A theory of dreams
Philip Dorrell
A Theory of Dreams
------------------
Many dreams are frightening, and this follows logically from the situations
occurring in the dreams. When a single result follows from a variety of
different circumstances, and there is no obvious reason why this result should
be most probable, then we suspect purposeful behaviour. In other words, dreams
are frightening because someone or something wants them to be.
I propose a split personality theory of dreaming. One personality is the
Dream Reactor, who experiences and reacts to the dream, and is identified with
the waking personality in its motivations. The second is the Dream Creator,
which has a different set of motivations. Sometimes its motive is to frighten
the Reactor, but not always, because not all dreams are frightening. Some more
general motive can be supposed.
One possibility is that the Creator is like a software tester, looking for
situations where the Reactor does not react as he (or she) should. A software
tester knows that the program writer has already tested his program on ordinary
nice data, and will spend more time on testing the program on unusual or extreme
input values. Nightmares correspond to extreme motivation or input, most other
dreams can probably be classified as unusual.
One thing this theory explains is why dreams normally seem real. The feeling
of realness is an illusion deliberately created by the Dream Creator. A
frightening dream wouldn't be really frightening if it was known to be just
pretend. Furthermore, sometimes a dreamer knows in his dream that he is just
dreaming, and then he dreams that he wakes up. This can be seen as deliberate
ploy by the Dream Creator to reinstate the illusion of reality.
Nightmares often occur after a very frightening or unpleasant real-life
experience, sometimes for a long time afterward. An explanation for this is not
that the real-life experience creates some need for the dreams, but rather that
the real-life experience provides readily available material that the Dream
Creator can use to frighten the Dream Reactor.
This theory is different from traditional theories of dreaming where dreams
are supposed to have hidden and symbolic meanings. Any comments and criticism
would be welcome.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philip Dorrell, Government Printing Office, Wellington, New Zealand.
Home : 64B Pembroke Rd, Northland, Wellington, New Zealand.
roy schmidt
>
> A Theory of Dreams
> ------------------
>
>Many dreams are frightening, and this follows logically from the situations
>occurring in the dreams. When a single result follows from a variety of
>different circumstances, and there is no obvious reason why this result should
>be most probable, then we suspect purposeful behaviour. In other words, dreams
>are frightening because someone or something wants them to be.
>
>Philip Dorrell, Government Printing Office, Wellington, New Zealand.
The Master said, "As I slept under the tree, I had a dream that I was a
great butterfly, floating on the breeze. Then I awoke. My question is,
'Am I a man dreaming that I was a butterfly, or even now a butterfly
dreaming that I am a man?'" -- paraphrased from Zhuangzi
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Roy Schmidt | #include <disclaimer.h>
Indiana University | /* They are _my_ thoughts, and you can't
Graduate School of Business | have them, so there! */
John Baldwin
>are frightening because someone or something wants them to be.
What if the "something" was external?
anthony.r.rizzo
#In article <1267.2...@gp.govt.nz> phi...@gp.govt.nz (Philip Dorrell) writes:
#>
#> A Theory of Dreams
#> ------------------
#>
#>Many dreams are frightening, and this follows logically from the situations
#>occurring in the dreams. When a single result follows from a variety of
#>different circumstances, and there is no obvious reason why this result should
#>be most probable, then we suspect purposeful behaviour. In other words, dreams
#>are frightening because someone or something wants them to be.
#>
#[Philosophical points deleted -- no offense, please!]
#
#>Philip Dorrell, Government Printing Office, Wellington, New Zealand.
#
#The Master said, "As I slept under the tree, I had a dream that I was a
#great butterfly, floating on the breeze. Then I awoke. My question is,
#'Am I a man dreaming that I was a butterfly, or even now a butterfly
#dreaming that I am a man?'" -- paraphrased from Zhuangzi
#
Does it matter to the tree?
--
----------------------------------- tony -----------------------------------
Leping N Zha
and I think it might be interest to some readers here.
So far as I know, Mr. Yan's current U.S.A. trip also include a lecture in
the Medical School of Havard University, Boston, MA this week.
Please reply to the original posters should you have any questions.
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From zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!uxa.cso.uiuc.edu!xhg0998 Fri Jul 6 09:40:00 EDT 1990
Article 35819 of soc.culture.china:
Path: unix.cis.pitt.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!uxa.cso.uiuc.edu!xhg0998
>From: xhg...@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.china
Subject: Qigung Master Yen Xin Visiting UIUC
Message-ID: <7570...@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: 3 Jul 90 05:11:00 GMT
Lines: 78
Nf-ID: #N:uxa.cso.uiuc.edu:75700107:000:4324
Nf-From: uxa.cso.uiuc.edu!xhg0998 Jul 3 00:11:00 1990
Mystery!! Mystery!! Mystery!! Mystery!!
***Qigung Master Yen Xin Is Visiting UI***
Time: 7:00 pm, July 11
Place: To Be Announced
Content: Speech and On-Spot-Healing Show
Qigung is an ancient breathing art of 7000 years history, a legacy
of ancient Chinese culture. It is a system of philosophy and a physical as
well as mental training method for cultivating moral spirit, strengthening
body, exploring latent physical ability, prolonging life, and better
developing human beings.
Now, the most famous Chinese Qigung Master, Dr. Yen Xin, is visiting
Univeristy of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, upon the invitation of the Chinese
Student & Scholar Solidarity Union, to give a speech and healing show.
Combining the advantages of Chinese traditional medicine and the
western medicine sciences and using his fantastic latent physical ability
-- a special ability possessed by only high level of Qigung Masters, Dr. Yen Xin
has cured uncountable typical diseases, which are uncurable by other methods.
Some of the cases have shown miraculous effects. As a few of examples, he
cured a smashed bone-broken patient within tens minutes and a cancer
patient in few hours; he helped a deaf, who lost hearing for over 30 years,
regained hearing in a short time; he even healed a AIDS patient in Hong Kong.
Just weeks ago, he treated other 5 AIDS patient in the Mind Research Center,
San Francisco. The effect of this treatment is being under examination.
Mr. Yen Xin was a physician of the Traditional Chinese Medicine
Research Institute of Chungqing in Sichuan Province of China. He had studied
in tow colleges of western medicines before he studied traditional Chinese
medicine. He was a graduate of University of Sichuan Traditional Chinese
Medicine. He had been a teacher of traditional Chinese medicine for 5 years.
During the past decade, he has engaged in research on traditional Chinese
medicine and sciences of human body. He has made numerous successful
scientific experiments cooperated with many universities and research
institutes and made many presentations and performances about Chinese Qigung.
He visited Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong many times. He is now visiting US to
attend an International Conference of Chinese Qigung.
In addition to his healing ability using his Qigung art only, he
even induced a 14 year old girl to possess an incredibile ability of
maintaining 997 days life without food but a small amount of water on
occasion and still keep healthy. To explore the mystery of Qigung, he
has cooperated Qinghua University, Beijing University, Chinese Academy of
Sciences and many other reserach institutes and engaged in wide research
programs including Medicine, Biology, Physics, Nuclear Energy, CHemistry,
Optics, Astronomy, Geography, Industry and Agriculture. The resucts have
shown that the latent potentiality of human body far exceeds the contemporary
knowledge of sciences. The energy and message emitted by a Qigung master
can influence or change the structure of test samples without touching them
or even at 6 to 2000 Kilometers away, and, more surprisingly, change the
radiation rate of any isotopes at any level.
For satisfying thousands and thousands patient and Qigung fans, he
has given Qigung healing and lectureing show ( a special lecture and
healing show, during which he emits energy and message to the audiences)
hundreds times, each with more than ten thousands audiences. He has cured
uncountable patients and published over 40 books and video/audio tapes.
He donated all incomes to charitable or scientific organizations.
Dr. Yen Xin's most important contribution lies in that his research
work promoted Qigung -- a mystery of ancient Chinese culture -- to the
palace of modern sciences. Chinese Government has invested lots of money
into the Qigung research. Some famous Chinese scientists, like Dr. Qian Xuesen
even claimed that the most fruitful and important science of the next century
would be Qigung Science. It might stimulate a new revolution in modern
sciences and human evolution.
Seeing is believing. Those who are in the front of scientific
research, or those who have difficult diseases, or those who won't believe
such miracles, don't miss this sole chance. Watch for the announcement of the
place.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!rutgers!rochester!cornell!vax8530!dhsy Fri Jul 6 09:45:39 EDT 1990
Article 35911 of soc.culture.china:
Path: unix.cis.pitt.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!rutgers!rochester!cornell!vax8530!dhsy
>From: dh...@vax5.cit.cornell.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.china
Subject: Re: Qigung Master Yen Xin Visiting UIUC
Message-ID: <4483.2...@vax5.cit.cornell.edu>
Date: 6 Jul 90 06:53:59 GMT
References: <7570...@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> <11...@sdcc6.ucsd.edu>
Distribution: soc
Lines: 19
In article <11...@sdcc6.ucsd.edu>, bog...@sdbio2.ucsd.edu (Bill Bogstad/Sejnofski) writes:
> Wait until he meets 'the Amazing Randi' ;-). I would love to
> see any follow-ups on this.
QiGong is a self-adjustment and fine-tuning process of one's own body.
Its theology is not understood by western type of science, such as
physics, chemistry and biology. By practicing it, one could have some
abilities that a common person doesn't have. However these abilities are
not magic. They are real.
There are also people in China who could make stuff disappear, move to
other space-time, magically. Those people do not practice QiGong, and
QiGong does nothing in completing such kind of tasks, assuming these
people are not swindlers. I personally do not believe those so called
"extraordinary-ability" individuals. Again, they are not QiGong masters,
they probably know nothing about QiGong at all. They were born to be
superpersons, not by practicing or cultivating.
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From zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!BUCRSB.BU.EDU!lix Fri Jul 6 09:47:02 EDT 1990
Article 35913 of soc.culture.china:
Path: unix.cis.pitt.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!BUCRSB.BU.EDU!lix
>From: l...@BUCRSB.BU.EDU
Newsgroups: soc.culture.china
Subject: Re: Qigung Master Yen Xin Visiting UIUC
Message-ID: <900706110...@amazon.bu.edu>
Date: 6 Jul 90 11:08:04 GMT
References: <900706004...@amazon.bu.edu>
Sender: dae...@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Lines: 23
Thank the netters who answered my question by e-mail. So, Randi went to China
in 1988, he was the one who challenge the Qigong masters. Here is a true story
about how they met.
In a top Chinese medical institution, a very famous Qigong master is invited
to open a special clinic. A car is specially for his need, because he is so
famous, that he needs frequently to go to ZhongNanHai to serve the veteran
leaders. It is said that this master can move things out from a bottle or
even a safe-box by his Qigong, without touching either the bottle or the
object (YiNian YiWu).
In Randi's trip, Randi challenged this master by putting 10,000 dollars in a
bottle of Randi's own. If the master could move it out, then the money would
be his, and Randi would be beaten.
The master refused to do so. Randi thought he had won, and left.
But in fact when the master refused, he said something like that the purpose
of his practice in Qigong, is to serve the patients, not for money. So, in
Chinese version of this story, this Qigong master wins! He got even more
famous and more believers!
I'd like to know how this was described in the CSICOP report.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!ucsd!ucbvax!bucrsb.bu.edu!lix Fri Jul 6 09:48:51 EDT 1990
Article 35904 of soc.culture.china:
Path: unix.cis.pitt.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!ucsd!ucbvax!bucrsb.bu.edu!lix
>From: l...@bucrsb.bu.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.china
Subject: Re: Qigung Master Yen Xin Visiting UIUC
Message-ID: <900706004...@amazon.bu.edu>
Date: 6 Jul 90 00:40:22 GMT
Sender: dae...@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Lines: 9
In article <11...@sdcc6.ucsd.edu>, Bill Bogstad/Sejnofski wrote:
"Wait until he meets 'the Amazing Randi' ;-). I would love to
see any follow-ups on this."
Please excuse my ignorance, who is this Amazing Randi? A few years ago,
there was a famous American magician visiting China to challenge Qi-gong
masters, but I can't recall his name. If he is the Amazing Randi, then
they may have met before.
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From zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!ucsd!sdcc6!sdbio2!bogstad Fri Jul 6 09:49:08 EDT 1990
Article 35902 of soc.culture.china:
Path: unix.cis.pitt.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!ucsd!sdcc6!sdbio2!bogstad
>From: bog...@sdbio2.ucsd.edu (Bill Bogstad/Sejnofski)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.china
Subject: Re: Qigung Master Yen Xin Visiting UIUC
Message-ID: <11...@sdcc6.ucsd.edu>
Date: 5 Jul 90 23:01:45 GMT
References: <7570...@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>
Sender: ne...@sdcc6.ucsd.edu
Reply-To: y...@kuffler.sdsc.edu
Organization: University of California, San Diego
Lines: 2
Wait until he meets 'the Amazing Randi' ;-). I would love to
see any follow-ups on this.
------------------------------------------------------------- THE END ----------
Thank you for your attentions.