Awake in a Dreamland

If you're a busy and driven individual, it's likely that you start your day by waking up, showering, getting dressed, and getting yourself to either work, school, or some meeting.  If you're a lazy, unmotivated individual, it's likely that you start your day by waking up, perhaps hitting the snooze button on your alarm (if you even have one), and going back to sleep until you feel energized enough to wake up again and realize half of the day has gone by and you still haven't even showered.  I'll admit I've had my fair share of both busy and lazy days, but I guess the point I'm trying to drive home is that no matter what type of individual you are, your day starts when you wake up, which means that it must have ended when you fell asleep the night before.  In other words, everyone needs sleep.

Sleep is divided into two phases, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.  NREM sleep is divided even further into 4 different stages, each with different characteristics: Stage 1—irregular, jagged, low-voltage waves; Stage 2—bursts of 12-14Hz waves of brain activity that last half a second called sleep spindles and K-complexes, which are sharp waves associated with temporary inhibition of neuronal firing; Stages 3 and 4—slow-wave sleep (SWS) noted for decreases in heart rate, breathing rate, and brain activity, while slow, large-amplitude waves become more common across the two stages.  The term REM sleep was derived after the observation of rapid eye movements during this stage of sleep, which was uncharacteristic of the previous stages. Polysomnographs (a combination of EEG and eye-movement records) taken during REM sleep demonstrate irregular, low-voltage waves that indicate increased neuronal activity. Interestingly, REM sleep brain wave activity resembles the brain wave activity that occurs when you're awake. For this reason, scientists argue that most dreaming occurs during REM sleep. REM sleep is associated with more variable heart rates, blood pressures, and breathing rates than NREM Stages 2-4. Curiously, REM sleep is also associated with erections in males and vaginal moistening in females.

This video highlights many of the main physiological functions of sleep and also discusses several reasons for the existence of dreams:

There are many different arguments as to why we have dreams. Some will argue that dreams have played a significant role in creativity across cultures. Others have studied the cultural impressions of dreams as spiritual or supernatural manifestations. And still, many scientists contend with the notion that dreams arise from random brain activity during REM sleep, as depicted in the above video. It is important not to jump to a single conclusion this early in sleep and dream research, however. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that dreams serve many functions, and not just one. In addition, there are many people who report precognition of events during dreams that occur later in life, and I think this also needs further investigation. 

The woman in this video, self-proclaimed to be a psychic, discusses the possibility that dreams may function as foresight or precognition of future events:

If you search any words associated with precognition, dreams, or psychics on Youtube you will find many videos like the one above where people recount their own experiences, many of them fascinating and detailed, and some not much so.  Now, you will probably have to sit and wonder about whether or not you even buy into these ideas, as I did. But if you're feeling adventurous, take some of the following research I've compiled into consideration. 

Many people report having such precognitive experiences during meditation practices as well as dreams.  Some researchers have found that brain activity is actually different during meditation compared to brain activity while you're awake and other modes of meditation. Perhaps people who participate in meditation practices are more prone to such precognitive events than others because they can easily stimulate their brains to activate extrasensory perception (ESP). Even more striking is the finding by another group of researchers on the topic of precognition. Rattet and Bursik (2001) of Suffolk University in Boston found that people with an extraverted intuitive personality type were more likely to experience precognition, so perhaps even personality plays a role in the functions of dreams and the probability that you may acquire precognition through your dreams.

When it comes to scientific inquiry, I believe it is important to keep an open mind to alternative possibilities, even if they sound strange.  Scientists of the new age are beginning to find new ways to test precognition abilities with increasing reliability. Radin (2009) and Bierman & Scholte (2002) have found that brain activity increases just before an emotionally arousing image is presented to their subjects compared to the brain activity recorded prior to the presentation of neutral images. This phenomenon has been termed "presentism," which means that the subjects were able to sense the arousal associated with the emotionally-charged image before the image was presented. These are very interesting findings that are paving a new path for the future of scientific thought and inquiry about precognition and the variable functions that dreams may serve.

Finally, I would like to leave you with a short, yet insightful, poem I wrote about a year ago:

"The Dreamscape"
"Awake In a Dreamland"

Once upon a time,
I roamed God's plain
Of limitless fruit
For the veiled to eat in vain.

Once upon a time,
I believed we were free—
Free to reach;
Free to think;
Free to fly;
...
Free to sink.

Now I lay awake
From a paradise slumber
To realize
It was all just a dream
I was fated to surrender.

—Jose Alexander Zamudio (March 2011)

Sweet dreams! :)

Lock&Key

Sexual intercourse is the stimulating act of reproduction, though reproduction is not a necessary outcome of the act itself.  Sex allows many organisms to exchange their genetic information and create whole new variations of themselves.  Without sex, organisms would likely be less varied and far less complex than they are today.  Since the earliest bacterial life-forms, genetic exchange has been a popular tool for survival through a process called horizontal gene transfer.  In more complex organisms, random assortment of genes in gametes (sex cells) and environmentally selected mutations allow for variation within and across species.

This video will guide you through the basic physiological principles of sexual intercourse:

How did the differences among the sexes arise, you might ask.  Nature has selected for variation, and an inherent consequence of this variation is a division among the sexes: males and females.  Through random assortment of genes, this allows for even further variation in the future offspring.  It appears, however, that variation isn't exactly set on just two distinct sexes, but rather a spectrum of sexes with males and females at opposing ends of the spectrum.  Hermaphrodites, or intersexes, are individuals that fall in the middle range of this spectrum, having varying degrees of both male and female genital characteristics.  With an underestimation of about 1/100 U.S. births resulting in some extent of genital ambiguity, it is possible to say that in today's population there may be well over 3.4 million people walking around with some form of intersex condition.  There are many different roles that genes, hormones, and the environment play on the outcome of a fetus' sex.  The presence of the SRY gene and androgens during the development of the fetus initiates the male pattern of development, but the absence of these factors results in a female pattern of development.  Forger (2006) has demonstrated the significant roles played by hormones that affect the sexual differentiation of brain development.  For example, the introduction of androgens to a fetus during the later part of development may masculinize the brain development of the female that is produced.

The most current and abhorrent affair on the issue of sexual development is the implementation of birth control pills in the New York City School District.  The NYC School District decided it would be a good idea to provide Plan B pills to whichever 13- to 18-year-old female students who "need" it without parental consent.  The Plan B pills typically contain a combination of estradiol and progesterone hormones that prevent the surge of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) during the menstrual cycle.  When FSH and LH are inhibited, the egg is prevented from releasing into the uterus for fertilization and implantation.  I don't agree with this approach to prevent pregnancy in teenage females who are still developing.  Infertility is a rising problem within the United States, according to the CDC. I believe one contributing factor to infertility may be the improper use of birth control.  In this case, the birth control being provided to these still-developing teenagers is affecting the hormone levels in an unnatural manner that may conduce negative long-term effects.  Perhaps a more effective way to combat this situation would be to provide sex education classes and behavioral modification techniques on a community-based level that focus on decreasing risky sexual behaviors amongst these teenagers.  It is also important to be cognizant of the fact that birth control does not prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections, which pose a greater threat to the health of the future generation.

Here is a video by the ABC News Network that covers more information on the controversy of birth control provided by the NYC School District.  It surprises me that only 2% of the parents have decided to opt their children out of the pilot program for birth control, and my reasoning for thinking this way is rather deductive.  One of the adults interviewed by the ABC journalists in New York stated that these birth control pills condone unprotected sex and add to the problem, rather than solve it.  You would think that more than 2% of the parents of these children would be intelligent enough to arrive at this simple behavioral concept as well.  I think a good number of these parents may still be unaware of this program because their children have purposely chosen not to deliver the information.  It's evident that this information has spread very slowly in that the mainstream news only recently (about a month ago) caught wind of this program, which has been going on for over a year now.

Smelling Memories

What would life be like if we didn't have memory-storage capabilities?  All of our senses rely on our memory to a great extent, and without memory, life would probably be perceived as a chaotic, unpredictable tragedy of fragmented, unrelated events.  Evolution would likely not have been possible to produce the complex life forms that we see today.  Olfaction and pain sensory alone contribute a vast amount of information from the environment to the organism that serves to increase its survival.  It only seems natural that certain events that elicit pain would become associated and imprinted in the organism's memory to prevent such an event from happening again.  The same mechanism would apply for specific scents as well.  For example, we commonly associate certain scents with our surroundings or specific events, such as the aroma of grandmother's house from her terrific cooking or the aversive odor of vomit from that time you ate undercooked chicken.  There is plenty of evidence to suggest that olfaction and pain sensation has evolved across many, if not all, species in order to confer a selective advantage.  Surprisingly enough, even the sperm cells of many organisms find their target ovum through a process of "chemical smelling" called chemotaxis.  Olfaction, apparently, is a prominent part of life even before fertilization.

This video illustrates some of the complexity involved with olfaction and its ties to memory:

Individual differences also play a significant role in the formation of associations between certain scents and memory.  It is important to remember that not everyone may have the same emotion elicited by a specific scent because most people experience different things while immersed in the same scent.

It's interesting to me how different situations can create vastly different consciousnesses.  It's almost as if each of us is meant to peer through every corner of the universe and experience things differently.  Every memory has a smell to it, whether you acknowledge this fact or not.  All of this information is stored in your brain, and for what?  Why so, if we lose it all in the end anyway?  Why do I have to remember that the smell of roses reminds me of the first time I pricked my finger while I was learning gardening techniques from my grandmother?  Does this information only serve a purpose in the time being, or does it go beyond to realms unknown?

Truth Hurts

You're walking past several stores at the mall with your family and you can't help but notice that all of your family members have red beams of light projected onto their foreheads.  As you walk by each store, a new beam comes on.  After you're done with your shopping, you head home for a nice family dinner and your thermal-sensored television comes on so you can watch the much anticipated presidential debates.  As soon as you reach the table, the red beams of light are projected once again onto the foreheads of your family members while you watch and dine.  The younger children are playing with their food, the older children discuss the candidates' platforms, and you and your significant other mingle amongst yourselves about your financial standing and how you're going to make ends meet for the following month.  You choke midsentence after you look back up at your partner's forehead to see the glaring red beam.  You almost forgot that they were listening.  No, not your family members, but the others—the many neurodata aggregators that are constantly scanning, analyzing, and surveilling your every thought, intention, and behavior.  You excuse yourself and walk at a rapid pace to the bathroom.

"That was a close one!" you say to yourself in front of the mirror as you turn the faucet handle.  Your partner knocks on the door and you let them in as you dry your face from the quick face-wash.

"Are you alright?" your partner asks affectionately.

"Everything was going well!  I was doing just fine, but then I remembered what was going on and I freaked out.  I hope they don't pick up on it.  That would be my third investigation THIS YEAR!"

"Oh, honey!  Try to relax.  Ummm..."   Your partner looks around frantically shaking their arms in front of them.  "You choked, remember?  If they ask, you can just tell them you were overwhelmed by the conversation of our finances and you choked."

"I can't handle this anymore!" you half-scream.  "They tell us it's for our own safety; that it is meant to protect our freedom from terrorists and illegal foreign imposters.  But how do we know that?  How can we possibly know?  I can't keep these questions from running through my mind, and you know what the revision of the Bill of Rights states: 'The people are not permitted to question the governing authority on technologically improved homeland security measures.'"

"Honey, we've been gone from the dinner table for far too long.  Try to compose yourself.  Remember, just let your mind go blank and focus on the debates.  Don't let your thoughts wander where they don't like.  We must return now, or we will BOTH be summoned for questioning."

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The applications of our most modern technologies are extending to areas of much ethical controversy.  Researchers are now using fMRI scans to detect deception and truthfulness among human subjects, and the current debate on these measures is centered on whether or not such lie detection technologies should be implemented in the judicial system and used by citizens in society.  Surely, this may prove a tremendous leap for mankind, but which direction is it likely to take?  Will the future hold a better society, or a less stable one?  I suppose the outcome would depend on the accuracy of such technologies and whether or not the authorities would uphold the integrity necessary for such a new technology to function as it is intended.  In all honesty, if this technology were ordained by the supreme court for use in the court system, it would be interesting to see Casey Anthony retried by such an fMRI screening (just food for thought).

The video I inserted below brings up interesting research findings on this topic.  The most important piece of ongoing research is the Crime Scene Recognition study currently run by Dr. John-Dylan Haynes and colleagues of the Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging in Germany.  This study looks at the spatial and contextual memory of the people in question of a criminal act.  Using fMRI scans, these researchers have found that scanning the brains of potential criminals for weapon or crime scene recognition via memory responses can shed light on the actual criminal. The researchers base their analyses on the brain activation patterns that are indicative of memory recognition or recall when the subjects are presented with virtual images of the crime scene or the weapons used.

This technology may begin to reshape our society in the very near future with applications beyond our current comprehension.  It would be wise to keep a vigilant eye out for future supreme court rulings as to the extent of the uses of such invasive technology.  As stated in the video, this technology may not apply to the Fifth Amendment, but instead be used to acquire evidence for court trials.  We can see in today's society that data aggregation has become quite the popular tool for marketing companies over the Internet.  Many social networks are now being used to aggregate data based on what you search or type out to better accommodate you with ads pertaining to what you prefer according to your data file.  The video also points out the potential uses of such technologies for marketing companies, and that makes me feel rather uneasy.  What would be next?  Would the Department of Homeland Security begin to use such technologies across cities and towns to better monitor for "domestic threats?"  I wouldn't doubt it for a second.  While this may prove beneficial, it sounds strikingly familiar.  Does George Orwell's "1984" ring any bells?

Another question of significance to this topic involves the accuracy of such readings on people with amnesia or alzheimer's.  Would these technologies still be able to read the minds of these individuals and detect memory recall for crime scene or weapon recognition?

In a world so complex with billions of people, each one containing his/her own brain filled with intentions, thoughts, and memories (whether implicit, explicit, or both), it is important to consider where the boundaries of mind-reading technologies should be placed.  If the freedom to privacy within our own minds is taken from us, then what freedom is left?  What kind of world would it be if we were pressured to be near 100% truthful?  What kind of lives would we live and to what extent would this technology impact humanity?

The ideal future with such technologies implemented in society would only use them for evidence acquisition, and nothing else.  But the ideal is hardly ever a realistic outlook.  Corporations and government departments are likely to grab a hold of such technologies and use them for their own gain, whatever that may be.  Prepare for change and remain informed.  

The most liberating truth is a painful one.

Brain Lateralization

The human brain is divided into two hemispheres: the left and the right.  Each of these hemispheres specializes in specific functional capability.  For example, the textbook outlines the well-known research of Paul Broca and his findings on Broca's area in the left temporal lobe as the site of articulate speech.  Without this contribution to science, we might have been far behind in our understanding of the functional lateralization of the human brain.

It was interesting to learn about Dr. Jill Taylor's experience on the stroke that occurred in the left hemisphere of her brain.  Many of her descriptions resembled the descriptions of people under the influence of psychotropic drugs, and I found this odd.  There is a rather disappointingly small body of research on the effects of psychotropic drugs on speech, and because of this I can't make a scientific statement on this subject, but what I can say is that there may be a relationship between psychotropic drugs and speech.  What that relationship is, I'm not sure, but many people who have used psychotropics report similar experiences to Dr. Taylor's experience, and I find this fascinating.  There definitely needs to be more research that uses neuroimaging techniques to study the effects of psychotropics on different brain sites.

It's also important to consider the evolutionary pathways that have led to the lateralization of the human brain.  There are many other species that demonstrate brain lateralization as well, and understanding the function of brain lateralization in less complex organisms may give rise to a greater insight in our understanding of functional lateralization in our own brains.  This review over several research articles is highly informative on numerous pieces of evidence that support the hypothesis that brain lateralization and asymmetry has evolved across many terrestrial and marine species.