Really cool free Nature supplement on sleep research (by way of Boing Boing).
The implication of these findings is that the sleeping brain can either generate its own perceptions or it can think about them. It cannot do both at the same time. Dreaming is therefore as hallucinatory and thoughtless (or delusional) as so-called mental illness.
In the second study we tested this hypothesis. When psychotic schizophrenic patients were given the thematic apperception test (TAT), in which verbal descriptions of simple but ambiguous pictures are recorded and scored, when they were awake and asked to report their dreams, they had equally high scores on a bizarreness scale (designed to pick up cognitive discontinuity and incongruity) for both. Age- and sex-matched normal control subjects have the same amount of dream bizarreness as the patients but are much less bizarre in their wake-state projective test responses (S. Scarone, M. L. Manzone, O. Gambini and J. A. Hobson, unpublished data).
These findings support the hypothesis that REM sleep is a physiological brain state that produces a distinctive and psychosis-like mental content, whereas during normal waking such properties are suppressed. Put another way, when awake the brain is normally free of the formal aspects of dream activity. Conversely, normal dreaming is justifiably considered to be an entirely normal model of highly abnormal conditions of the human brain and mind. It is now clear that the kind of consciousness that a person experiences is a function of the state of the brain.
If I could take a pill that would let me never sleep again I’d take it.
’
OH yeah and it cant turn me in to some shit from like event horizon or any other shitty sci fi horror flick.
I would probably take hundreds and hundreds of them, to ensure I never sleep again, not even when I am dead. Of course, then I would need to go to the no sleep pill detox and wander around in a robe with an open back and paper slippers, all the while pointing my finger at the alcoholics and the drug addicts, feeling much superior.
On second thought, no thanks. I will just have coffee instead.
What’s the sci-fi story, I believe it was by JG Ballard, where the astronauts are being given an experimental anti-sleep drug, and as time goes by they don’t realize that the room they’re in is gradually growing smaller as the walls are moved further and further inward, until the massive gymnasium-size space they started with is no bigger than a prison cell?
Not just you. So the brain state is related to the state of consciousness? That’s, like, highly advanced 16th century science!
Also, what does the first part mean: “…or [the sleeping brain] can think about [its own perceptions]”? When does that happen, and how does it feel? Do you get a freeze-frame in your dream and you suddenly start to think? I seem to recall that I do think occasionally while dreaming, which should be impossible according to the article, but maybe it’s just those hallucinogenic drugs again.
About once a month or so, something happens in dream that is so improbably, I realize that I’m dreaming. If I’m unlucky, I wake up at that point. If I’m lucky, I get to play around in the Holodeck of the Mind for a while. You know, picking up nymphomaniac supermodels, dodging yakuza assassins, that sort of thing.
Change “once a month” to “three times a week” and you have my dreams.
For intance - seeing a zombie being arrested and looking at me with a sad face in one dream that started out like some kind of zombie horror flick. I swear to god this poor bugger was handcuffed and " :( " but more dead looking.
I once had a dream where I lived the perfect life. I can’t remember any of the details, really, but it was like some alternate reality where every part of life was “just right”, from home to job to neighborhood to wife. Just perfect, with feelings of overwhelming joy and contentment. Then I woke up, and was really depressed the rest of the day. :(
geez, i am hardly ever conscious of having dreamed. every few weeks, i will wake up with a sort of vague recollection of something dream-like. maybe a few times per year, i will actually be able to remember anything.
If I could take a pill that would let me never sleep again I’d take it.
if you can convince a doctor to give you provigil, it will probably cut about 2 hours off of your daily sleep requirement.
I would probably take hundreds and hundreds of them, to ensure I never sleep again, not even when I am dead. [/quote]
Poe wrote this story already. It didn’t work out well.
I would probably take hundreds and hundreds of them, to ensure I never sleep again, not even when I am dead. [/quote]
Poe wrote this story already. It didn’t work out well.[/quote]
Really? what is it called. I am not that familiar with Poe, except for the Raven and the story about the guy getting locked behind a brick wall, which I don’t really even remember too well anymore.
Dude! I have so many zombie dreams. I have dreams of ;
zombies versus robots,
zombies versus vampires,
zombies versus me,
me as a zombie versus zombies,
me as a zombie versus humans,
me as a vampire versus humans but also sort of versus zombies,
me as a vampire overlord of tons of zombies versus human,
humans versus me and zombies, (sometimes I am magic.)
me versus humans and some zombies that they are related to,
zombies in tunnels,
zombies at walgreens (it’s a trap, fyi go to sears.)
cyborg zombies,
werewolves attacking zombies,
zombie evolution,
zombie revolution (Not the same thing!)
magic zombies,
science zombies,
religious zombies,
fast zombies,
slow zombies.
I know I left at least a couple out. I wouldn’t trade my dreams for anything. Anyways, it used to be robots and medical treatment that I was stuck with. I totally prefer the zombies. I even love the word. I also love the drink.
You dreamt you were retarded? That’s cool! Just kidding. I dream a whole Hell of a lot, I guess because I’m a light sleeper and REM like a mo fo. Once a week or so (that I remember) I fly in my dreams, which IMO is as fun as a dream gets (I never have wet dreams - I don’t think I keep my tank full enough). Though the other night, I dreamt that I could walk through walls, which some fruity dream book said was hard to do. Not when you’re insane, Pal!
And Roger, being aware you’re in a dream state is termed lucid dreaming. You can train yourself to do it by learning to look at the back of your hand (or whatever) while you’re dreaming. Dunno why that would work if you think you’re still awake but once you make a habit of it, you can turn most dreams into lucid ones and do whatever the Hell you want (I, as mentioned, fly).
Once a week or so (that I remember) I fly in my dreams, which IMO is as fun as a dream gets (I never have wet dreams - I don’t think I keep my tank full enough). Though the other night, I dreamt that I could walk through walls, which some fruity dream book said was hard to do. Not when you’re insane, Pal!
Dunno why that would work if you think you’re still awake but once you make a habit of it, you can turn most dreams into lucid ones and do whatever the Hell you want (I, as mentioned, fly).[/quote]
Haha, it is on, who is the most powerful in their own dreams?
I will see your, “flying.”
And I will raise you one, “Throwing fireballs.”
I take a daily antidepressant to combat, you know, depression.
But if I should forget to take a daily pill, watch out…the dream police come out in spades. I will wake up drenched in sweat at least three times shivering with exhaustion and dread from some dream the just ended where I have lost something that in the dream was incredibly dear to me…either my wife or my in-dream ability to fly or something…
