Questions anyone?

[Imogen]

Hey there, interesting topic and answers ~ amazing how differently we all view things.
I havent really totally formed my ideas about dreaming as yet, I am still exploring them. I find I am very torn between the logical side of myself and the more creative side.
I mainly see dreams as a metophoric landscape with archetypes (more the jungian way) with universal symbols that tie into mythology and cultural history and storytelling.
I feel most of our dreams are a way of us understanding our inner language for healing purposes as we connect to the collective consiousness.
95 % of the time this is best done using common sense and logic.
I have however been pulled out of my comfort zone with other dreams that I have experienced and those have been more of my brother who died, we have always been close and I do believe that we can still connect and talk to each other in dreams although I would never have believed this before he died. It is a very different type of dream.

I also feel animals dream, I love watching mine sleep, and they twitch and grunt, sometimes bark or miaow. I often wonder what it is they dream. I think it is probably just a replay of something as they wouldnt have the understanding. Its what makes them so innocent and beautiful though.

[DrmDoc]

Originally Posted by Imogen

I mainly see dreams as a metophoric landscape with archetypes (more the jungian way) with universal symbols that tie into mythology and cultural history and storytelling

Hi Imogen,

Thanks for your comments. I respect Jung for the fervent interest in dreams and dreaming his perspective has generated. His thoughts, by his own admission, elevated our perspective of dreams to realms that seem to transcend true science. However insightful Jung may have been, his ideas were a reflection of the philosophy and science of his era. Our knowledge and science has grown considerably since the inception of Jung's ideas. Yet, little has changed in those ideas to reflect the assimilation of what new science has revealed.

Contemporary science tells us that our dreams reflect the nature of our thoughts and feelings. If those thoughts and feelings are spiritually centered, then spirituality becomes the primary focus of our dream content; if metaphysics and life beyond this earthly plain enthrall our conscious focus, our dreams reflect that mental obsession. Such is the same with science as a mental focus. However, the content of our dreams does not explain the nature of dreams or why we dream. That nature and why we dream is rooted in over 450 million years of evolution. The content of our dreams only explain their content; whereas, the evolution of the dreaming brain explain why all dreaming animals engage this wonderous experience. I welcome your continued interest.

DrmDoc

[Imogen]

Originally Posted by DrmDoc

Contemporary science tells us that our dreams reflect the nature of our thoughts and feelings. If those thoughts and feelings are spiritually centered, then spirituality becomes the primary focus of our dream content; if metaphysics and life beyond this earthly plain enthrall our conscious focus, our dreams reflect that mental obsession. Such is the same with science as a mental focus.
DrmDoc

Yes, I suppose that is true Dream Doc, what feels true to one person may not be true for another and we would gravitate more to another with the same beliefs as ourselves.
I think I gravitate in this direction as my head has always been full of characters, stories, plots, etc and it felt true for me. I wouldnt be comfortable in a totally spiritual way (although I think it does encompass that) or totally scientific way. And I suppose as long as there are different answers there will always be questions.

[Imogen]

Heres a question for you DreamDoc, something I have bn trying to get an answer on (I added below an opinion from Wikepedia as an example) What is ur take on deja vu and dreaming? Do you think it is connected?
I always have a lot of deja vu and wonder often what the reason for it is.

[Taken from Wikepedia] Some believe déjà vu is the memory of dreams. Though the majority of dreams are never remembered, a dreaming person can display activity in the areas of the brain that process long-term memory. It has been speculated that dreams read directly into long-term memory, bypassing short-term memory entirely. In this case, déjà vu might be a memory of a forgotten dream with elements in common with the current waking experience. This may be similar to another phenomenon known as déjà rêvé, or "already dreamed

[DrmDoc]

Originally Posted by ”Imogen”

Heres a question for you DreamDoc, something I have bn trying to get an answer on (I added below an opinion from Wikepedia as an example) What is ur take on deja vu and dreaming? Do you think it is connected?
I always have a lot of deja vu and wonder often what the reason for it is.

A very good question! First, the portion of the Wikepedia entry that discusses dreaming and long-term memory is inaccurate. Functional studies of the dreaming brain show depressed activation in the area (prefrontal lobe) that figures prominently in the formation of long-term memory. My study suggests that all dreaming species are predisposed not to remember having dream. Our animal ancestors evolved memory as a survival strategy associated with experiences that had real material or physical impact on their wellbeing. It is difficult for us to remember our dreams because they do not involve experiences of true physical impact.

Although our dreams may contain memorable imagery, my study of the available science suggests that they are not replays of our memories. Also, the memories we retain about our dream experiences only begin to form as we arouse from sleep. Therefore, in my opinion, the idea of a connection between déjà vu and dream memory seems unlikely.

Déjà vu, for some of us, is sort of an instant replay of an experience we seem to recall as having just occurred prior. From my study of brain evolution, I believe déjà vu is a type of precognitive experience that is produced by the anticipatory processes of our most recent brain development. For a time, modern man and the Neanderthals lived side-by-side until the Neanderthals disappeared. I’ve theorized that modern human survived because of our ability to anticipate our survival needs. This is evidenced by the lack of innovation in the tools Neanderthals used as compared to those modern humans continue to produce.

Our modern brain has the ability to process our experiences in such a way as to allow us to anticipate our probable needs and the probable outcome of our experiences. Déjà vu, in my opinion, is a realization of having anticipated one’s immediate experience; it is the awareness of having anticipated an experience while the experience is occurring. I welcome your thoughts.

DrmDoc

[Imogen]

"Our animal ancestors evolved memory as a survival strategy associated with experiences that had real material or physical impact on their wellbeing. It is difficult for us to remember our dreams because they do not involve experiences of true physical impact."

Thats really something to think about. Most of my intense dreams and any deja vu that I experience usually precedes a difficult time or a turning point (it seems to almost show a crossroad) It does seem to happen as a warning. But what I cant understand is that even when I am aware to watch out for something, nothing I do seems to be able to change it. Fatalism or do we really have a choice???

[DrmDoc]

Originally Posted by Imogen

Most of my intense dreams and any deja vu that I experience usually precedes a difficult time or a turning point (it seems to almost show a crossroad) It does seem to happen as a warning. But what I cant understand is that even when I am aware to watch out for something, nothing I do seems to be able to change it. Fatalism or do we really have a choice???

Good question! I think that most of the time, such experiences occur to prepare us for their eventuality. Rather than change what is about to occur, precognitive experiences allow us to brace ourselves for their encounter; i.e., we are less likely to overreact because of them. Afterall, we are often stronger in body and spirit because of the trials we endure.

DrmDoc

[lala rock]

my boyfrien stayed over last nite and i dreamed that i was with my ex husband and we were sneaking around. after he went home he went back to sleep before he went to work and dreamed he caught me with my ex. he has never met him or seen him. i did not tell him of my dream til he told me of his.
could someone give me some feed back on what this could mean?

[DrmDoc]

Hi Lala Rock,

On the most basic level, dreams are about thoughts. It is not uncommon for those we love to share our thoughts and feel as we do. When others we know have dreams with themes similiar to our own, this merely emphasizes the way our shared life experience leads to the shared thoughts that produce shared dream themes.

Your dream appears to reflect some deep seated persistence of loyalty to your ex, while your boyfriend's dream appears to suggest his suspicion that you may have some unresolved feelings for your ex-husband. It is likely that both your dreams arose from some prior discussion you and your boyfriend may have shared about your ex-husband just before bedtime. I hope this helps.

DrmDoc

[Jennings]

Can we return to one of your initial questions Doc, that of, "From where do dreams come?"

I am guessing here (from my limited knowledge) but, as part of life on this miraculous self-healing planet that is influenced and protected by the cosmos with its seasonal variations we are programmed to sleep (have we ever discovered why) yet it would seem that only the self-conscious part of the brain losses its controlling function. While the chemistry of our body may alter during sleep it does, however, remain functioning (obviously) and so too does our brain except the part mentioned. While the brain remains functioning it seems imperative that it has something on which to focus and this requirement seems to cause it to create scenarios, some of which might be fictional but, equally, it will readily connect to any unresolved emotional issue in our lives when from some deeper level our basic fears or desires manifest themselves in dreaming and sometimes we provide ourseleves with the answer to what perplexes us (our brains are clearly creative). There are two other features that are not easily explained about the functioning of our brains. If, prior to sleep, I decide that I would like to awake at a given time (this feature has wider implications aswell as appliactions) then I awake. Furthermore, like Emile Coue, if I believe (in whatever) then this belief will most often come to pass; it is quite an uncanny feature of the power and potential of the mind and an aspect that few appear to use to their personal advantage.

To partially answer the question you posed, dreaming seems to be the continuation of the brain's processes when liberated from the constraints our self-control.


Well, it's an attempt although, okay, it's a bit feeble.