dream analysis. what do athiests think?

[alias]

well the topic title says it all.

is a dream somthing that can be tested?  since it has results that have been scrutinized, then i think it can.

thanks.

[JillSwift]

Too broad a question. Anything can be analyzed and/or tested.

To what end?

[Heretical Rants]

The way I figure it, dreams are a very good indication of what our subconscious mind is up to, but not much else.
Since our subconscious mind is very clever, this is more than it may seem.

[Squid]

Dream analysis is a joke.

[McQ]

Dream analysis is a joke.

I agree and add to this. It's a joke that has nothing to do with whether or not one is an atheist.

[Sophus]

Dream analysis is a joke.

I disagree. They can be off sometimes and be different for different individuals, indeed. But there is a science to it.

[curiosityandthecat]

Dream analysis is a joke.

I disagree. They can be off sometimes and be different for different individuals, indeed. But there is a science to it.

Agreed. I think any sort of broadly painted dream analysis loses its efficacy, but for one person to learn about his or her own subconscious by recording themes in dreams and trying to match them with related occurrences in life isn't that strange. Not sure I'd call it a science, but since each person is different I'd call it a potential correlation.

For instance, if one person repeatedly dreamed of elephants after having arguments with a spouse, that doesn't mean that marital strife is always represented by large animals. Another's large animals dream could be indicative of a feeling of insignificance at the workplace. Who knows.

[JillSwift]

Agreed. I think any sort of broadly painted dream analysis loses its efficacy, but for one person to learn about his or her own subconscious by recording themes in dreams and trying to match them with related occurrences in life isn't that strange. Not sure I'd call it a science, but since each person is different I'd call it a potential correlation.

For instance, if one person repeatedly dreamed of elephants after having arguments with a spouse, that doesn't mean that marital strife is always represented by large animals. Another's large animals dream could be indicative of a feeling of insignificance at the workplace. Who knows.

Before one tries to understand their subconscious, I'd suggest first finding out if there is such a thing.

The definition commonly used is rather silly, suggesting this alternate form of consciousness, like a homunculus whispering things into the conscious mind. A more clinical definition might be: all those processes that underpin actual consciousness. If it's more like the second definition, then what is there to learn about it, as it is part and parcel of your self. Any form of introspection would by definition be a study of your consciousness and it's underpinnings.

Also, do dreams come from those non-conscious processes? Lucid dreamers make me wonder if dreams are a conscious process - a stream-of-thoughts sort of thing. This would put dreams on par with one's fantasy life, and that makes sense to me.

Curio, your last paragraph there makes one hella-important point. There really isn't any way - currently at least - to differentiate correlation form causation. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, sometimes an elephant is just a pachyderm. Because of this, I don't think treating images in a dream as meaningful symbols yields any trustworthy results. However, I do see some usefulness in looking at how you felt during the dream.

FMRI studies of sleepers shows the limbic system lit up like the Vegas strip, while the frontal lobes are relatively quiet. Some interpret this to mean that as the mind rests, the emotions are free to play out. The mind may well be spending time putting images to these emotions, perhaps randomly, or perhaps specifically if the emotions are closely related to recent incidents.

I'd like to reiterate a point made earlier: Not one ounce of what I'm saying has a thing to do with atheism. My opinions here are based on my psych-geekery, science-headedness and skepticism.

[Dragon_Of_Heavon]

I would agree with Jill on her initial point that anything can be tested, however if what you are asking is whether or not dreams have meaning than I would say that they are a mirroring of what is inside.

[Heretical Rants]

Before one tries to understand their subconscious, I'd suggest first finding out if there is such a thing.

Do you consciously think out each and every keystroke you must make when you type, or measure out every tiny nuance in your language?

Do you consciously make all the calculations involved in keeping your bipedal body balanced when you walk, or how fast your legs must spring in order to jump a certain distance?

Do you consciously measure out the proportions and textures of another person's drawing to determine whether it is realistic or not?

Curio, your last paragraph there makes one hella-important point. There really isn't any way - currently at least - to differentiate correlation form causation. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, sometimes an elephant is just a pachyderm. Because of this, I don't think treating images in a dream as meaningful symbols yields any trustworthy results.

Of course not.  That's just silly!

[JillSwift]

Do you consciously think out each and every keystroke you must make when you type, or measure out every tiny nuance in your language?

Do you consciously make all the calculations involved in keeping your bipedal body balanced when you walk, or how fast your legs must spring in order to jump a certain distance?

Do you consciously measure out the proportions and textures of another person's drawing to determine whether it is realistic or not?

Do you know the difference between non-conscious processes and the sub-conscious?

Of course not.  That's just silly!

And yet classic "dream analysis" relies on it. Go figure.

[Heretical Rants]

Duh, the classic "dream analysis" is rubbish.

That doesn't necessarily mean that there is nothing to dreams.

Do you know the difference between non-conscious processes and the sub-conscious?

The point is that the processes behind these actions are beyond the capacity of our conscious mind.

[JillSwift]

The point is that the processes behind these actions are beyond the capacity of our conscious mind.

As an answer to my suggestion one make sure there is such a thing as a sub-conscious, I don't get it.

[Sophus]

Dream analysis is a joke.

I disagree. They can be off sometimes and be different for different individuals, indeed. But there is a science to it.

Agreed. I think any sort of broadly painted dream analysis loses its efficacy, but for one person to learn about his or her own subconscious by recording themes in dreams and trying to match them with related occurrences in life isn't that strange. Not sure I'd call it a science, but since each person is different I'd call it a potential correlation.

For instance, if one person repeatedly dreamed of elephants after having arguments with a spouse, that doesn't mean that marital strife is always represented by large animals. Another's large animals dream could be indicative of a feeling of insignificance at the workplace. Who knows.

I suppose I consider it a cognitive science (or psychology). I wouldn't expect great accuracy with general use dream analysis but I can see credibility in there being patterns to human thinking. Subconsciously we probably associate things with feelings. And while each person will differ I think the subconscious is susceptible to a form of "memes".

[joeactor]

Interesting article on the topic:
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/090728_dream