- Moderator
- #1
Since the "Never Ending Story 2" thread is starting to get back on track, I figured I'd start a new thread continuing the topic about dreaming started in *that* thread.
To understand dreams, one must understand how the brain works. (this is my understanding of how things work, and how dreams are actually a "by-product" of those functions).
This also addresses problems with learning-disabled people... so read on, and become edumacated.
When we are awake, our "short term memory" is chemical in nature. Things that we learn or hear or see throughout the day are stored chemically. This chemical bond (in normal people) lasts about 12-16 hours before the chemicals start to break down.
When we sleep, our brain does a "maintenance", evaluating the chemically stored information, and forming permanent synapses for things that it deems "important".
With someone who is learning disabled, this chemical bond is shorter (say, 6 or 8 hours). If the person doesn't sleep within that amount of time, those chemical memories break down, and the information isn't committed to synaptic memory. This is why learning-disabled or people with short chemical memory do *much* better in evening classes, where they can get the information, then go home and go to bed and process it. (This would also justify taking a "nap" in the middle of your school day.... but I'm getting off subject).
Well, dreaming is a by-product of that maintenance process. Your brain creates synaptic junctions based on the chemical storage throughout the day, then "tests" the new synapses. The by-product of this process is dreaming. Because of the very nature of the process, your dreams can be obtuse, as your brain pieces together the synaptic junctions; or seemingly unrelated, as your brain is processing the seemingly inconsequential memories throughout the day.
It's funny how fast your brain works during all of this, too... your longest dreams only last about 6 to 8 seconds (no matter how long they seemed), partially because your brain processes so fast, that you're getting a "fast foward" version of the dream while you're dreaming, but when you recall the dream later, you're remembering it in normal speed.
Additionally, I've had dreams where there has been a sound or something happen around me, and it has been "seamlessly" integrated with the dream. Ever had the phone ring while you've been dreaming, and the phone ringing integrates with your dream? I have... it's bizarre... when I wake up, I have to wait for the second ring to verify that it was *actually* ringing.
Dreams aren't just visual either... your brain processes and stores all of your senses. I've "smelled" things in my dreams, felt them, seen them, heard them, tasted them.
If you are one of those folks that has problems remembering what you learned the morning before, you may have a limited chemical storage time in your brain. Try taking a nap for a half-hour in the middle of the day (if you're a college student, schedule a break between the morning and afternoon classes), and you'll find that your retention of data is *much* more complete.
Just my 2¢
"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg
To understand dreams, one must understand how the brain works. (this is my understanding of how things work, and how dreams are actually a "by-product" of those functions).
This also addresses problems with learning-disabled people... so read on, and become edumacated.
When we are awake, our "short term memory" is chemical in nature. Things that we learn or hear or see throughout the day are stored chemically. This chemical bond (in normal people) lasts about 12-16 hours before the chemicals start to break down.
When we sleep, our brain does a "maintenance", evaluating the chemically stored information, and forming permanent synapses for things that it deems "important".
With someone who is learning disabled, this chemical bond is shorter (say, 6 or 8 hours). If the person doesn't sleep within that amount of time, those chemical memories break down, and the information isn't committed to synaptic memory. This is why learning-disabled or people with short chemical memory do *much* better in evening classes, where they can get the information, then go home and go to bed and process it. (This would also justify taking a "nap" in the middle of your school day.... but I'm getting off subject).
Well, dreaming is a by-product of that maintenance process. Your brain creates synaptic junctions based on the chemical storage throughout the day, then "tests" the new synapses. The by-product of this process is dreaming. Because of the very nature of the process, your dreams can be obtuse, as your brain pieces together the synaptic junctions; or seemingly unrelated, as your brain is processing the seemingly inconsequential memories throughout the day.
It's funny how fast your brain works during all of this, too... your longest dreams only last about 6 to 8 seconds (no matter how long they seemed), partially because your brain processes so fast, that you're getting a "fast foward" version of the dream while you're dreaming, but when you recall the dream later, you're remembering it in normal speed.
Additionally, I've had dreams where there has been a sound or something happen around me, and it has been "seamlessly" integrated with the dream. Ever had the phone ring while you've been dreaming, and the phone ringing integrates with your dream? I have... it's bizarre... when I wake up, I have to wait for the second ring to verify that it was *actually* ringing.
Dreams aren't just visual either... your brain processes and stores all of your senses. I've "smelled" things in my dreams, felt them, seen them, heard them, tasted them.
If you are one of those folks that has problems remembering what you learned the morning before, you may have a limited chemical storage time in your brain. Try taking a nap for a half-hour in the middle of the day (if you're a college student, schedule a break between the morning and afternoon classes), and you'll find that your retention of data is *much* more complete.
Just my 2¢
"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg
