Questions anyone?

[swift]

Oops, sorry about the confusing post, I had thought I was looking at the last...most recent and therefore immediately relevant...pages when in reality I somehow got to looking at page 1, so my reply was actually to page 1 from long long ago. Sorry again.

Anyway, to the idea of collective consciousness. I think there are a few evidences that speak strongly in support of it's exsistance. Mob mentality is one that springs to mind. The fact that dream symbolism, though subjective, can be universally applied is another. I agree with you in so far as the collective aspects of it are our shared learning experiences, the commonality of what we share as people from groups smallest to largest. Also the fact that we all have a brain the functions of which are understandably predictible on certain levels. I think essentially I agree that it is not some magical psychic link, but I contend that it does in fact exsist.

When you take a group of people, all different and unique and all having differentiating experiences within a set place and time and recieve from that group a universal theme I think that in itself could be called collective consciousness. So as a function of what we make up together as a whole with our experiences as opposed to something that works upon us...if that makes any sense at all.

[DrmDoc]

Originally Posted by swift

When you take a group of people, all different and unique and all having differentiating experiences within a set place and time and recieve from that group a universal theme I think that in itself could be called collective consciousness. So as a function of what we make up together as a whole with our experiences as opposed to something that works upon us...if that makes any sense at all.

I believe I understand your thoughts here; e.g., the inclination for disconnected cultures around the world to have built pyrimadlike structures or to have separate oral traditions or myths of great floods. Indeed, this would appear to suggest a kind of commonality in behaviors and thoughts but not, in my view, of the kind that suggests a psychical link between peoples. I think because we, as humanity, share a common evolution, we share a common way of perceiving and engaging lifes challenges (e.g., the need for food, clothing, and shelter). I believe our separate brains are hardwired to engage in behaviors that reflect our common evolution. As global communications advance and the societal walls separating cultures crumble, perhaps a clear perspective of our true commonality will emerge.

[char k]

i totally believe that our dreams influence our daily lives, that they have a purpose and a reason. that is why we cannot remember all of them. the ones that we recall and that stay with us forever should bring insight to our lives. we are spoken to from some where else through our dreams. whatever your religious beliefs or upbringing or own inner self they have a reason!
much love
char k

[Kileighm]

So I am not an expert at the dream thing, but when I was talking briefly about dreams to my science teacher he said something interesting. From a biological stand point, he said that dreams have been attributed to the different nerves in your brain hitting or bumping into each other, that's why we get such random weird dreams. It is very complex but we discussed that because so much information is moving around in your brain while you sleep (your brain is very active when you sleep, going through information, discarding much of it) that the singles some times get crossed accidently and that is how we end up with the dreams. Weird ones too, like being best friends with a movie star or the like. I think from a biological stand point this could be true, it would explain our nonsensical dreams. I am not sure, I just know that our brains are very active and dreams do not come from random sources but what our brain takes in. Still, I would like to believe that dreams have some mystery, some fantasy like, connection to the universe quality. Who really knows? It's complex!

[mr. Zim]

I have a question not really related to dreaming.

Whenever I'm asleep in my room, when someone walks in my room, at any time, I will instantly wake up. I wont feel drowzy at all, I'll just wake up. I think it happens whenever the person entering my room looks at me because I, for some odd reason, feel when a person looks at me and I instantly look back at that person.

any idea's as to why that happens and why people can feel when a person's watching them?

[DrmDoc]

Hi Kileighm,

I'm sorry, your science teacher got it wrong. It's not his fault, some experienced and knowledgable researchers who have studied dreams and the dreaming brain also hold imprecise views of dreaming. The error most have made is in not studying or clearly understanding how the dreaming brain evolved. Dreams are not a result of random neural activity or some compulsory processing associated with memory data. Dreaming arises from the vestigal arousal in the brain associated with its uptake of energy during the sleep process.

At the beginning of sleep, brain activity decreases and its energy usage decreases. When the sleep process enters a staged called atonia, energy associated with muscle readiness ceases and is made available to organs more vital to our survival, such as, the heart, lungs, and brain.

Arousal is what causes the brain to consume energy. This arousal amid sleep activates those aspects of brain function associated with mental influence and experience. In reality, dreams are interpretations of those mental influences that linger in our mind from our conscious experiences. I've written a book, Neuropsychology of the Dreaming Brain, which describes in detail much of what I've explained here. I hope this helps.

[DrmDoc]

Originally Posted by Zim

Whenever I'm asleep in my room, when someone walks in my room, at any time, I will instantly wake up. I wont feel drowzy at all, I'll just wake up.

Your arousal probably occurs during that part of sleep known as nonREM. Arousal during nonREM is associated with the earliest evolution of the sleep process in the brain when ancestral animals had to arouse quickly from a state of rest to address some immediate survival concern. Interestingly, your sensitivity to sounds and movement during this stage of sleep is more acute than when you are fully awake. We all have our animal ancestors to thank for our sensory vigilance amid the early stages of sleep. I hope this helps.

[froggy2]

Hi! I've been trying to figure out my dreams about one person whom I'm close with for about three years now. My opinion is that dreams allow us to connect ourselves to just about anything....whether it's from our day, relationships, worries, etc. I also think that our bodies go through considerable pain when we're asleep while reparations are occuring, and that dreams distract us from that pain. If the dreams are positive, I think, then we're not going through much pain. However, if the dreams are terrifying or abstract, then something may be wrong with those reparations.

Sleep is indeed a powerful thing. The dead and the angels, etc. can probably send us messages via dreams because we are most likely more susceptible to them, since our heads are free from thought and worry at that moment. However, dreams may tell us who we were, are, or are what we're going to become. The more persistent the dream/nightmare, the more important the meaning of the dream becomes. I have learned that in my struggle with dreaming these past few years.

As was mentioned earlier, animals do dream, but probably of simpler, less comlicated scenarios/wants/etc. For instance, some animals run when they sleep due to certain muscle spasms. This may be because, in the dream at least, they are doing something the love most or are running towards/from something.

Cheers!

~froggy2

[carame]

hi im new to this...this my first time on here and im just looking for answers to my dream..can someone help me understand

[Mattimeo]

Originally Posted by carame

hi im new to this...this my first time on here and im just looking for answers to my dream..can someone help me understand

I would love to help you with your dream I need only to know what it was

Hope you enjoy this forum and find help and give help alike!