From: nick.argall@aplaceof.removedotcom.info.com   
      
   "Graham Jones"  wrote in message   
   news:Hc7obXAnYLMBFwuM@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?   
      
   Do old people lose flexibility, the ability to re-program themselves?  Some   
   would say that they do.   
      
   > Another problem, or complication anyway, is that people have dreams   
   > during non-REM sleep as well as REM sleep.   
      
   Didn't know that.  Do you have any pointers to information about that?   
      
   > >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?   
      
   Then again, the anatomy of the brain suggests that there is a separation of   
   functions.   
      
   > >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?   
      
   Fascinating question, this one.  Have you read _The Inner Game of Work_ by   
   Galway?   
      
   > >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.   
      
   I agree about lucidity.  But I don't think the question was purely about   
   dreams that are lucid, I think it was about dreams in a somewhat more   
   general sense.   
      
      
      
   Nick   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)