An idea on dreams and their function (more)

In summary, the author believes that our brains are capable of connecting with other brains, and that this is how we understand things that we can't possibly get from the physical world in our dreams.
  • #1
Sikz
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I know that this is a subject of much debate among the fields of metaphysics, general philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, etc. Today I came up with an idea, I'm really not sure if others have, unbeknownst to me, thought of the same previously, or if I have come up with a new possibility. In any case, I shall present it to you here:

As you will no doubt be aware, our minds work by taking input through a neural network, a sort of tree. For instance, IF you are thirsty, THEN look for a drink, OTHERWISE don't. IF you look for a drink, THEN see what kind you have. IF you have coke, THEN see if you have Dr. Pepper, OTHERWISE drink the coke. IF you have Dr. Pepper, THEN drink it. etc.

We create new neural pathways as we experience things and learn. We then edit these pathways in order to make them more effecient. While these "programs" may run correctly, in order to change (improve) them we must know each step in the pathway. The only way this can be known is if either (A) each node on the web sends out a signal when activated, the signal reaches another web which analyzes it and adds it to a map of the former web. (B) diverse stimuli are fed into the network as input and the output is analyzed carefully and cross-referenced with output from different input.

I propose that (B) is the way the brain does it, and that dreams are the brain mapping out the neural pathways acquired over the previous day. At night, when we are unconscious, we are isolated from any external stimuli- we are a controlled environment. I propose that the brain feeds itself specially selected stimuli in order to analyse its own reactions and use the information gathered to deduce any changes in its neural networks. This would explain why dreams contain elements of things from the previous day- any changes to the networks would be related to the stimuli we had experienced. Therefore similar stimuli would activate the same areas of the "program". Recurring dreams, perhaps, are the brain feeding itself the SAME stimuli to see how its response has improved or degenerated, and use that information to tell whether it has been improving its effeciency.

Any comments, ideas, questions, etc would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.
 
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  • #2
Our brains, however you may not think so are EXTEEMLY inneficiant. We have 1,000,000 times more neurons, than a graphing calculator has circuits, however we think 1,000,000 times slower than it does when it comes to math. Why is this? For one, and one reason only, that our brains were not designed to only do certain functions, to enable true thought; The efficiancy of inneficiany as I like to call it. As for neuron networking, each time we have a new thought, feeling, or otherwise a new neuron, or neuron creates a chain reaction in the brain to create a memory. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN DURING DREAMING. Which is why we can not remember most dreams we have unless we make a true effort while the very temporary thought of the last dream still creates an echo. Dreams are only random assortments of information collected in the brain to create a story. Wierdly, our brains arew more active durring sleap then when we are awake, this is because no matter how strange, we reach an odd level of consciousness when we are asleep, then we could never achieve when we are awake, besides in occasions such as sleep paralysis.

I had 19 episodes of sleep patralysis, and have come to a much greater metaphysical understanding of my own mind then most people have. It has even drove me to create my own theory on such things as religion, consciousness, ands the metaphysical in general.

I have come to one VERY ODD, and extremely unrealistic conclusion that one, n my belief, can only understand if they had many episodes of sleep paralysis. The theory is that one of the points opf the innfeciancy of our minds is to connect to other conscious minds. These connections for a network, and every minds' connection is sent back to him the amount of conscious minds-1 (himself). In the center of all this, is what we like to precieve as god, the center of all thought. To understand this make a circle, create 32 points, and connect every points to every possible other points, you will see that there is a center, fallowed by 32 circles, becoming exponentially closer as they get closer to the points. What is my logic behind this? Sometimes in our dreams we dream things we couldn't possibly have gotten from the physical world, dreaming of future events, getting deja vus, knowing others thoughts or their location without any previous logical information to indicate this truth. In dreams, this other level of cosciousness captures some of the information from these connections, mostly the stronger ones.

Try to think of this network on another dimention, where the speed of thought is 0, since it instanly arrives at all other conscious minds, and as the thoughts themselves as waves, that as they disperse they become weaker. Also, think of the deja vus and realize that with all thought, it is possible to know exactly what will happen at any time, that though there is no "destiny" or "fate" and though we are free minds, knowing all thought and all knowledge, would let one predict everything according to the theory of cause and effect.

The reason for deja vus: we take all these predictions given to us, and only select the very few that pertain to any thought or feeling in our lives, however these are distant since transforming these "higher thoughts" into conscious knowledge is neerly impossible...I hope you liked my 3368 letter summary. [zz)]
 
  • #3


Thank you for sharing your idea on dreams and their function. It is indeed a topic that has been debated and studied by various fields. Your explanation of the brain's neural pathways and how they are constantly being modified and improved is a valid point. Dreams could potentially serve as a way for the brain to test and analyze these pathways, as you suggested.

However, there are also other theories and explanations for why we dream. Some believe that dreams are a way for the brain to process and consolidate memories, while others believe they serve a psychological function, such as problem-solving or emotional regulation.

It would be interesting to see if your idea could be tested and studied further. Perhaps conducting experiments or gathering more evidence could help support or refute your theory. Overall, your idea offers a unique perspective on the purpose of dreams and could potentially contribute to the ongoing research in this field. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
 

1. What is the purpose of dreaming?

The purpose of dreaming is still a matter of debate among scientists. Some theories suggest that dreaming helps with memory consolidation, problem-solving, and emotional processing. Others propose that dreams serve no specific function and are simply a byproduct of brain activity during sleep.

2. Do all people dream?

Yes, it is believed that all people dream. While some individuals may not remember their dreams, research has shown that everyone experiences multiple dream cycles throughout the night.

3. Can dreams be controlled?

Some people practice lucid dreaming, which is the ability to consciously control and direct the events in a dream. However, this is not a common or easily achievable skill for most individuals.

4. Do dreams have any meaning?

The meaning of dreams is a highly debated topic. Some believe that dreams can offer insight into a person's subconscious thoughts and emotions. However, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.

5. Can dreams predict the future?

There is no scientific evidence to suggest that dreams can predict the future. Dreams are a reflection of our thoughts, memories, and experiences, and are not believed to have any connection to future events.

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