Dreams: Difference between revisions - PsychonautWiki Archive

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'''Dreams''' are defined as the succession of hallucinatory images, scenarios, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily within the mind during certain stages of sleep. Although the content and purpose of dreams are not well understood they have been a topic of scientific research, as well as philosophical and religious interest throughout many aspects of recorded history. There is solid scientific evidence which clearly indicates that dreams are a common occurrence throughout the lives of most human beings and other mammals in general.<ref>Do Animals Dream? Science Shows Of Course They Do, Rats Too | http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animal-emotions/201212/do-animals-dream-science-shows-course-they-do-rats-too</ref> Although there may be many [[psychoactive substance index|psychoactive substances]] which are capable of inducing realistic [[internal hallucinations|hallucinations]], it is worth noting that these compounds simply induce a state of mind during waking consciousness which the brain is already adept at generating during normal sleep.{{citation needed}}

Dreams may be broken down into five differing levels of clarity and intensity described below:

#'''Imaginative visualization''' - At the lowest level, a person may experience a heightened state of mental visualization that one drifts into when daydreaming or using their imagination. This state results in a level of visualization that is mostly felt internally within the mind's eye instead of being visually perceived. It can be described as a short-term detachment from a person's immediate surroundings, during which a person's contact with reality is blurred and partially substituted by a fantasy. The generation of the details of this internal visualization are partially autonomous in nature, but mostly controlled by the content of one's current thought stream. This level is extremely common and occurs frequently during waking consciousness on a daily basis.

#'''Partially defined hypnagogia''' - At this level, the experience of daydreaming and general imagination begins to progressively heighten and form into what is known as "hypnagogia". This is defined as the experience of the transitional state between wakefulness to sleep and generally consists of hearing indistinct noises and seeing faded imagery behind closed eyelids. This level is commonly experienced as a person begins to fall asleep.

#'''Fully defined hypnagogia''' - At this level, the vividness and intensity slightly increases and spontaneous imagery becomes fully defined in its appearance and is now seen within a person's direct line of sight under closed eyelids. Alongside this, audible noises, such as fleeting voices, music, and general [[auditory hallucinations]] are often present.

#'''Partially defined dreams''' - At this level, the ability to hallucinate increases, with random flashes of spontaneous hallucinatory scenarios beginning to show themselves. The hallucinations longer consist of fleeting imagery on the back of a person's closed eyelids, but become sustained as all-encompassing settings which surround the dreamer in what feels like a breakthrough into an alternate reality. In terms of sensory vividness, the dreams are not completely defined in their appearance or sound. This means that they often display themselves as partially to completely blurred and transparent. Additionally, the dreamer's physical body will often still feel at least partially connected to the real world. Other senses, such as touch, taste, and smell, may be extremely vague or entirely absent.

#'''Fully defined dreams''' - At the highest level, all five senses are replicated perfectly as the dream becomes completely realistic and indistinguishable from that of everyday reality in terms of the detail and sensory vividness that they provide. These sensations are equally capable of including both positive sensations, such as sexual orgasm, and negative sensations, such as pain and physical bodily harm.

==Subjective effects==

===Internally sourced sensory input===

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 '''Dreams''' are defined as the succession of hallucinatory images, scenarios, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily within the mind during certain stages of sleep. Although the content and purpose of dreams are not well understood they have been a topic of scientific research, as well as philosophical and religious interest throughout many aspects of recorded history. There is solid scientific evidence which clearly indicates that dreams are a common occurrence throughout the lives of most human beings and other mammals in general.<ref>Do Animals Dream? Science Shows Of Course They Do, Rats Too | http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animal-emotions/201212/do-animals-dream-science-shows-course-they-do-rats-too</ref> Although there may be many [[psychoactive substance index|psychoactive substances]] which are capable of inducing realistic [[internal hallucinations|hallucinations]], it is worth noting that these compounds simply induce a state of mind during waking consciousness which the brain is already adept at generating during normal sleep.{{citation needed}}
+Dreams may be broken down into five differing levels of clarity and intensity described below:
+#'''Imaginative visualization''' - At the lowest level, a person may experience a heightened state of mental visualization that one drifts into when daydreaming or using their imagination. This state results in a level of visualization that is mostly felt internally within the mind's eye instead of being visually perceived. It can be described as a short-term detachment from a person's immediate surroundings, during which a person's contact with reality is blurred and partially substituted by a fantasy. The generation of the details of this internal visualization are partially autonomous in nature, but mostly controlled by the content of one's current thought stream. This level is extremely common and occurs frequently during waking consciousness on a daily basis.
+#'''Partially defined hypnagogia''' - At this level, the experience of daydreaming and general imagination begins to progressively heighten and form into what is known as "hypnagogia". This is defined as the experience of the transitional state between wakefulness to sleep and generally consists of hearing indistinct noises and seeing faded imagery behind closed eyelids. This level is commonly experienced as a person begins to fall asleep.
+#'''Fully defined hypnagogia''' - At this level, the vividness and intensity slightly increases and spontaneous imagery becomes fully defined in its appearance and is now seen within a person's direct line of sight under closed eyelids. Alongside this, audible noises, such as fleeting voices, music, and general [[auditory hallucinations]] are often present.
+#'''Partially defined dreams''' - At this level, the ability to hallucinate increases, with random flashes of spontaneous hallucinatory scenarios beginning to show themselves. The hallucinations longer consist of fleeting imagery on the back of a person's closed eyelids, but become sustained as all-encompassing settings which surround the dreamer in what feels like a breakthrough into an alternate reality. In terms of sensory vividness, the dreams are not completely defined in their appearance or sound. This means that they often display themselves as partially to completely blurred and transparent. Additionally, the dreamer's physical body will often still feel at least partially connected to the real world. Other senses, such as touch, taste, and smell, may be extremely vague or entirely absent.
+#'''Fully defined dreams''' - At the highest level, all five senses are replicated perfectly as the dream becomes completely realistic and indistinguishable from that of everyday reality in terms of the detail and sensory vividness that they provide. These sensations are equally capable of including both positive sensations, such as sexual orgasm, and negative sensations, such as pain and physical bodily harm.
 ==Subjective effects==
 ===Internally sourced sensory input===