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Tag: dreams

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4 posts found
Jan 30, 2025
acx
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9 min 1,310 words 311 comments 280 likes podcast (8 min)
Scott analyzes why certain themes appear in recurring dreams, proposing and examining two main theories: one based on prospective memory and another on physical sensations during sleep. Longer summary
Scott explores theories about why certain themes recur in people's dreams. He starts from an anecdote about a Jewish friend having recurring dreams about being unprepared for Shabbat, which mirrors his own dreams about being unprepared for homework or flights. He proposes that recurring dreams might be related to prospective memory - the brain's system for remembering future tasks. He then examines various common dream themes to see if they fit this theory, finding it explains some but not all types of recurring dreams. He also discusses an alternative theory about dreams being based on physical sensations during sleep, concluding there's strong evidence for the sensation theory and weaker but interesting evidence for the prospective memory theory. Shorter summary
Dec 25, 2019
ssc
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116 min 17,879 words 82 comments podcast (114 min)
This collaboration examines the empirical evidence and significance of spiritual experiences, arguing they deserve serious consideration as an important aspect of human life. Longer summary
This adversarial collaboration explores the significance of spiritual experiences as empirical evidence for a transcendent reality. The authors review psychological research, epistemological arguments, near-death experiences, and entheogen use, discussing how to interpret such experiences and their impact on individuals. While not reaching a definitive conclusion on the metaphysical reality of spiritual experiences, they argue these experiences deserve serious consideration as an important aspect of human life worthy of further exploration. Shorter summary
Aug 05, 2014
ssc
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7 min 931 words 71 comments
Scott Alexander suggests humans have 'negative creativity' due to cognitive 'ruts', and explores ways to escape these ruts, arguing that AI might have an advantage in creative thinking. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the concept of creativity, suggesting that humans have 'negative creativity' due to their brains being designed to stay in cognitive 'ruts'. He proposes that dreams, drugs, mishearing others, and metaphors are ways to escape these ruts and generate novel ideas. The post discusses examples of scientific discoveries made through dreams or drug use, and explains how adding 'noise' to thought processes might inspire creativity. Scott argues that AI might actually have an advantage in creativity, as they wouldn't have the built-in limitations humans do, and might be able to generate truly random ideas more easily. Shorter summary
Feb 14, 2014
ssc
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14 min 2,023 words 39 comments
Scott discusses various sleep disorders and dream-related conditions, emphasizing their often unsettling and bizarre nature, from Epic Dreaming Disorder to Sudden Unexpected Death Syndrome. Longer summary
This post explores various sleep disorders and dream-related conditions, highlighting their often unsettling and bizarre nature. Scott begins with humorous observations about a sleep medicine textbook, then delves into several disorders including Epic Dreaming Disorder, pathological lucid dreams, night terrors, sleep paralysis, narcolepsy, sleep violence, and prodromal dreams. He ends with a detailed discussion of Sudden Unexpected Death Syndrome, a condition affecting Southeast Asians that seems like something out of a horror story. Throughout the post, Scott emphasizes the eeriness and sometimes terrifying aspects of these conditions, drawing parallels to horror literature and films. Shorter summary