What does the difference in consciousness between waking and sleeping tell us about our sense of self? Good question. Frankly, the communication between the different areas of my cerebral cortex is lacking a bit at the moment, so I can't quite give you an answer that fully encapsulates the opinion of my awoken self.According to this rather interesting fellow with a peculiar accent, this communication is what distinguishes consciousness from a state of sleep (~41:00-47:00). So they found that our brains communicate slightly less when we're asleep... so what? I could probably have guessed that. It's the primary reason that when I fall asleep in class I don't retain much of the information that is presented (a tragic design fault in our brains, really). However, what if this lack of distraction, and somewhat more focused nature of the brain during sleep helps us figure out what makes us... us. The lack of white noise could be rather helpful in examining our personality, intelligence, memory, and pretty much everything else. And would there be a way to identify these communication channels within our brain and activate them selectively, enabling us to see how the brain talks to itself? Or even use those channels to help us listen while asleep (i.e. sleeping in class, and still learning stuff?). Once one of you figures out how to do that, shoot me an email, so I can throw my name on that study.
This assignment is so boring that I'm falling asleep.
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I think that it is really cool that they can measure the communications in our brain and find out how they differ from when we are awake and when we are asleep. This video clearly shows the difference in being conscious and unconscious. I think it is very interesting to see how the brain shuts down communication during sleep and I think it would be cool to see if the results differ in animals or even in humans in a coma or other medical problems.
When I watched this video, I got the same feeling as yours. But after watching it, I think brain is so amazed because it works everyday except while we are sleeping. Brain may shuts down communication with sleeping.He is so brave in this video because he did many research and examings by his brain in this video. It was a good video though. It is very good that they can measure the communication.
That was the most dramatic introduction to a video I think I've ever seen. Well, anyway, of course I didn't watch the entire 58:41 but I caught a good glimpse of the video and I found it extremely interesting (as the creators of the video more than likely desperately desired). Consciousness is such a complex idea that I don't feel we're even designed to completely comprehend it. However, putting it into parts really helps us get a better grasp of the idea as they do in the video.
It is fascinating that such conclusions can be made by studying our brains in varying situations - awake or asleep. I thought this video was very interesting in its research of conscious versus unconscious and I believe that such studies should be continued and really pursued to discover new things our brain can accomplish. I agree that if there were somehow no white noise surrounding us, it would make studying our brains much easier but I know in my life that is a hard situation to find. I surround myself with music or friends on a daily basis even when doing my homework or studying because I find that that usually works best for me than silence. However, for the purpose of scientific studies I understand how lack of white noise would be beneficial.
I'm interested in knowing why some people talk in their sleep if the brain shuts down communication. I've known people that said they had a conversation with someone while that person was sleeping and they'd respond to them. Of course, the person sleeping didn't remember having the conversation the next day.
I am one of those people that needs "white noise" or background noise when I am studying or trying to get something done. I think its because when I was little the silence meant something was wrong and it always made me nervous. If I am surrounded by noise, then I can remember things better as well.
Also, when I was a very young child I had night terrors and I now to talk in my sleep if I am really tired. My parents said that my doctors said I used to scream and scream, but I was technically asleep even though my eyes were wide open. They said that my subconscious was awake and my unconscious mind was asleep. It is something that is very intriguing to me to see how this would work, but my parents said because I couldn't consciously recognize them, it scared them. I finally outgrew this, but now I can talk to my husband in my sleep and carry a conversation. It is interesting to me.
I think that if I could be consciously aware and learn while I was sleeping, I would sleep in class all the time!
Also, I have noticed that if I am studying for a test or doing some homework for a class right before I go to bed, and I have been very focused on it, I find myself waking up in the morning and remembering dreaming about it. So in a sense, I do kind of learning in my sleep. It has literally become a way that I remember some topics for Psych. exams. I just have to think about my dream.
I am also one of those people that likes white noise and it is truly to bad that we cannot retain more information of the things that go on around us while we are taking that quick nap through lecture. But if we can talk in our sleep why can't we then retain information. It would be sort of the opposite, right? But it is also very interesting how they do say that your brain "shuts down" but yet you can still have things such as night terrors and sleep walk. They use sleepwalking as an excuse in court and it works, hard to believe that can in anyway be completely unconscious with a brain that is not fully aware.
I found this video very interesting. I know most of my friends like to have "white noise" while they do activities. For me though, I like complete quiet. I am more productive in my studies when it is silent and I sleep extremely well when there is no sound. I tend to have trouble falling asleep even if the heater is running. I'm not sure how this correlates with the consciousness between waking and sleeping. Perhaps, I am at my peak mental state when there is no other noise stealing pieces of my attention. Personally, I feel extremely comfortable in silence, while little noises tend to bother me more than the average person.