Theories of Dreams: Some revision for my exams which might interest you!

[Kiama]

I'm glad you guys enjoyed that!
Melvis: I love your theory!

Mermaid: There aren't any specific theories which mingle all of the ones I wrote, although I think that would be the more sensible theory of them all! I find it hard to believe that dremaing is either a purelly spychological function, bnecause that is ignoring all the physiological processes that occur during dreaming... I also find it hard to believe that dremaing is purely physoilogical, because from my experiecnes of dreams, there is lots more that goes on (Which I have criticised the neurobiological theories with) than jhust neurones being fired around randomly!

Umbrae: That was really cool! Very interesting indeed, although I don't think I'd enjoy dremaing in video-game style!

Catlin: I'm an anti-Freudian too! (Or, as I prefer to call him, 'Fraud' ) Most of his theories I find sexist, elitist, ageist, and downright old-fashionedx: They don't really apply that much to socety today, because of all those dramatic changes we have gone through, esp thpose wihich concern the status of women in society, and the acceptance of sex and related subjedcts.... Also, nearly all his theories are unfalsifiable, and therefore also unverifiable, which just sets him up really!

Anyway, despite all that wonderful revision about the Theories of Dreaming (I could quite easily talk about what I wrote, wit hall the facts, stats, name,s and dates,) there was no question about it in the exam!!!! If the paper had had a question about it, I would've got full marks... As it is, I doubt I got an A... Possibly a B... But I really can't tell...

Kiama

 

[napaea]

dreams

Kiama: yay, you'll do great on your final. I am wondering - and forgive me if you already discussed it and i've forgotten already - is there a theory that explains why we get pre-cognitive information in our dreams? I've dreamt several times of things that are yet to happen; accident of friend, my grandmother's death, and the birth of my sisters daughter (she didn't even know she was pregnant when I had the dream). I'm not really problem solving in these situations, I didn't know about any of these issues until I had the dream. Of course I think that on some occasions we are just able to tap into the universal unconscious and info-line while we sleep, but is there a study that addressed that kind of dream?
napaea

 

[Melvis]

Napaea: Hmm. I'd forgotten about precognitive dreams. Something to think about!

Mermaid: "Proven fact?" LOL! The "your brain gets full" theory is courtesy of my own strange little brain...I haven't come across it as a tested theory. Just more ramblings from the ol' noodle!

Kiama: Well I don't think your summation of dream theories here was all for naught...even if it wasn't on the test, it's definitely got the rest of us thinking!

Peace,

Melvis

 

[Mermaid]

Melvis: LOL, for all you know in a few years your theory might be headline scientific news, and noone except us here at aeclectic will believe you thought of it first!

Kiama: Don't you just hate it when they ask the wrong questions in exams? It sounds like you did fine anyway!

 

[Kiama]

Kiama: Don't you just hate it when they ask the wrong questions in exams? It sounds like you did fine anyway!

In this exam it was a case of their questions not fitting my answers! I spoke to my Psychology teacher about the exam just now, and told her what I put, and apparantly, I put basically what they're looking for... She reckions, given this, that I could be sitting on an A grade! YEEEEHAAAA!

Precognitive dreams: There are no theories that I know of which explain these at all! I had completely forgotten about them in my evaluation of these theories... Hmmm... I might ask my Psychology teacher about this...

Kiama

 

[purplelady]

I really enjoy reading anything about dream theory, so it didn't bore me at all, Kiama. I thought the same thing as everyone else, that the reasons for dreams are a combination , not just one reason or theory. It may be to organize data that's been recieved throughout the day, and purge useless or repetative data (kind-of like scandisk and defrag!) . I also believe that in dreams we can and do test out possible futures and possible outcomes of choices we may make, to pick the ones we want to manifest. As for precognitive dreams , I believe these happen , and that future reality was glimpsed . But I doubt it will be given a respectable "theory" or proven any time in the near future, because it just can't be anywhere close to provable, scientifically. But then neither can tarot card readings etc. There's probubly reasons for sleep and dreams that we haven't even discovered yet, or formulated theories about.

 

[purplelady]

I also read somewhere that the average human brain uses something like 10% of it's capacity during waking hours. But during REM sleep it's been recorded that we are using MORE than the usual 10% ! Sorry, I cannot recall exactly where I read that.

 

[mondk]

Dream journaling

I don't know if this helps any or not, since you've already taken your exam, but there are many people who "journal" their nightly adventures in dreamland. I am one of them and you wouldn't believe all the crazy dreams I have every night.

Here is an interesting thing about myself: I am bipolar. Basically, what that means is that I've got neurons in my brain jumping all around and sometimes they don't go to the synapses they are supposed to etc...resulting in mania and severe mood swings. (I am on medication to keep me stable in that aspect). I have had this disorder since my teens and I have always had the most vivid dreams. Anxiety comes out in my dreams...portrayed very aptly symbolically and when interpreted, I can totally relate what I have dreamed to stressors in my everyday life that I may be denying consciously. I then, in turn, use my dream journal to bring those into my waking state and deal with them, so to speak.

It is wonderful therapy to be able to do that. I have actually heard of "dream therapists" who help people do this...especially people that have recurring bad dreams.

Just some interesting info there huh? Many blessings!!!

 

[Malachite]

wow...

I know more than i did a minute ago...

 

[Kiama]

Re: Dream journaling

Here is an interesting thing about myself: I am bipolar. Basically, what that means is that I've got neurons in my brain jumping all around and sometimes they don't go to the synapses they are supposed to etc...resulting in mania and severe mood swings. (I am on medication to keep me stable in that aspect). I have had this disorder since my teens and I have always had the most vivid dreams.

Insterestingly enough, Bipolar Disorder and Unipolar Depression are two other subjects I have to revise for for my Psychology exam, the second of which happens on Tuesday... I was gonna post something like what I did for Dream Theories, but about Bipolar and Unipolar in Chat... Maybe you'd like to help me criticise all the different theories about why people develop BiPolar Disorder?

Kiama