Evolution of Dreams

[Mandevar]

I just watched Waking Life at school and various topics regarding the spiritual and scientific nature of man were brought up. Throughout the entire movie the main character is dreaming. He gets into all sorts of discussions that had philosophy and science intertwined and I wondered, what is the reason for dreams? from a purely scientific/evolutionary standpoint?

I know there need not be a purpose or reason to dreaming, but it is very strange and interesting to me. Can we ever fully understand dreams and narrow it down to the exact neurological processes through scientific means? I know something like the existance of God is intangible to science, but dreams seem more palpable and perhaps thats why its more interesting to me.

So, why do we dream? Do all animals dream? Is there a certain physiological requirement? Or do we just not and perhaps never will know?

I post here because I've seen quite a few science buffs, and I'm interested in everyone's ideas and different perspectives.

 

[Grengor]

Supposedly if you don't dream for long enough you'll be driven insane. Don't know if it's related, but that's about as much as I can input here.

 

[Praxiteles]

Since dogs and cats dream, I would assume that anything that has a complex enough nervous system would experience some dreamlike state during sleep.

How complex that system would need to be I couldn't say.

 

[Mocca]

Scientists still don't have a clear idea of how the human brain works. I'm not even sure if they understand how the flea brain works.

Hey, that may be a good idea. Start with fleas and go more complex until you reach humans.

 

[Ryal Kane]

Dreams help our memory I think. Replaying days events and the like. People who stay up all night don't have the grasp of thigns that others do and it's not just a fatigue thing.

The program I watched used dance steps as an example.

 

[Hydra009]

what is the reason for dreams? from a purely scientific/evolutionary standpoint?

From what I've read about it (which isn't much), sleep/dreaming has a restorative function: individuals deprived of it suffer from a wide range of cognitive and physiological problems: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep#Sleep_deprivation

Sleeping is important for memory consolidation, imo.

IIRC, most mammals and birds dream (dreaming being defined as a period of REM sleep), but it's not clear if other species do or not.

 

[Blackmarch]

I just watched Waking Life at school and various topics regarding the spiritual and scientific nature of man were brought up. Throughout the entire movie the main character is dreaming. He gets into all sorts of discussions that had philosophy and science intertwined and I wondered, what is the reason for dreams? from a purely scientific/evolutionary standpoint?

I know there need not be a purpose or reason to dreaming, but it is very strange and interesting to me. Can we ever fully understand dreams and narrow it down to the exact neurological processes through scientific means? I know something like the existance of God is intangible to science, but dreams seem more palpable and perhaps thats why its more interesting to me.

So, why do we dream? Do all animals dream? Is there a certain physiological requirement? Or do we just not and perhaps never will know?

I post here because I've seen quite a few science buffs, and I'm interested in everyone's ideas and different perspectives.

My preference is the restorative theory.. and that our brain is "exercising" unused neurons which would usually either cause or initiate dreaming.

 

[TeddyKGB]

I have a slight leaning towards the activation-synthesis theory in which random neuron activity coupled with sleep paralysis lead to the formation of mental narratives.

 

[JohnR7]

So, why do we dream?

God can talk to people in their sleep through dreams. At times people see the future in a dream. I had a dream once that even though it was very symbolic it came true about 15 years later. The enemy can also work on people in their sleep, but we can pray and God will deliver us from that. The Bible has a lot to say about this subject and it would be a worthwhile subject to do a bible study on.

 

[Mocca]

Hey John. Would you like to provide any evidence supporting your claim?

Edit: Animals other than humans dream, too, just as a tidbit.

 

[Blackmarch]

Dreams help our memory I think. Replaying days events and the like. People who stay up all night don't have the grasp of thigns that others do and it's not just a fatigue thing.

The program I watched used dance steps as an example.

Well that's one theory.

 

[Mocca]

Hypothesis.

Edit: I actually have no idea. Educate me, please.

 

[TeddyKGB]

Hypothesis.

Edit: I actually have no idea. Educate me, please.

An hypothesis is a suggested explanation for a single phenomenon. They often come in opposing pairs, and there should be some test that can be done to falsify one or the other.

A theory is an explanation that accounts for several logically-related hypotheses. Ryal's is probably better called a theory.

 

[madarab]

All mammals and birds dream. It is not clear if REM sleep evolved independantly within the two groups or is even more ancient and associated with their common ancestor. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1511/is_n3_v19/ai_20324733

 

[Mocca]

An hypothesis is a suggested explanation for a single phenomenon. They often come in opposing pairs, and there should be some test that can be done to falsify one or the other.

A theory is an explanation that accounts for several logically-related hypotheses. Ryal's is probably better called a theory.

I meant... was it a hypothesis or a theory? But anyway, thanks.

 

[JohnR7]

Hey John. Would you like to provide any evidence supporting your claim?

What claim is that? That we can dream about or know the future? There is lots and lots of evidence for that in the Bible. About three months before I met my first wife I had a dream about her. It was in sort of a funny apartment where you walk in the door and then there was a step that went up to the living room. After we meet we went down to columbus to visit with her sister and I realized that the apartment her sister lived in was the same apartment that I saw in the dream. When I asked her about it, she told me that she had been living there with her sister at the time I had the dream and that she had recently moved to the area I was in because she was going to school there at the time.

I think that perhaps what God was telling me was to stay away from her, but somehow I missed that.