What if?

[BatUtilityBelt]

Last night as I slept, I popped into a bit of lucid dreaming (observing as a 3rd party what my dreams were doing). This is not unusual for me. But what I saw was unusual. Instead of mulling current concerns, my dream was referencing all kinds of very old memories, and it seemed completely random. Fleeting images and nearly forgotten situations flashing by rapidly. While still asleep, my first thought was "Maybe it's just collecting garbage I don't need anymore to better arrange my thoughts". But my second thought was a joke: "What if it's aliens probing my mind?". That woke me up laughing.

[ID10t]

I don't think it is aliens, but that's me.
My brain takes threads and ties them together that sometimes it just pops into my head hours into the day of what happened yesterday or last week that "tapped that cluster." I would think about what you were doing or thinking about recently.

[Mossman]

I think dreams are good at pointing things out to you that escape your conscious attention. Though sometimes it can be maddening trying to figure out what it is that your subconscious is trying to tell you.

[BatUtilityBelt]

I don't think it is aliens, but that's me.
My brain takes threads and ties them together that sometimes it just pops into my head hours into the day of what happened yesterday or last week that "tapped that cluster." I would think about what you were doing or thinking about recently.

I totally agree. I use it all the time, usually interactively, for work. When I am doing that, I task it to work on specific problems intentionally. It is an amazing tool. Last night it was just unprogrammed random content that surprised me.

[Houblues]

I think dreams are good at pointing things out to you that escape your conscious attention. Though sometimes it can be maddening trying to figure out what it is that your subconscious is trying to tell you.

I used to have two similar recurring dreams. In one I was in a car going at a rapid clip down a crowded street into stopped traffic, and I was unable to step on the brake. In the other, I was on a train, destined to head off a cliff, and had to decide whether to jump off. I eventually realized they were reflecting my insufficiently recognized feelings about the nature of a relationship.

[mozz]

It's just defragmenting.

[Partscaster]

"What if it's aliens probing my mind?"

Kind of like dump picking?

[ID10t]

"What if it's aliens probing my mind?"

Kind of like dump picking?

and they post to a thread of their favorite forum "Earthling Finds." Might have to clean it up and swap a few parts, but can turn a profit or have a fun project.

[BatUtilityBelt]

It's just defragmenting.

LOL, while I was typing it, I was thinking of using that word! That's spot on.

[mozz]

Humans are really getting too logical and too digital. Insects will be taking over the earth.

[toomanycats]

Sammy believes you.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/ ... tratedmind

[andrewsrea]

Anybody else solve problems in their sleep?

When I run into a really slippery problem on a repair or the like, I take a nap. When I am slipping off to sleep I cast away the frustration and calmly focus on what I have seen, tested and what I'd like the outcome to be.

Often I wake up, hit the bench and quickly solve the problem.

[BatUtilityBelt]

Anybody else solve problems in their sleep?

When I run into a really slippery problem on a repair or the like, I take a nap. When I am slipping off to sleep I cast away the frustration and calmly focus on what I have seen, tested and what I'd like the outcome to be.

Often I wake up, hit the bench and quickly solve the problem.

Yes. I've done that intentionally for decades. I even wrote most of a book about the process, but am not sure I want to pass it along to just anyone who can use it. There are several big advantages of tasking your subconscious with working out specific problems. I have done it most for R&D in areas of technology, but I started doing it with composition. Early on I figured out 2nd and 3rd phrases in songs were being worked out in my sleep and I was just "finding them" the next day. I started targeting it to the hard stuff and that worked great. Very long story, but a perfectly worthwhile way to use our subconscious minds.

[tonebender]

Back when I used to do a little stand up comedy at the local club, I dreamed a whole bit. I woke up and wrote it all down. It was series of double entendres on a particular subject. My favorite dreams are when I dream of those that are gone that I miss dearly, especially my dad or my best friend that passed away in '96.

[Perfect Stranger]

Last night as I slept, I popped into a bit of lucid dreaming (observing as a 3rd party what my dreams were doing). This is not unusual for me. But what I saw was unusual. Instead of mulling current concerns, my dream was referencing all kinds of very old memories, and it seemed completely random. Fleeting images and nearly forgotten situations flashing by rapidly. While still asleep, my first thought was "Maybe it's just collecting garbage I don't need anymore to better arrange my thoughts". But my second thought was a joke: "What if it's aliens probing my mind?". That woke me up laughing.

Can I have some of your weed?

[PoodlesAgain]

Maurice Béjart, well known French choreographer, used dreams as a creative technique : getting an alarm clock to wake him in the middle of the night, when he then would write down his still vivid dreams.

Indeed, the brain does some "housekeeping" at night.

[MichaelR]

Anybody else solve problems in their sleep?

When I run into a really slippery problem on a repair or the like, I take a nap. When I am slipping off to sleep I cast away the frustration and calmly focus on what I have seen, tested and what I'd like the outcome to be.

Often I wake up, hit the bench and quickly solve the problem.

Yup I have found that quite often Ill have a problem that after sleeping I wake to have the answer to. I myself must sleep very deeply as I rarely remember my dreams, none the less I find that I have worked out a problem while doing so.