I've noticed that when people talk about dreams, they usually mean one of two different things, which, after reading a couple of debates, I thought I'd mention. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course, which is why I'm posting mine.
On the one hand, there is the stage after the R.E.M. cycle when your subconscious unravels bits of your day, your desires, random colors, whatever into a personal performance in which your interaction within it varies from person to person. On the other hand, some people refer to the meaning behind this dream, the hope, the fear that caused you to see or experience whatever it was. This dream within a dream is a very popular subject of discussion. Dream interpreters earn their living by decoding symbols to give a meaning to your subconscious' work.
Aren't the sleep dream and the meaning dream to separate things? Sleep dreams (dreams, not nightmares mind you) don't affect us. Once you assign a meaning to a dream, you reevaluate your position in life, your hopes or fears or aspirations, whatever it may be. Sleep dreams do not so much as make your sleep restless, thats caused by a wandering mind and/or tension.
So if sleep dreams and dreams within a dream are not the same, why the fuss? Why debate over the scientific phenomena and the amount of signals that pass through your brain and where when dreaming. Not to say this isn't interesting, some people obviously find it fascinating. However, there is no science vs interpreters in this. Dream interpreters, people who see messages in their dreams, are focusing on a different aspect completely from scientists.
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Probably because the scientists and the interpreters just can't seem to leave each other alone. They love to insist that the dream has meaning or not--honestly, anyone can gleam the secrets of the universe from anything, given enough mental connections and contemplation.
This is a rock! See rock. Rock is part of nature. Nature is inhabitant of earth. Earth is part of solar system. Solar system is part of galaxy! Galaxy is part of universe. Universe is part of?
So rock is part of universe--perhaps the rock contains within it a part of the universe by the fact that it exists within the universe, and it seems that all things existing have some traces of those that created them? Ah, but I'm starting to sound like I'm preaching intelligent design.
But you get the idea.
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Are people not reading your blogs?
I do get the idea, and it amuses me and is kind of sad, for lack of a better term. People spending so much effort to run around in circles.