From: graham@visiv.co.uk   
      
   In article , Alexander   
    writes   
   >Hello all.   
   >I recently listened a radio program from England discussing brain   
   >chemical issues, and, naturally, certain brain activities were mentioned   
   >as well. In the first part of the series of programs the topic was a   
   >specific chemical which is released during the REM periods. Supposedly,   
   >it is used to organize and re-rearrange information in our memory, to be   
   >most crude while describing the complicated and still unknown processes   
   >taking place in real time. Basically, the argument was supported by   
   >studies, describing people having memorized or achieved certain thing   
   >just by "sleeping-on-it", alas the phrase.   
      
   One problem with this theory is that people have less REM as they age.   
   Shouldn't old people have more memories to re-organise than young ones?   
   Foetuses are in a REM state for 15 hours a day. What memories could they   
   have which would require that amount of re-organisation?   
      
   Another problem, or complication anyway, is that people have dreams   
   during non-REM sleep as well as REM sleep.   
      
   >What I wonder, on the other hand is...   
   >Is it possible, the brain has a built-in mechanism which prevents us   
   >from disturbing it while it is performing those operations?   
      
   What exactly do you mean by 'us' here? You're implying a separation   
   between your mind (self? soul?) and your brain... but can you really   
   make sense of that?   
      
   >In other   
   >words, when the memorizing, learning, reorganizing of memory is taking   
   >place, is it possible, that dreams are actually the visual by-products   
   >of this process, taking place in accordance with a pre-programmed   
   >chemical and neurological pattern, which is a part of our natural   
   >abilities, and by trying to control it (or gain any amount of   
   >consciousness), we are intervening with it.   
      
   Why not apply the same argument to the waking state? Why not just let   
   the chemical and neurological processes in your brain run your life for   
   you, instead of intervening and trying to gain conscious control?   
      
   >Is it possible, than, that   
   >the brain has a built-in protection mechanism, which renders us   
   >powerlessly asleep and idle, allowing the brain to perform the necessary   
   >functions, while we are idly "knocked out"? If so, furthermore, is it   
   >reasonable to assume, that the amount of "new" material, or material   
   >learned during the day, and not yet organized in the forms in which it   
   >has to be stored - actually directly related to the "ease" of entering   
   >the state of lucidity?   
      
   Possibly, but I think that ease of entering lucidity has more to do with   
   your emotional state than the amount of recent information you've   
   absorbed. I've heard it said (and my experience agrees with this) that   
   if you feel in control of your life, you're much more likely to feel in   
   control of your dreams.   
      
   --   
   Graham Jones   
   http://www.visiv.co.uk   
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)