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Thomas Edison and Salvador Dali both used the edge of sleep to create things. They would sleep holding something and drop the object as soon as they fell asleep, which woke them up and they would write down/paint what they thought/saw. My question is, What part of the brain turns off to make holding an object impossible while sleeping?
It's possible to hold objects while sleeping. For example, somebody could sleep while hugging a pillow or hold items while sleepwalking.
If an object is dropped while sleeping, it is due to not enough necessary force being exerted to hold it. Exerting force on the object to hold it may require working towards that goal. Working towards a goal requires executive functions in the brain. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is partially responsible for executive functions and shows decreased activity during NREM sleep, so that's my best guess as the most responsible part of the brain that slows down to make dropping an object possible while sleeping.
Great question! Didn't know that Edison did that. Had heard about Dali doing it. Just found this about Edison:Quote:
Originally Posted by JShadow
https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/0...p-and-success/
Sounds like he had a love/hate relationship with sleep. Mostly hate.
Just occurred to me that that method of holding onto something and having it drop when you fall asleep--or get distracted--might also be a useful way to meditate. You could focus on your hand holding the object instead of--or in addition to--focusing on a mantra. Then, when the object drops, you could make a mental note of whatever you were thinking of at the time, and start over. Could prevent you from wasting a lot of time in non-meditative mental states when you're trying to meditate. Also might produce some creativity, as with Edison and Dali.
Good point. Some people have even driven cars while asleep, mostly after having taken Ambien.Quote:
Originally Posted by dolphin
On the other hand, I think the brain's control of the body is usually mostly deactivated during sleep. Otherwise, if you're walking or running in a dream, you might be moving your legs in bed as if you're walking or running. Is that what restless legs syndrome is?
Sounds like it probably would be that part of the brain.Quote:
Originally Posted by dolphin
Wonder if you could hold onto the object longer if you were to do that object-dropping experiment after taking galantamine or other LD supplements that keep more parts of your brain activated. Probably could.
No, that is REM behavior disorder. Restless legs syndrome occurs when there are unpleasant sensations in resting legs that tend to only go away when the legs are moved.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zthread
On YouTube, there are lots of time lapses of people sleeping that illustrate how the body moves during sleep. There are also videos of people having episodes of REM behavior disorder.
Oh, OK. Didn't know that! Hadn't heard of REM behavior disorder.Quote:
Originally Posted by dolphin
Interesting. Will try to find some of those.Quote:
Originally Posted by dolphin
The body is paralyzed. This is what causes sleep paralysis. I have experienced it three times, and it was terrifying. You don't fall asleep all the way, and suddenly you're fully aware. You can only move your eyes, and you can actually dream/hallucinate. some say they have trouble breathing, and many people have seen strange creatures sitting on their chests. I have heard the laughing, or cheering, of a steadily growing-in-size crowd of people cheering, or laughing, until it became so loud I felt like I would go deaf.
Was just reading about REM behavior disorder. Sounds pretty bad:Quote:
Originally Posted by dolphin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_eye_movement_sleep_behavior_disorder
Worth watching the video in that Wikipedia article.