Has anyone heard of any scientific studies done on this. I have an idea of my own. One time a teacher told me that it’s a bad idea to lean back when you are studying because you will forget what you learn. Maybe this happens in dreams too; when we get up the memory disappears from our concious mind or something.
Does anyway have any theories and/or have heard of some scientific studies concerning how we forget dreams? Perhaps once we understand exactly what causes it we can find a way to stop it.
I don’t see how your angle would affect dream recall, or studying for that matter (it’s not going to fall out of the back of your head ), though it is true that you’re more likely to remember your most recent dream before you move at all from the position you were in when you had it.
We probably forget dreams because you need to be conscious to remember much. That’s why you can’t easily forget a lucid dream, especially a high-level one: because you’re conscious, and your memory is recording experiences like in real life.
Not all dreams are like that, of course. Some REM periods are less conscious than others, which is why we don’t remember all dreams: when we’re less conscious, we’re not recording as many memories. This is, I think, the same effect as when you get up in the middle of the night to do something, i.e. go to the bathroom. Your mind doesn’t have much time to wake up and become fully conscious. So you know it’s happening while it’s happening, but in the morning, you might not remember it at all.
Who knows, part of it might be evolutionary- maybe early humans remembered much more dreams, but couldn’t distinguish between memories of real life and memories of dreams. This could be really confusing, and depending on what cavemen dreamt about (that’s one thing we’ll probably never know ), some could have been harmed by actions influenced by false dream-created memories. Then, a mutation may have caused one human to remember fewer dreams. This would have been beneficial (in those days), so the trait would have increased in number. Maybe that’s even why some people today have good dream recall, and others have almost none.
But that’s a pure hypothesis, and I have no research to support it. It’s just an educated guess. The first thing I mentioned is probably the main reason why so many dreams are forgotten.
Adam:
I realize it’s not going to make a memory fall out of the back of our heads … I am not sure how it could have an effect either, but I think it might have to do with blood flow in the brain or perhaps causing a relaxed state does it. Personally, I have not had trouble studying by just laying back. By the way, sometimes I get confused with dream memory and what actually happened, but thankfully it doesn’t happen too often.
Atheist:
Sometime I would like to do a report on this subject of dream memory. I am going to take a psychology class next semester, and so I could probably do it then… Anyway, if I find some usefull information I am going to post a link or something.
Anadamide, which is a neuro transmitter blocks your short term memory and your ability to percieve your incoming senses. Intestingly, THC from Marijuna mimics this chemical. And, when your asleep you have alot of Andadmide in your brain. Also, since pot sticks in your system, if you are a stoner or smoked too much, you will have trouble rembering your dreams (I actually had that expercince…)
I agree with Atheist; I think dream recall is basing in most part on association, and when you wake up, the associations are “cut” - there is nothing that can remind you that dream. And that is a reason for why we forget dreams as time passes. However, when you try to “link” them to something after waking up, you won’t forget it so fast. I mean, when you describe your dream in words, there is a chance you won’t forget it - maybe because it becomes more linked to them. I used it to remember dreams from WBTB, and I found out that it doesn’t matter if you write or record a dream, but it’s important to describe it.
last night i smoked, and then i had the most vivid dream ever. along with two of the strangest ever. i clearly remember the first dream. life is but a dream, its mind over matter
Here is a wild theory. We all dream day and night. In the day we call them daydreams. How many day dreams do we remember at the end of a day that we have had during the day? Is it possible that if we train ourselves to attempt to remember them that it may help us to remember our night dreams?
), though it is true that you’re more likely to remember your most recent dream before you move at all from the position you were in when you had it.
), some could have been harmed by actions influenced by false dream-created memories. Then, a mutation may have caused one human to remember fewer dreams. This would have been beneficial (in those days), so the trait would have increased in number. Maybe that’s even why some people today have good dream recall, and others have almost none.
… I am not sure how it could have an effect either, but I think it might have to do with blood flow in the brain or perhaps causing a relaxed state does it. Personally, I have not had trouble studying by just laying back. By the way, sometimes I get confused with dream memory and what actually happened, but thankfully it doesn’t happen too often.
