Dreams: Exercise For The Brain, New Study Suggests

psychology.about.com:

According to a new study by sleep and dream expert J. Allan Hobson, dreams might just be the brain's way of preparing for all of experiences it will encounter upon waking.

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Let us suppose that we each wore one of those new pendant neck cameras. That record a person’s adventures and encounters during the day. When evening comes that data must be downloaded and stored. If it is to be made accessible and useable, at some future date. Achieving that, requires a process of classification. In the same manner that paperwork might be stored alphabetically, in order to assist rapid retrieval. While this takes place the conscious mind might rest. But should it stir, and notice this filing task occurring, it could be presented with a jumble of information. Exposed in a plethora of part-open draws. From which it might try to assemble some sort of sensible story. Or at least do its best.
Similarly, if the solution to a sum was required by an individual. One means to achieve this would be to devise an equation. Then input values and work it out. Or else, all possible computations could be sequentially attempted in a computer program. Until an acceptably valid answer resulted. Thus, freed from interference and other daily duties, the mind might review all the possibilities. No matter how preposterous some might normally seem. If observed in this endeavour, consciousness might register the nonsensical nature of those seeming random comparative combinations. And seek to explain that procedure away.

[kwinter]

"Their content, in this view, is a kind of crude test run for what the coming day may hold."

Could that be why my dog, after wearing herself out, protecting us from the dreaded trespassing possum up a tree in our yard a few nights ago, came in, collapsed, and whined, rooed, and ran in her sleep half the night?
She's run to the same spot at the same time every night since, and repeated her antics and dreams. Were her very vocal dreams preparing her for the next adventure? ..... Or was she just re-living it?

[wm1066]

Dreams; the way that angels talk to us!