Thread: Memory Memory Memory

Because I know I am doing it as I am doing it, since I am lucid rather than unconsciously dreaming?

Of course I could say that about RL and be wrong. I may not even be typing on a keyboard right now. Maybe I'm locked up in the looney bin.

I understand your argument, but it's not entirely true. I mean, sure we fill in the gaps and details a little bit by our own emotions, but it's not like we're totally reconstructing the main basis of our actual experience. I don't believe that those minor details really warp our own idea of what happened so much that we can't even trust our own memory of what happened. If that were true, that people couldn't trust their memories of past experiences, then we would live in a really weird state of mind. Everything that we know could be a lie.

Originally Posted by Shift

Because I know I am doing it as I am doing it, since I am lucid rather than unconsciously dreaming?

Of course I could say that about RL and be wrong. I may not even be typing on a keyboard right now. Maybe I'm locked up in the looney bin.

I'm questioning the validity of recall for unconscious dreams.

Originally Posted by Silox

I understand your argument, but it's not entirely true. I mean, sure we fill in the gaps and details a little bit by our own emotions, but it's not like we're totally reconstructing the main basis of our actual experience. I don't believe that those minor details really warp our own idea of what happened so much that we can't even trust our own memory of what happened. If that were true, that people couldn't trust their memories of past experiences, then we would live in a really weird state of mind. Everything that we know could be a lie.

Not lucid dreams, for they resemble real life. In waking life we are usually conscious of our actions, and furthermore, our memories are formed on the spot. However, standard unconscious dream recall involves a reconstruction of a previous event that we, ourselves, can't remember attending.

Hmm, this is difficult to explain. As an analogy: imagine that you have consumed enough alcohol to induce a paralytic state. In the morning you can only remember particular fragments of last night's event. With these fragments, you tend to construct a picture that makes sense, logically. This final picture, however, may be hugely inaccurate...as you come to find when your friends have photo evidence of you dressed in girl's clothes.

It is along these same lines that I question our dream recall, not in lucid dreams, but typical, unconscious dreams.

Originally Posted by Quark

Not lucid dreams, for they resemble real life. In waking life we are usually conscious of our actions, and furthermore, our memories are formed on the spot.

My memory of waking life is really good and I can tell you that most people greatly distort their waking life memories.

How do I know my recollection is true/better while theirs is not?
It's just an empirical fact. I tend to remember entire conversations word-for-words a year back. It's easy to check if things I remember are factually correct.
For example: we have a conversation about a persons vacation: where they went, their experiences and so on. 6 months later I check with them if I remember all the details correctly. And usually it turns out I do. Most of them won't even remember we had the conversation. Or even worse, they will think the conversation was about something completely different.

But this is not a new subject. I recommend you check out the movie Rashomon if you haven't already. It makes you question if there is such a thing as consensus reality.

What I'm trying to say is that with regards to the 'quality' or truthfulness of memories:

LD memories > nonLD memories> waking life memories

WL memories are formed on the spot, but they are interpretational.

nonLD memories do not interpret any external reality, whatever you remember dreaming is what you probably dreamt about. The process of filling the gaps and choosing what to fill them with is more conscious.

Example: The dream goes A-> B-> C. You remember A and C clearly, but B is hazy. You think about B and choose the most likely link between C. You are aware that B contains a lot of uncertainty. With WL memories this is done automatically, you don't think about it at all, you almost never question if B you remember is the same as B that really happened.

LD memories presuppose very high level of awareness and are therefor the most reliable of the three.

I find that memory of dream especially distorts when you "sit on it" before writing it down. Laying in bed this morning, I am very sure I invented new details as I pondered whether or not to write my dream down. But I was half-asleep as I thought that, perhaps dreaming still. Nonetheless, I had interesting memory slips recognized only when I truly awoke.

But even if new details suddenly arrange themselves, what is the difference? If the memory of these recently invented distortions is just as vivid, and if we are unaware that they were just now made, then what difference does it make?

Originally Posted by Quark

I'm questioning the validity of recall for unconscious dreams.

Then why did you post this in the General Lucid Discussion forum?

Moved to General Dream Discussion.

Originally Posted by Shift

Then why did you post this in the General Lucid Discussion forum?

Moved to General Dream Discussion.

oops, lol. Ta.