It seems that those dreams are nothing more than random signals being organized by the forebrain into coherent patterns. Judging from my own experience, this makes perfect sense.
Several places. Such things are mostly theory, but it does make sense to me. My own dream experiences seem to validate it simply because they are so curious and random, having very little coherence.
That was an interesting read (although I skimmed most of it) as I am reading a Jung book right now, and it's interesting to contrast Jung's emphasis on the importance of dreams prior to the understanding of neurochemicals. I kind of reside somewhere in the middle of the importance of dreams. I think dreams are more than simply random signals and even reading that article, I'm not sure how you came to the conclusion being random signals... However with that article in mind, I think that dreams may be more of a phenomena to make sure that our minds are working efficiently and readily for waking consciousness. Jung practiced with many patients, those with neurosis in particular so I don't know the credentials of the author of that article, but I think there is something to be said to discussing one's dreams that can't really be replicated by seeing what areas of the brain are or are not activated during dreams and coming to a theory. However the inverse is true as well, a holistic approach would be interesting of neuroscience and psychoanalysis. I think there can be some revealing material of one's consciousness from dreams, however with there usually not being the continuous focus of waking reality, some of it may be fairly random and incomprehensible.
it is more likely that they are no one thing. certainly there is an element of randomness, but randomness itself is subject to external influences. many if not most, my be quantum portals to a parallel universe, or many of them. they may also be the mind running projection and simulation scenarios. invariably in that case, many similar scenarios may later develop in waking life. when this happens it is easy to imagine the dream to have been predictive. that is, if one fails to notice how randomly and few turn out to be. run enough simulations, and sooner or later life will imitate one of them. sometimes the mind heals itself by entertaining itself, i think that's part of it too. and sometimes your spirit friends send you learning dreams. all this things, not just only one or another of them. some of us may dream in universal symbols, if any symbols really are more universal then our own culture we are surrounded by. some of us in our own unique personal symbols. and some of us, not in symbols at all, but in life as lived in that parallel universe, or several.
