Thread: Do you dream in colour?

Thanks for the welcome Howetzer

Originally posted by Sesquipedalian Dreams+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sesquipedalian Dreams)</div>

<!--QuoteBegin-Howetzer

If you think about it color would be just like anything else that your brain manifests. A tree, car, they are all based on the memory of a perception I would think.

Well I dont think so...they are similar no doubt, but in waking life, there is something in the outside would that stimulates your eyes, resulting in the perception of color. In dreams, it is ___ (memories, your brain, who knows) that causes the perception of color.[/b]

I in turn disagree. Obviously your brain would remember what certain colours look like (btw I'm Aussie, not British ). Otherwise we'd be in constant shock every time we open our eyes.

My guess is that like a computer our brain runs "background tasks", and that dreaming is the passive processing of everything we see during our waking lifetimes (hence why if we miss sleep, we get extra rem periods to compensate for the extra "data"). Either way, colour (like any objects one may see while awake) gets stored in our brain/subconciousness for us to "remember" in our dreams

The amount of data processed must be enormous (just about every detail about everything we've ever heard, seen, smelled, tasted and touched in our entire life may be stored in our brain, hence why hypnosis can dig up long lost info)

Originally posted by Ivegottheskill+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ivegottheskill)</div>

Thanks for the welcome Howetzer

Originally posted by Sesquipedalian Dreams@
<!--QuoteBegin-Howetzer

If you think about it color would be just like anything else that your brain manifests. A tree, car, they are all based on the memory of a perception I would think.

Well I dont think so...they are similar no doubt, but in waking life, there is something in the outside would that stimulates your eyes, resulting in the perception of color. In dreams, it is ___ (memories, your brain, who knows) that causes the perception of color.

I in turn disagree. Obviously your brain would remember what certain colours look like (btw I'm Aussie, not British ). Otherwise we'd be in constant shock every time we open our eyes.

My guess is that like a computer our brain runs \"background tasks\", and that dreaming is the passive processing of everything we see during our waking lifetimes (hence why if we miss sleep, we get extra rem periods to compensate for the extra \"data\"). Either way, colour (like any objects one may see while awake) gets stored in our brain/subconciousness for us to \"remember\" in our dreams

The amount of data processed must be enormous (just about every detail about everything we've ever heard, seen, smelled, tasted and touched in our entire life may be stored in our brain, hence why hypnosis can dig up long lost info) [/b]

What you and Sesquipedalian Dreams say does not in anyway, that I can see, differentiate a color from any other object that your brain would store in its memory.
If you had never seen a Zebra your brain would have no recall of such an animal. The same would hold true for a color/colour. If you had never seen blue how would your brain know what blue looks like?

Now as far as your brain manifesting a color or an animal out of thin air is based on all the knowledge that it already posses. So in a dream If see a color that I have thought that I have never seen or an animal, it was based opon the previous perceptions of the other relating data stored in my mind.

Originally posted by Ivegottheskill
Either way, colour (like any objects one may see while awake) gets stored in our brain/subconciousness for us to \"remember\" in our dreams

Originally posted by howetzer
If you think about it color would be just like anything else that your brain manifests. A tree, car, they are all based on the memory of a perception I would think.

I believe I dream in color, but like everything else pertaining to dreams, I simply don't remember it because it's not a focal point. There are rare times where I will be able to associate color with an object, but more often than not, I remember the object as it is usually more important than the minute detail. The majority of my dreams appear to have a certain overcast to them, though, which often serves to enhance whatever mood I am feeling.

I remember having at least one dream where some (not all) of it was in black and white. To me, it all depends on what your subconscious wants you to see. When you're lucid, you see what you want to see, which is usually familiar colors, though sometimes they're off.

That's just my take on it.

-Amé

Dreaming in color...

First, to say that we can perceive color in a dream would mean that dreams are a seperate environment in which light may reflect off of objects (this is what creates color) and we can receive this visual information. If this is true, then sleeping is the transition into another alternate plane of existance and our consciousness follows. However, considering the plethora of dreams we all encounter where we are simply "observing" or not even there, may contradict this. Of course this can be debated.. I understand.. I know there are many people who believe that the phenomenon of sleep is an astral plane of existance in which your energy floats about and your dreams give prophetic visions of the future (much like how weather was viewed so many years ago......).

But, I do not think this is the situation at all. Dreams are internal and introverted. No matter what anyone can say, you always perceive your own dream and therefore the dream is related to you. Psychoanalytically it will always be about you. Otherwise, you are still the one seeing it and therefore your psyche interferes with whatever potential "prophetic" vision is possible.

There is a big difference between receiving visual information through your retina and your memory incorporating what colors ought to be there.

A good way to describe this phenomenon of cognition is to watch a blurred TV episode.. or a very staticy kind. As long as that interference is moderately consistent, your memory should completely ignore the interference. This happens all the time with movies in cinema format - do you always recall those bars on the top and bottom when you remember the movie?

This same phenomenon occurss with color in dreams - we input what colors ought to be there from our past experiences. Usually, if you dream about something you havn't personally seen or encountered, then there is no color.

Another large argument against dreaming in color is that each individual may perceive different colors!! Our retina's are not perfect and on a mass synchronization. Colors are fractionally different and received on that level as well. Therefore, what is blue for me may be red for you.

There are far too many principles that interfere with this concept. However, I see no way that you can receive visual information through dreams. Not only is there no monoamine neurotransmitters producing during REM sleep to even recognise visual information, but your frontal cerebral cortex isn't active as well.

For those who skipped this rant:
- There is a big difference between memories of colors and receiving visual information.
- You cannot receive visual information from a dream unless it is another enviornment
- Your memory will incorporate colors into your dream recall to "make sense" of it... much like many other cognitive skills.

~

Originally posted by Onus
For those who skipped this rant:
- There is a big difference between memories of colors and receiving visual information.
- You cannot receive visual information from a dream unless it is another enviornment
- Your memory will incorporate colors into your dream recall to \"make sense\" of it... much like many other cognitive skills.

I don't see where the topic is arguing the fact that you are recieving visual information via another environment.. It is the simple fact that you dream in color. Like you said, it will add color to make sense of things.
But how can you differentate a color from an object?

What you and Sesquipedalian Dreams say does not in anyway, that I can see, differentiate a color from any other object that your brain would store in its memory.
If you had never seen a Zebra your brain would have no recall of such an animal. The same would hold true for a color/colour. If you had never seen blue how would your brain know what blue looks like?

Now as far as your brain manifesting a color or an animal out of thin air is based on all the knowledge that it already posses. So in a dream If see a color that I have thought that I have never seen or an animal, it was based opon the previous perceptions of the other relating data stored in my mind. [/b]

I suppose there is some subconscious receiving of "black and white" imagery, possibly using our memories of light and shadows to produce what is black and what is white. But I still find it a bit sketchy...

Originally posted by O'nus
Dreaming in color...

First, to say that we can perceive color in a dream would mean that dreams are a seperate environment in which light may reflect off of objects (this is what creates color) and we can receive this visual information. If this is true, then sleeping is the transition into another alternate plane of existance and our consciousness follows. However, considering the plethora of dreams we all encounter where we are simply \"observing\" or not even there, may contradict this. Of course this can be debated.. I understand.. I know there are many people who believe that the phenomenon of sleep is an astral plane of existance in which your energy floats about and your dreams give prophetic visions of the future (much like how weather was viewed so many years ago......).

But, I do not think this is the situation at all. Dreams are internal and introverted. No matter what anyone can say, you always perceive your own dream and therefore the dream is related to you. Psychoanalytically it will always be about you. Otherwise, you are still the one seeing it and therefore your psyche interferes with whatever potential \"prophetic\" vision is possible.

There is a big difference between receiving visual information through your retina and your memory incorporating what colors ought to be there.

A good way to describe this phenomenon of cognition is to watch a blurred TV episode.. or a very staticy kind. As long as that interference is moderately consistent, your memory should completely ignore the interference. This happens all the time with movies in cinema format - do you always recall those bars on the top and bottom when you remember the movie?

This same phenomenon occurss with color in dreams - we input what colors ought to be there from our past experiences. Usually, if you dream about something you havn't personally seen or encountered, then there is no color.

Another large argument against dreaming in color is that each individual may perceive different colors!! Our retina's are not perfect and on a mass synchronization. Colors are fractionally different and received on that level as well. Therefore, what is blue for me may be red for you.

There are far too many principles that interfere with this concept. However, I see no way that you can receive visual information through dreams. Not only is there no monoamine neurotransmitters producing during REM sleep to even recognise visual information, but your frontal cerebral cortex isn't active as well.

For those who skipped this rant:
- There is a big difference between memories of colors and receiving visual information.
- You cannot receive visual information from a dream unless it is another enviornment
- Your memory will incorporate colors into your dream recall to \"make sense\" of it... much like many other cognitive skills.

~

O'nus, thank you for being more eloquent than I, this is exactly what I was tryng to express. Especailly the part about how in waking like we are receiving input, but in dreams it is being manifested by other means...well...i wont say any more because im ruining your account...

Originally posted by Howetzer+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Howetzer)</div>

<!--QuoteBegin-Onus

For those who skipped this rant:
- There is a big difference between memories of colors and receiving visual information.
- You cannot receive visual information from a dream unless it is another enviornment
- Your memory will incorporate colors into your dream recall to \"make sense\" of it... much like many other cognitive skills.

I don't see where the topic is arguing the fact that you are recieving visual information via another environment.. It is the simple fact that you dream in color. Like you said, it will add color to make sense of things.
But how can you differentate a color from an object?

What you and Sesquipedalian Dreams say does not in anyway, that I can see, differentiate a color from any other object that your brain would store in its memory.
If you had never seen a Zebra your brain would have no recall of such an animal. The same would hold true for a color/colour. If you had never seen blue how would your brain know what blue looks like?

Now as far as your brain manifesting a color or an animal out of thin air is based on all the knowledge that it already posses. So in a dream If see a color that I have thought that I have never seen or an animal, it was based opon the previous perceptions of the other relating data stored in my mind. [/b]

[/b]

Ok I will say a little more...

Howetzer, I think the main point that O'nus and I share is that in life, you receive visual information from objects.

But in your dreams, you are not receiving visual information. Your eyes are closed for one, and the objects that provide input in waking life, are non-existent in your dreams. (Some would argue otherwise) But the blue book that you see in your dream, is neither blue, nor a book, it is merely an imitation of "blue" and an imitation of "book", thus invoking memories and perceptions of real, waking life blue books.

Originally posted by Howetzer+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Howetzer)</div>

I don't see where the topic is arguing the fact that you are recieving visual information via another environment.. It is the simple fact that you dream in color. [/b]

To say that you receive visual information in a dream (color) is to say that the dream world is another environment. Color and perception is entirely possible because of reflecting light. If you can actually see in a dream this would mean that the dream world is, in fact, another world. Since I do not agree with this aspect (and can be scientifically argued) this means that dreams are introverted and colors are individualy incorporated in a cognitive fashion.

Originally posted by Howetzer@
Like you said, it will add color to make sense of things.

Much like other memory aspects, you are inevitably going to associate colors and empathetic emotions to objects, situations, people, etc. This is the foundation of dreams. This is the foundation of conditional psychology. Colors are incorporated into dreams along the simple basis of conditional psychology - you are used to seeing grass green, so if you dream of grass, it will be green (unless the color of the grass has some significant psychological symbolism). Your memory will input the colors as you are conditioned to them. If you had always seen grass as blue, then you would most likely dream of blue grass. This is just like how I said when you recall movies in cinema format, you do not remember the top and bottom bars - this concept is basically the same but inversed.

<!--QuoteBegin-Howetzer
But how can you differentate a color from an object?

What you and Sesquipedalian Dreams say does not in anyway, that I can see, differentiate a color from any other object that your brain would store in its memory.
If you had never seen a Zebra your brain would have no recall of such an animal. The same would hold true for a color/colour. If you had never seen blue how would your brain know what blue looks like?

Now as far as your brain manifesting a color or an animal out of thin air is based on all the knowledge that it already posses. So in a dream If see a color that I have thought that I have never seen or an animal, it was based opon the previous perceptions of the other relating data stored in my mind.

[/b]

I don't think I exactly understand your point - are you saying that what about when you dream of something you have never seen and it has to be in color? Because, like I said, when you dream of things you have not encountered personally, this is when black and white dreams are expected. These hypothetical dreams may also incorporate imagination - what it would feel like, what you expect it to look like, etc. All this assimilated to create the dream manifestation.

Otherwise, I don't exactly get your point. How can you dream of something, especially a color, if you have never seen it before. It is just like me asking you to imagine what the color Tyurpe is - you can't. How can you? Ask a born-blind person to picture blue - how can he? How can you imagine it? With what association?

Also, black and white dreams are the simple foundations of dreams - light and dark. Colors tend to represent empathy in dreams and exenuate the depths of symbolism. When you are trying to imagine something you have never seen before, you might imagine what color it is. Or, you may just imagine it's structure and appearance and ignore the color of it.

Anyways.. to keep this short. I say that you do dream in color - but that it's your memory that's creating/incoporating the colors, much like the rest of the dream. You are not receiving visual information because this would mean that the dream world must be another plane of physical existance - which I believe in as much as that imagining is the proces of entering another tangible plane of existance.

In short short:
- Dream in color: yes
- However, don't confuse this with seeing color in dreams as an external stimulus

~

Edit: Another good point to consider is child dream amnesia. Although we do dream when we are younger, there is not enough memory and associations to effectively remember them - there is not enough stimulus. We do not have enough competence and comprehension as a child to effectively remember our dreams. It is through development and living life that we can eventually understand and even fathom our dreams.

Also, I think we're going in circles here.. we are just saying that you cannot receive color information in dreams and that it is an incorporated aspect in dreams just like any other dream stimulus. To say that you receive sensory input in dreams is to say that dreaming is taking place in another tangible and physical world.

Originally posted by O'nus+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(O'nus)</div>

In short short:
- Dream in color: yes
- However, don't confuse this with seeing color in dreams as an external stimulus [/b]

I have looked back. I may have missed something. But I don't undertstand what I said to give the impression that colors comes from visual stimuli outside of a dream???
example;

Originally posted by howetzer+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(howetzer)</div>

I don't see where the topic is arguing the fact that you are recieving visual information via another environment.. It is the simple fact that you dream in color.[/b]

I said it right there!

<!--QuoteBegin-O'nus@
I don't think I exactly understand your point - are you saying that what about when you dream of something you have never seen and it has to be in color? Because, like I said, when you dream of things you have not encountered personally, this is when black and white dreams are expected. These hypothetical dreams may also incorporate imagination - what it would feel like, what you expect it to look like, etc. All this assimilated to create the dream manifestation.

Otherwise, I don't exactly get your point. How can you dream of something, especially a color, if you have never seen it before. It is just like me asking you to imagine what the color Tyurpe is - you can't. How can you? Ask a born-blind person to picture blue - how can he? How can you imagine it? With what association?

A great example of this. How does your brain manifest an alien or a monster or a color? This is my explanation for that >
<!--QuoteBegin-Howetzer

Now as far as your brain manifesting a color or an animal out of thin air is based on all the knowledge that it already posses. So in a dream, if I see a color that I have thought that I have never seen or an animal, it was based opon the previous perceptions of the other relating data stored in my mind.

I just posted a dream proir to this disagreement called Empowering yourself with Dream Characters As you can see at the bootom of the post I described seeing colors that I never thought to exist.
I know what argument is to come. ROYGBIV! Pysics. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Outside of that a color spectrum they cannot exist. Or they would be monochromatic. One could argue otherwise. I will not. It was most likely my brain thought or was being decieved to tthink that it was seeing a color it has never seen.
But this applies again to what I said before about anything your mind can create.

A blind person is completely differant (I think you and I have been over this one, you proving me wrong but ...anyway) Objects could be described like an alien or a monster. Where as it would be difficult to describe a color. You could then attach a color to an object in the dream to make sense of it. .like the grass. That is why a blind person does not apply.

I guess the hole point is that I never argued the fact that the color was coming from an outside source. I did however attach it to any other object in your dreams and I feel colors follow the same principles. The only thing limiting thse principles is the color spectrum. But in a dream who is to say that any rules apply?

Even the author of the post describes seeing colors beyond reality.

Originally posted by Ivagattheskills
99% of the time, my dreams are in full vibrant colour, in fact at times the sharpness, colour and detail in my dreams seems beyond that of reality and has helped gain lucidity.

Originally posted by O'nus
Anyways.. to keep this short. I say that you do dream in color - but that it's your memory that's creating/incoporating the colors, much like the rest of the dream. You are not receiving visual information because this would mean that the dream world must be another plane of physical existance - which I believe in as much as that imagining is the proces of entering another tangible plane of existance.

I don't see anyplace in this thread where someone tried to claim that you receive visual information while dreaming. You seem to be arguing against some phantom poster

Originally posted by dream&#045;scape+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dream&#045;scape)</div>

<!--QuoteBegin-O'nus

Anyways.. to keep this short. I say that you do dream in color - but that it's your memory that's creating/incoporating the colors, much like the rest of the dream. You are not receiving visual information because this would mean that the dream world must be another plane of physical existance - which I believe in as much as that imagining is the proces of entering another tangible plane of existance.

I don't see anyplace in this thread where someone tried to claim that you receive visual information while dreaming. You seem to be arguing against some phantom poster [/b]

Oh no, I wasn't arguing. I was just saying that there is the common misconception that dreaming in color means that you are receiving visual information through dreams - which isn't possible unless it's another environmnet.

Also, I used that point to try and say that all colors in dreams are just psychological.

Howetzer: lol, I think we're going in circles...? If we dream about something that we have never encountered and it has colors, most likely they are the anticipiated colors - a brown jacket, hair color, etc.

However, in your dream where you possessed someone (?) you described seeing vivid colors that you have never seen before on Earth. I can see what you mean by saying that these colors are imagined and therefore it's possible to dream outside the boundries of ROYGBIV. One point that can be made is that if you can't show what the colors are, explain the colors, then they are entirely individual colors and may represent several things to you. If these dreams are internal and created entirely out of you individual imagination, then they can also be said to not even exist except for you.

Now.. this is beginning to brim on the philosophy of solipism so.. *Runs away* Good conversation!

I always I thought that seeing outside of each side of the visual spectrum produced, say red, instead of a "new color". For example, insects like bees would see a thin red line whenever you pressed something on your remote.

But I only remember this from a teacher of mine, so he could have been incorrect.

After looking back we were all describing the same thing in a differant manner.
Greats discussion though!!

Originally posted by O'nus

However, in your dream where you possessed someone (?) you described seeing vivid colors that you have never seen before on Earth. I can see what you mean by saying that these colors are imagined and therefore it's possible to dream outside the boundries of ROYGBIV. One point that can be made is that if you can't show what the colors are, explain the colors, then they are entirely individual colors and may represent several things to you. If these dreams are internal and created entirely out of you individual imagination, then they can also be said to not even exist except for you.

Yes. I agree. I don't really know if they existed or my mind was thought do believe them to be differant.

Originally posted by Joseph_Stalin
I always I thought that seeing outside of each side of the visual spectrum produced, say red, instead of a \"new color\". For example, insects like bees would see a thin red line whenever you pressed something on your remote.

But I only remember this from a teacher of mine, so he could have been incorrect.

Did you use red on purpose. Because this post got me to thinking og the spectrum and infrared (SP?)
Ya. Don't they some claim that deer see infrared which is I think outside of the red color spectrum? Bees maybe too.

When I was in 9th grade (1980) I had a counsellor who would ask me to perform various IQ tests, tests to see if I was telepathic, etc, mainly because he felt that I was "spiritually advanced" (his words) for my age. He was very "new age" and was a big believer in reincarnation. He was always interested in my ability to lucid dream. He told me that most people dream in black and white so I guess the concept has been around for awhile. The colors in my dreams, like everything else, vibrate with a clarity that I experience in the waking world only when meditating.

in fact ths morning I had a short ld and the colours were so beautiful really out of this world!!!

I dream in FULL COLOR like a plasma screen BABY! 8)