Aarya Patil Week 14: Repressed Memories and Dreams


While I was reading my AP Psych textbook, I came across a section regarding dreams and repressed memories. It brought up the question of how our brain decides which memories to keep and which to toss away, so I decided to research this topic further. 


As soon as we go to sleep, our brains get busy sorting through the day's events, deciding what's worth remembering. This happens in stages, from light to deep sleep, with dreams showing up most often during REM sleep—the time when our brains are super active. According to experts, dreams are like our brains trying to make sense of all the random stuff they're processing. It's almost like watching a movie made from snippets of our thoughts, feelings, and memories.


Some people can control their dreams, almost like directing a movie in their sleep. This is called lucid dreaming, and it's like having a front-row seat to your personal theater of dreams. Recent studies suggest that lucid dreaming might help us deal with tricky memories, even ones we've buried deep down, and repressed in our brain. 


But what significance do these dreams hold? According to the "activation-synthesis" theory proposed by researchers Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley, dreams are the brain's endeavor to make sense of random neural firing during REM sleep. Dreams are the mind's attempt to construct coherent narratives from fragmented memories and emotions, offering glimpses into our subconscious desires and unresolved conflicts.


But what about those memories we can't seem to put away? Well, it turns out they might show up in our dreams too. These are called repressed memories, and they're like secrets locked away in our minds. Sometimes, when we dream, these memories slip out from their hiding places, trying to tell us something important.

Dreams might be our brain's way of organizing and processing all the stuff we experience, helping us make sense of the world. The relationship between memory, dreaming, and repressed memories is intricate connections, formed from the threads of neural activity, emotion, and subconscious processing. Through the exploration of sleep and dreams, we gain invaluable insights into the inner workings of the human mind and the profound mechanisms by which memories are formed, retained, and sometimes hidden from view.


Activation Synthesis Model of Dreaming 

Lucid Dreams: Definition, Benefits, Dangers, How to Do It 

Lucid Dreaming: A State of Consciousness. 

Comments

  1. Andrelina HsuApril 17, 2024 at 12:36 AM

    Hey Aarya! Dreams have always been a gray area for me because I tend to dream very vivid yet completely random dreams, and after reading your blog, it cleared things up for me. Similar to what you wrote about dreams being a tool for our brains to make sense of our daily memories and experiences, I’ve found that there actually exists a pattern in my own seemingly random dreams. For example, during my nap today, I dreamt about two people that I have never talked to in real life and only knew who they were through mutual friends. I found this very weird because, out of all the people I could have dreamt about, my brain chose to dream about considerably irrelevant people in my life. This has repeatedly happened to me, where people who I barely even know would make up the main storyline of my dreams. However, your blog made me realize that these dreams are not just a mishmash of random thoughts and images but could actually be windows into my subconscious mind, trying to make sense of the world in its own way. This got me wondering: How much of our dreamscape is a reflection of our conscious experiences, and how much is shaped by the subconscious, with its complicated maze of forgotten memories and buried emotions? Additionally, I found that your insights into the "activation-synthesis" theory are really valuable and highlight the significance of dreams as our brain's attempt to create coherence in the midst of neural activity during REM sleep. It's fascinating to consider how dreams can act as such a powerful tool through which fragmented memories and emotions are explored, offering glimpses into our hidden desires, unresolved conflicts, and even more. In turn, I agree with the idea that dreams play a crucial role in organizing and processing the experiences we encounter in our daily lives, as they offer a unique perspective on the inner workings of our minds, providing valuable insights into the mechanisms by which memories are formed, retained, and sometimes hidden from view.

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  2. Rashmi NavalpakkamApril 17, 2024 at 5:32 PM

    Hi Aarya,
    I think that your topic on connecting memories to sleep is really unique. I often think of sleep as the time I mentally check-out and am completely inactive. However, after reading your blog, I’ve realized that it’s truly remarkable how our brains stay active to such an extent during our sleep. It’s even more remarkable that the dreams we have actually correlate with our brain activity and the information our brain is processing. I often dream about a lot of random things which I think have absolutely no correlation with my life; however, after reading your blog, I believe there may be some connection after all. This is a very insightful realization because it may correlate to how our subconscious mind and body works. It was also very enlightening to learn that some people can actually control their dreams through lucid dreaming. In my experience, whenever I dream, it is much like the movie analogy rather than me actually being in control. In fact, sometimes my dreams get so crazy and ridiculous that I feel as though I’m permanently strapped onto a roller coaster and forcefully being dragged along as I see the most random things in life. Despite all this and the fact that dreams may be our door to our subconscious mind - which would be so interesting to explore - I can also resonate with your idea that dreams are our brain’s way of organizing information and helping us make sense of the world. Overall, I really enjoyed your blog and am glad I learned something new about dreaming and my subconscious state of mind!

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