Thread: Not a cliche: the secret to lucidity: Reticular Activating System (RAS)

http://www.thriveinlife.ca/thrive/wp...ng-System1.pdf

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-...ing-system.htm

I will give you another example. Have you ever driven down a freeway on a sunny afternoon, daydreaming until
you awaken suddenly after five minutes realizing that you missed your exit? You don’t remember cars passing
you or if you passed other cars, and you don’t remember what was on the radio. It should terrify you that you
are a 3,000-pound missile flying down the freeway at 60 miles an hour, and you have no memory of the last five
minutes of your drive. How can that possibly be? It’s because day dreaming is “self-talk,” which shuts down the
Reticular Activating System and keeps you from remembering

• Regulates sleep wake transitions
• Acts as a filter for some information
• Is inhibited by daydreaming
• Is involved in attention/awareness
• Is involved with Cholinergic and Adrenergic systems

This is a really promising part of the brain to take a closer look at. This would explain why some people find it easier than others to dream lucidly. Same reason why some people find it easier to study and do well on academic tests. The RAS is the answer.

It appears that there are a lot written about that part of the brain from all kinds of fields, mostly sales.

An example that caught my attention:

You are more likely to notice the kind of car that you own or want on a street. Such information is "allowed" in, while other cars are just cars. Makes sense, no?