotransmitter associated to stress). But from your older comment, that applies to me.

FailMore 3y ago
I am not familiar with Strattera. What does it do?
- astrange 3y ago
  It selectively increases norepinephrine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomoxetine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomoxetine
LoganDark 3y ago
> Maybe some negative things happen but it doesn't feel like it at the time. I sometimes have dreams that any normal person would probably consider a nightmare, but I don't experience a nightmare. I'll wake up, and then realize that the dream I just woke up from probably should've been extremely scary, but I wasn't scared. Maybe it's the autism.