The Well | The evolutionary significance of dreaming | Patrick McNamara @The-Well | Uploaded May 2023 | Updated October 2024, 45 minutes ago.
Ancient societies revered dreams. Modern science tells us why.
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Experimental neuroscientist Patrick McNamara argues that the dream state, specifically REM sleep, is crucial to human creativity and cultural evolution. During REM sleep, the brain creates a highly cholinergic environment that promotes connections between disparate ideas, resulting in innovative and creative outcomes unique to the human species.
A landmark characteristic of REM sleep is a dissociative state where unrelated ideas combine to create innovative solutions to problems. McNamara suggests that while society today has somewhat lost its reverence for the power of dreaming, traditional cultures valued them highly for these properties. By harnessing the benefits of REM sleep, individuals may be able to unlock their creative potential and solve some of the most pressing issues facing humanity.
In a world where innovation is highly valued, McNamara's theory on the power of the dream state may revolutionize our approach to problem-solving. He asserts that in re-evaluating our relationship with the dream state, it has the potential unlock new solutions to the challenges facing our world — and in turn, to drive cultural evolution.
Read the full video transcript: bigthink.com/the-well/evolutionary-purpose-of-dreaming-REM
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Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.
So what do they think?
How is the power of science advancing understanding? How are philosophers and theologians tackling these fascinating questions?
Let’s dive into The Well.
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Ancient societies revered dreams. Modern science tells us why.
❍ Subscribe to The Well on YouTube: bit.ly/welcometothewell
❍ Up next: How humans evolved to be intelligent youtube.com/watch?v=D5PaLs80MRc
Experimental neuroscientist Patrick McNamara argues that the dream state, specifically REM sleep, is crucial to human creativity and cultural evolution. During REM sleep, the brain creates a highly cholinergic environment that promotes connections between disparate ideas, resulting in innovative and creative outcomes unique to the human species.
A landmark characteristic of REM sleep is a dissociative state where unrelated ideas combine to create innovative solutions to problems. McNamara suggests that while society today has somewhat lost its reverence for the power of dreaming, traditional cultures valued them highly for these properties. By harnessing the benefits of REM sleep, individuals may be able to unlock their creative potential and solve some of the most pressing issues facing humanity.
In a world where innovation is highly valued, McNamara's theory on the power of the dream state may revolutionize our approach to problem-solving. He asserts that in re-evaluating our relationship with the dream state, it has the potential unlock new solutions to the challenges facing our world — and in turn, to drive cultural evolution.
Read the full video transcript: bigthink.com/the-well/evolutionary-purpose-of-dreaming-REM
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
❍ About The Well ❍
Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.
So what do they think?
How is the power of science advancing understanding? How are philosophers and theologians tackling these fascinating questions?
Let’s dive into The Well.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Join The Well on your favorite platforms:
❍ Facebook: bit.ly/thewellFB
❍ Instagram: bit.ly/thewellIG
