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Re: Jung’s house dream reinterpreted

To add context to Griffin's approach to dream here are excerpts from The expectation fulfilment theory. Specifically excerpts that fit with my philosophy 0n dreams {as denoted by ***}

Why do we dream?
The expectation fulfilment theory of dreaming

*** Dreaming is Nature’s solution to the problems emotions cause animals and humans. (An emotion is another word for an expectation.) Stress, for example, is caused by an accumulation of arousal patterns in the autonomic nervous system that are not being dearoused by taking the necessary actions that would do so. end ***

The prime function of dreams is to metaphorically act out undischarged emotional arousals (expectations) that were not acted out during the previous day. By dreaming we complete the arousal/dearousal circuit so as to wake up with an unstressed autonomic nervous system and our instincts intact.

If we have happy positive expectations we have happy dreams, but, when this system is overstretched and the dreaming process cannot cope with the amount of negative expectations (as when people continually worry), sleep balance is disturbed, dreams are miserable, even nightmarish, and depression can set in. An extreme stress overload can interfere with the process to such an extent that psychotic symptoms arise (schizophrenia is waking reality perceived through the dreaming brain).



Metaphors

***The brain is constantly matching patterns, asking in effect, "what is this incoming sensory information like?" It is continually comparing and contrasting the incoming data it receives for similarities with innate instincts or memories so it can know what to expect. It has to do this in order to decide how to act. This is known as 'metaphorical pattern matching' and is why the unfulfilled emotional expectations left over from the day are run out in the form of metaphors in dreams during REM sleep.end *** Without this happening the brain would not be freed up to deal with any new emotionally arousing events the following day.

***There are good reasons why all dream content is metaphorical and not directly about the concerns of the day. Firstly, the brain cannot generate "real world" reality without feedback from the environment. So, since all our senses are switched off whilst we are dreaming, instead of the brain seeking to fulfil the patterns of arousal externally, it does so internally, drawing on memories that have emotional and metaphorical resonances with the unresolved arousal patterns in the autonomic nervous system. This is why dreams often seem so odd; they draw on memories and images from your entire life, even though they are only about unacted out arousals from the previous day. So every person you see in a dream is standing in metaphorically for someone else in real life. end ***

Secondly, without using metaphorical translations the brain would either be forced to create false emotional memories or be left with massively significant gaps in memory.

In the first case if the brain acted out unexpressed waking expectations and committed that experience to memory it would have created false memories. It could, of course, be argued that we have the ability to distinguish dreams from waking reality. But that would be missing the point. The ***emotional conditioning of our reactions would have still taken place even if we were subsequently able to separate dreams from real memories*** end. Just as someone with a phobia of spiders, who knows intellectually that they are not a real threat to them, still has the emotional conditioning triggered off and scream whenever they see one.

On the other hand, if the brain chooses to forget the dream (which is what happens) it would create gaps in memory for what actually happened since the dream will involve both real and fantasy experiences. This would be equally disastrous because a memory system with significant memories missing would be next to useless as a basis for predicting the future, as is the case with people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. By using analogy or metaphor whilst dreaming the brain can discharge the arousal, safely forget the metaphorical dream material and keep the original record of what really happened filed away in memory.


Comments
Here are other areas {other than noted} I either disagree with or can except as a possibility but not completely agree with.

Griffin: The prime function of dreams is to metaphorically act out undischarged emotional arousals (expectations) that were not acted out during the previous day. By dreaming we complete the arousal/dearousal circuit so as to wake up with an unstressed autonomic nervous system and our instincts intact.

Comments: I don't agree that the prime function of dreams is to metaphorically act out undischarged emotional arousals. It could be one function of dreams but my position is dreams are nature's mechanism to help resolve emotional conflicts/issues. I take Jung's position on dreams
According to Jung, dreams are a way of communicating and acquainting yourself with the unconscious. Dreams are not attempts to conceal your true feelings from the waking mind, but rather they are a window to your unconscious. They serve to guide the waking self to achieve wholeness and offer a solution to a problem you are facing in your waking life.


Whereas it could be true that dreams are used to 'act out' undischarged emotional arousals I don't see dreams using metaphor as a tool to do so. Acting out undischarged emotional energies instead or arousals seems to be better terminology. But that would be a secondary application. The prime function of dreams is dealing with unresolved emotional energies. The emotional issues in life, those stored within the unconscious that possessed strong emotional energies {ie physical/emotional abuse as a child, unresolved traumatic experiences in life}.

As for dreams using metaphorical as a way of acting out undischarged arousals, I don't see this. Dreams use metaphorical images/symbols because evolutionary processes in the brain take the undeveloped primordial lower brain's inability to process language. Instead symbols are used that are metaphorical of the emotional energies {for more on the brain and dreams see my post The Brain, Dreams and Dreaming}.

Jerry

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 67 Male Cocoa, Fl


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