"Dreams" versus "Everyday Life"...which one is actual "Reality"?

[Guest]

Interesting subject though, dont you think?

 

 

I often wish I had the brains to work it all out- Im not even sure if its classed as philosophy or whatever, but I find it fascinating.

That or science-fiction. I watched The Matrix for the opportunity of seeing Keanu Reeves in tight black leather . The subject is interesting, I agree, but I'm more interested in the neurobiology of dreaming than the more philosophical discussions.

[Jabberwocky]

That or science-fiction. I watched The Matrix for the opportunity of seeing Keanu Reeves in tight black leather . The subject is interesting, I agree, but I'm more interested in the neurobiology of dreaming than the more philosophical discussions.

 

Yet another huge gap in my education.

 

I havent seen the Matrix.

[Guest]

I know that, but the question is, 'which one is real'?

 

 

 

I understood this discussion to be a philisophical verses scientific discussion, and it's science that I don't understand.

 

Please don't start a conversation with me again in the future, if you don't want to continue with a discussion with me.

 

And hidden or not, I know when when polite words are loaded with insults.

I didn't start a conversation with you. I responded to a post on a public forum by some random forummer as part of a wider discussion.

 

I didn't say I didn't want to continue the discussion. You asked a specific question of me in response to a post I made and I said I didn't have the answer.

 

I'll continue to contribute to any other points made on this thread to which I think I can contribute something relevant and of use, whether they're raised by you or anyone else.

[shoeshine]

I didn't start a conversation with you. I responded to a post on a public forum by some random forummer as part of a wider discussion.

 

Moi? A random poster?

 

Well, Hecate! Thinking about it, I've been called worse......in my dreams, of course!

[metaphoria]

You don't understand that people distinguish between their waking state and their dreaming state, and between memories of our existence and current existence?

 

I understand the difference, but I just don't understand why memories, and dreaming cannot be considered as real, as the waking state.

[Guest]

Yet another huge gap in my education.

 

I havent seen the Matrix.

It's entertaining piffle, though the sequels are a bit duff.

 

It's relevant to this thread though, because as I recall it's about reality being nothing but a simulation induced by evil machines. Humans are actually suspended in womb-like pods while machines transmit artificial images to our brains via spinal connection. Something like that anyway.

 

This talks about the philosophical and other influences on the writers. Going back to some of the original sources would be a bit heavy going though.

[Guest]

Moi? A random poster?

 

Well, Hecate! Thinking about it, I've been called worse......in my dreams, of course!

LOL I meant that I don't usually take much, if any, notice of who's started a thread or made a post to which I'm responding when I think about responding. It's the topic that's of interest.

[Guest]

I understand the difference, but I just don't understand why memories, and dreaming cannot be considered as real, as the waking state.

I guess it depends on what you're defining as 'real'. Dreams and memories are part of our existence and experience, so they're clearly real to that extent.

 

Relatively rare individuals can be aware that they're dreaming while they're dreaming, and might be able to influence to a small extent what goes on in their dreams, so that partly fulfils the requirement for everyday reality (ability to interact with the environment and have some influence over the outcome of those interactions).

 

Memory formation can be influenced by emotion, which is why bystander memory and memories formed under other stressful situations are so unreliable as an accurate representation of what actually occurred when the event we're recalling was actually happening. How we recall other non-stressful events can be influenced by mood (you might remember an event differently according to whether you're happy or sad at the time of recollection). So memories and memory formation can be influenced by present everyday reality to a certain extent, though they're not necessarily an accurate representation of that reality.

 

Are dreams real in that I, as someone who doesn't experience lucid dreaming, can influence what happens in them, can determine their outcome as I can determine what I'm going to do after I log off from here? No. Are memories real in that I can take a certain memory and, say, grow older in that memory as I'm growing older as I type this paragraph? No.

 

Memories are essentially static, or at least they're only modified over relatively long periods of time. Everyday reality is dynamic. Memories can also be unreliable, in that what we recall isn't necessarily what happened. Our everyday reality is generally reliable, in that we're usually sure that what we're currently experiencing is what's actually occurring at the time (unless we're hallucinating).

 

Those are the main differences that I can think of between waking reality, and dreams and memories.

[metaphoria]

I guess it depends on what you're defining as 'real'. Dreams and memories are part of our existence and experience, so they're clearly real to that extent.

 

I suppose so, yes.

 

So memories are influenced by perception. Everyday reality is controlled by intervention. But dreams are not governed by these things, and so... not necessarily real.

 

They just happen.

 

 

 

Or something like that.

[Guest Mod_Man]

Dreams are just dreams. They are not another reality, I guess one way to tell would be the continuation of a dream, never have had a tomorrow in a dream. Why do I not have friends or family in dreams (except for representations of the one in this reality)? If dreams were another life why are dreams often random? Why can I fly in a dream? Dreams are nothing but brain activity during sleep triggering parts of the brain whilst we're asleep. Sure I believe some dreams delve in to your subconscious and can help you with an issue but I don't think at all that they're another life. Reality is this, I know this is reality for one because I'm aware of it (I think therefore I am). If dreams were another life, how come we're only aware of a fraction of it? Surely if this one was the dream world, it would be better than the real world.