Do lucid dreams cause memory loss?

[Miyou]

Well I read somewhere that we dream because the brain is going through all our memories. So if you alter your dreams, wouldn't that change your memories or give you memory loss? Just wondering...

[J.D.]

No-one is really sure what the actual purpose of dreams is, there's no general consensus, but tons of theories. What you mentioned is one theory of many, one which I don't personally think is true. If we are simply sorting through memories, then why do we dream of places, people and situations we've never seen? For me anyway, it's rare that I relive a memory in my dreams. Instead of "going through memories", I'm more inclined to think that a purpose of dreams is to sort out unresolved waking issues, rather than memories. For example, persistent nightmares can often be linked to a waking problem- one which your subconscious is trying to draw your attention to. In this case, lucid dreaming can help you get more in tune with your subconscious. You can consciously work through whatever feeling/emotion/issue your dream is showing you, and hopefully work towards resolving it. Another thing I want to throw in is back on the topic of memories. In my experience, lucid dreaming has caused me the opposite of memory loss. It has made me much more aware of my surroundings, and has made me pay much more attention to small things in an effort to understand the relationship between dreams and waking life. So in conclusion, don't worry about becoming forgetful (or indeed experiencing any other undesirable side-effect) due to lucid dreaming! I hope this has addressed your concerns, and good luck with your lucidity! Any other questions, feel free to ask.

[changed]

No-one is really sure what the actual purpose of dreams is, there's no general consensus, but tons of theories. What you mentioned is one theory of many, one which I don't personally think is true. If we are simply sorting through memories, then why do we dream of places, people and situations we've never seen? For me anyway, it's rare that I relive a memory in my dreams. Instead of "going through memories", I'm more inclined to think that a purpose of dreams is to sort out unresolved waking issues, rather than memories. For example, persistent nightmares can often be linked to a waking problem- one which your subconscious is trying to draw your attention to. In this case, lucid dreaming can help you get more in tune with your subconscious. You can consciously work through whatever feeling/emotion/issue your dream is showing you, and hopefully work towards resolving it. Another thing I want to throw in is back on the topic of memories. In my experience, lucid dreaming has caused me the opposite of memory loss. It has made me much more aware of my surroundings, and has made me pay much more attention to small things in an effort to understand the relationship between dreams and waking life. So in conclusion, don't worry about becoming forgetful (or indeed experiencing any other undesirable side-effect) due to lucid dreaming! I hope this has addressed your concerns, and good luck with your lucidity! Any other questions, feel free to ask. I always dream about past events. And dreams play out memories differently this is an example from stephen berlin. Say you have a chocolate bar and you put it in your pocket and forget about it. Then later you stick your hand in your pocket and get chocolate all over your hand. So later that night you have a dream of you playing in the mud. This is a good example of how our dreams work.

[J.D.]

Ah good point!

[Miyou]

No-one is really sure what the actual purpose of dreams is, there's no general consensus, but tons of theories. What you mentioned is one theory of many, one which I don't personally think is true. If we are simply sorting through memories, then why do we dream of places, people and situations we've never seen? For me anyway, it's rare that I relive a memory in my dreams. Instead of "going through memories", I'm more inclined to think that a purpose of dreams is to sort out unresolved waking issues, rather than memories. For example, persistent nightmares can often be linked to a waking problem- one which your subconscious is trying to draw your attention to. In this case, lucid dreaming can help you get more in tune with your subconscious. You can consciously work through whatever feeling/emotion/issue your dream is showing you, and hopefully work towards resolving it. Another thing I want to throw in is back on the topic of memories. In my experience, lucid dreaming has caused me the opposite of memory loss. It has made me much more aware of my surroundings, and has made me pay much more attention to small things in an effort to understand the relationship between dreams and waking life. So in conclusion, don't worry about becoming forgetful (or indeed experiencing any other undesirable side-effect) due to lucid dreaming! I hope this has addressed your concerns, and good luck with your lucidity! Any other questions, feel free to ask. Thanks! I'm not scared, It just got me wondering what the effects of lucid dreaming could be. Even if I got memory loss I would still want to lucid dream just because it's so damn cool!

[changed]

I wouldn't...

[Miyou]

I wouldn't... Okay I admit, If I lost parts of my memory I wouldn't either but it's still cool

[Clyde Machine]

I've never heard of lucid dreams causing or contributing to memory loss, so I'll keep an eye out if I start noticing things like that happening to me or other people I know who induce lucid dreams regularly. Thanks for the thought-provoking question!

[changed]

Okay I admit, If I lost parts of my memory I wouldn't either but it's still cool Your excitement for LDs will go away after you fith to tenth LD. You will relize dream control takes awhile for some to master. Even though i have had like 27 LDs my dream control is just now starting to get pretty good. I just recently mastered spawning things. And yet to have masterd flying... I put that on hold because i have waisted so many LDs trying to fly...

[Maria92]

Well I read somewhere that we dream because the brain is going through all our memories. So if you alter your dreams, wouldn't that change your memories or give you memory loss? Just wondering... No. When you dream about past memories, they are memories stored in your long-term memory. These don't alter easily, especially for something as natural as dreaming. In people with conditions that cause memory loss, such as Alzheimer's patients, the last thing to go is long-term memories. Rather, when you dream, you borrow these memories to construct a similar situation, and in doing so, create a new batch of fresh, short-term memories. If the dream is particularly traumatic or eventful, and if you commit it to long-term memory, it won't overwrite the original; it will create an entirely new one.

[Lucid-Balloon]

I never suffer from memory loss from dreams, but i do sometimes confuse dreams for real memories. Like one time i had a dream that i was watching a youtube video called "Worst movies never made" which was basically showing fake movie posters such as one called Sleep Hard, which was basically a guy sleeping close to the Nakatomi Plaza from the movie, and you can see the building out of the window of his bed room while the events of the film take place. While i went through the day, i decided to look the video up on youtube, but i could not find it. That is when i realised it was not real.

[changed]

Dreams actually delete memories. Okay try to remember every little detail of your previous day... It is impossible because your dreams sort through and get rid of un-important information and keeps what is important.

[BohmaN]

Dreams actually delete memories. Okay try to remember every little detail of your previous day... It is impossible because your dreams sort through and get rid of un-important information and keeps what is important. Sounds implausble. You got anything to back that up with? ;p

[Maria92]

Dreams actually delete memories. Okay try to remember every little detail of your previous day... It is impossible because your dreams sort through and get rid of un-important information and keeps what is important. Dreams actually recap the day's events (sometimes), and are usually inspired by the day's events, thoughts, or actions. The actual act of sleeping, not specifically dreaming, sorts desired memories from "junk" memories. You'll also notice that if you try to remember the last, say, 30 minutes in any sort of vivid detail, you're going to run into a few brick walls. The brain isn't the sponge we often make it out to be.

[Planewalker]

Well I read somewhere that we dream because the brain is going through all our memories. That's just speculation, and not the best I heard so far. Scientists are so unscientific these days. Actually they haven't even located where in the brain -- if at all -- memories are stored. I think the brain is largely overrated.

[Maria92]

It's postulated that memories are spaced throughout the brain, but they have identified two critical sections of the brain dealing with memory. If damaged or destroyed, the person loses all memory, short and long term. They go through life as if seeing everything for the first time, all the time.

[Miyou]

I never suffer from memory loss from dreams, but i do sometimes confuse dreams for real memories. Like one time i had a dream that i was watching a youtube video called "Worst movies never made" which was basically showing fake movie posters such as one called Sleep Hard, which was basically a guy sleeping close to the Nakatomi Plaza from the movie, and you can see the building out of the window of his bed room while the events of the film take place. While i went through the day, i decided to look the video up on youtube, but i could not find it. That is when i realised it was not real. Haha. That happens to me sometimes as well, Especially in the mornings when I've just awakened. No. When you dream about past memories, they are memories stored in your long-term memory. These don't alter easily, especially for something as natural as dreaming. In people with conditions that cause memory loss, such as Alzheimer's patients, the last thing to go is long-term memories. Rather, when you dream, you borrow these memories to construct a similar situation, and in doing so, create a new batch of fresh, short-term memories. If the dream is particularly traumatic or eventful, and if you commit it to long-term memory, it won't overwrite the original; it will create an entirely new one. That sound believable, though so does bradysdreaming's response. Now who shall i believe? Your excitement for LDs will go away after you fith to tenth LD. You will relize dream control takes awhile for some to master. Even though i have had like 27 LDs my dream control is just now starting to get pretty good. I just recently mastered spawning things. And yet to have masterd flying... I put that on hold because i have waisted so many LDs trying to fly... It's that hard to fly? I'll have to start practicing now then. I just can't manage to lucid dream long enough.

[Maria92]

You mean the dream dragon? That's more a case of confusing dreams with reality, possibly as a result of very clear or lifelike dreams, not deletion of memories. Not once have I ever come across a viable source saying lucid dreams cause memory loss; if they did, there would be caution flags everywhere, and I'm fairly positive LaBerge would have said something in ETWOLD. Lucid dreaming is no more dangerous than real dreaming, and from a survival standpoint, chucking vital or important memories when dreaming is rather detrimental to the species. Somewhere along the line, evolution would have done away with either dreaming or memory loss as a result of dreaming, provided it was even an issue. Seeing how dogs dream and haven't been weeded out from getting lost all the time, I'd say it's a safe bet that dreaming doesn't cause memory loss.

[Loaf]

Well, either way... I've had many lucid dreams in my time and my memory is fine.