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Why do we dream? A new theory on how it protects our brains

time.com

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Re: Why do we dream? A new theory on how it protects our brains

#51

Post by brianpan »

scatters wrote: post #45

The article says that "dreams are primarily visual". That might be true for most people (and for the researchers), but I'm aphantasic and I don't think I've ever had a visual dream. My visual cortex seems to work perfectly fine on waking (though I do find a sunrise alarm clock useful in winter). If this is typical among aphantasics then I don't see how the theory can possibly be correct.

The theory could be correct in general (dreams are a result of a evolutionary trait that keeps visual circuits active at night) while not apply to you specifically, especially if you are different than most people when it comes to vision/visualizing.

Re: Why do we dream? A new theory on how it protects our brains

#52

Post by ratww »

User23 wrote: post #20

I’ve always suspected dreaming plays a role in fixing short term memories into long term ones.

Interesting. Recently my cat's vet (who's also a researcher) told me that the best guess they have is that animals dream about the things they did in the day so they can create long term memories. Wonder if it's the same for humans.

Re: Why do we dream? A new theory on how it protects our brains

#53

Post by pmontra »

chrisdbanks wrote: post #48

Another prediction of this theory would be that naturally blind animals such as some moles would not need REM sleep or would have substantially less REM sleep. I couldn't find any research in completely blind mammals, but in a mammal that has very poor eyesight "Cape mole rats sleep substantially less than other similarly sized terrestrial rodents but have a similar percentage of total sleep time occupied by REM slee…

I think that this part of the article answers that

> those who are born blind (or who become blind early in life) don’t experience visual imagery in their dreams; instead, they have other sensory experiences, such as feeling their way around a rearranged living room or hearing strange dogs barking. This is because other senses have taken over their visual cortex.

The prediction would be that moles experience sounds in sleep, or smell, or touch, whatever their primary sense is.

Re: Why do we dream? A new theory on how it protects our brains

#54

Post by arbol »

baxtr wrote: post #35

Hmmm somehow I’m a bit skeptical. The article itself includes an example that is not easily reconcilable with their theory: What about the people like the boy who became blind they mention in the beginning? Shouldn’t they have extreme visual dreams even at day to protect their visual area, at least if this theory was true? But instead the brain area was rewired.

It explained this with the example of the blindfolded braille readers. Over 5 days their sense of touch was enhanced, presumably at the expense of their visual senses. Over time, the visual cortex would be completely taken over if the brain was not receiving signal from the eyes.

Re: Why do we dream? A new theory on how it protects our brains

#55

Post by bencollier49 »

EugeneOZ wrote: post #26

So by their theory blind people don't need to sleep? Total bullshit.

No, whatever their visual cortexed had been repurposed to do would be preserved. They might dream in "clicks". But I'm inclined to disregard this theory, it's overly simplistic, and doesn't explain vast reaches of sleep phenomena.

Re: Why do we dream? A new theory on how it protects our brains

#57

Post by tamrix »

irrational wrote: post #56

To the best of my knowledge, I’ve never dreamed (I’m almost 50 years old). I’ve always wondered what that means about my brain. Is there a medical or psychological label for people who don’t dream?

Everybody dreams unless you're brain dead during sleep. It's more about if you can recall your dreams.

Some medications and /or weed can prevent dream recall.

Re: Why do we dream? A new theory on how it protects our brains

#58

Post by easytiger »

irrational wrote: post #56

To the best of my knowledge, I’ve never dreamed (I’m almost 50 years old). I’ve always wondered what that means about my brain. Is there a medical or psychological label for people who don’t dream?

Presumably you do enter REM sleep though, in which case you likely have no dream recall, which is not unheard of

Re: Why do we dream? A new theory on how it protects our brains

#59

Post by noja »

irrational wrote: post #56

To the best of my knowledge, I’ve never dreamed (I’m almost 50 years old). I’ve always wondered what that means about my brain. Is there a medical or psychological label for people who don’t dream?

who don't dream, or don't remember their dreams?

Re: Why do we dream? A new theory on how it protects our brains

#60

Post by matthewfcarlson »

irrational wrote: post #56

To the best of my knowledge, I’ve never dreamed (I’m almost 50 years old). I’ve always wondered what that means about my brain. Is there a medical or psychological label for people who don’t dream?

I dream fairly frequently but I'm very rarely myself or in a place I've been before or with people I know. Dreams are weird and I wouldn't worry about it too much.
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