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A Multidimensional Model of the Dreaming State of Consciousness

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A Multidimensional Model of the Dreaming State of Consciousness Theory PART ONE: A MULTIDIMENSIONAL MODEL OF THE DREAMING STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Christian J Hallman, Ph.D. ABSTRACT Dreaming has been well studied by psychologists, anthropologists and neurophysiologists. Yet few models to date have really attempted to explain the spatial domain, temporal zone and energetic substances of the dream state. Space, time and energy are all important concepts studied in physics. This paper presents a useful model by implementing some pertinent ideas from theoretical physics and mathematics to explain how the waking and dreaming states can be directly experienced through multiple dimensions of both space and time. Furthermore, these dimensions are accessed almost effort­ lessly simply by shifting into other states of consciousness that closely resemble waking and dreaming. Such states include hypnagogic, hypnopompic, reverie and day-dreaming. Although the realm of each of these discrete states has a distinct uniqueness, experiencing perceptual imagery is what all of these states share in common. In this multidimensional model, sensation and imagination represent two vital abilities of perception. KEYWORDS: Perception, Imagination, Imaginary Generarors, Dimension, Spatial Domain, Tempotal Zone, Anti-matter Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine • Volume 18 • Number 2 • Page 75 INTRODUCTION possibilities for explaining the physical nature of dreams through integration of key reams often seem bizarre and theories in physics. First, an overview of D i'Ilogical.1,2 Yet they have inspired perception is presented. poets, musicians, painters, innovators and inventors. Most people have been ABILITIES OF PERCEPTION conditioned at an early age to forget their In the waking state of consciousness (SoC), dreams shortly after waking up. When perceptions are primarily shaped by young children wake up after dreams during sensations. There are five main categories the night and tell their parents, they are of sensations that conventional science typically told to go back to bed-it is only a recognIzes: dream. As parents continue to invalidate dreams, children learn to forget or not talk 1) Photoreception (vision) about these experiences. However some 2) Phonoreception (audition) people report memorable dream experiences 3) Proprioception (kinesthetic) & they are unable to forget or dismiss easily. Equilibrioception (vestibular) Telepathic and precognitive dreams, for 4) Thermoreception, Tactition & example may have a more lasting impression. Nociception 5) Chemoreception (pheromoception, The dreamtime tradition of Australian olfaction, gustation) cultures explains the creation of the world as a dream of the Great Spirit.3 To the Each sensation provides a range of informa­ ancient Chinese, dreams provided an tion in the waking state. As we shift from opportunity to visit with the dead.4 In a waking to a dreaming state, imagination Biblical times, dreams were believed to be replaces sensation as the dominant ability gifts from God. 5 People who could for shaping our perceptions. Unlike interpret dreams were treated with a great sensation, which depends on the deal of respect. 6 Some modern day functioning of different physiological organ researchers like Myers view dreams as receptors, imagination functions through a nothing more than hallucinations of the generative process, not a receptive one. We sleeping mind.7 know the human brain is able to both receive and generate multiple kinds of Previous articles have offered dream theories images so whatever we can sense in waking, based on different perspectives, yet none of we can imagine in dreaming. Studies have these have offered a model that maps out shown that the same regions of the brain the spatial domain and temporal zone in become activated whether the information 12 which we experience dreams. 8- 11 A multi­ is sensed or imagined. One may wonder dimensional model has been constructed to if the brain can really distinguish between fill this void. It provides a guide for what it senses from what it imagines. measuring the dream state and also presents Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine • Volume 18 • Number 2 • Page 76 In this paper I am introducing some new sensory and imaginary perceptions of touch equivalent terms shown below to balance in either state. Comparing models of space the distinction between sensation and and time can gain a deeper understanding imagination: of the connection between the waking and dreaming states. Sensation 1) Photoreception CONVENTIONAL MODEL OF 2) Phonoreception SPACE AND TIME 3) Tactition & Thermoreception Dimension is a term used in geometry to 4) Chemoreception measure the physical parameters of an object in space and time. The commonly held notion is that our physical world has Imagination three dimensions of space (e.g. latitude, 1) Photogene ration altitude and longitude). The Cartesian 2) Phonogeneration coordinates can represent these three 3) Tactition & Thermogeneraton dimensions on an axis: x, y and z. 4) Chemogeneration Euclideau Geometry is the branch of mathematics that uses three or fewer Photoreception helps us sense objects visually dimensions of space. Einstein proposed during waking, and photogelleration helps us that time could be added as another imagine visual objects while dreaming. dimension. 14 This standard 4D space-time Although both provide visual perception, model (figure 1) is still widely used today one functions by use of sensory receptors to measure different physical phenomena in and the other through imaginary generators. the world of waking consciousness. A cube Kastner et al. found that imagining represents the three dimensions of space, something visually activates the visual cortex Figure 1. COllventional 4D Spacetime Model­ of the brain.13 However, losing the three dimensions ofsptlCe plus one dimension oftime function of one does not necessarily lead to the loss of the other. Thus people who have lost their sensory ability for sight in a waking SoC can still generate visual images during dreams. Phonoreception and phonogeneration both provide audio percep­ tions, but one is sensory and the other is imaginary. Thermogeneration describes perceptions of temperature in dreams. Chemogeneration can be used to describe perceptions of smell and taste in dreams. Of all these equivalent terms, tactition seems universal enough to describe the Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine • Volume 18 • Number 2 • Page 77 and the circle flowing clockwise represents the one dimension of time. We can measure the size of any physical object in the world of waking consciousness using these three dimensions of space, and we can measure its age using the dimension of time. Every corner of the cube is formed by an intersection of 3 perpendicular planes representing the 3 dimensions of space. Using a clock, we are able to record the seconds, minutes and hours of time. These dimensions do not represent reality, as we know it. While looking at the model, Figure 2 Radical 4D Til1U'Spau'Model- three one would think that space is flat and only additional dimensiom 0/ time plus t1llOther follows straight lines. Time appears to be dimension o/space circular. Actually space can be curved, and more dimensions. Figure 2 shows an time can be linear. This model does not example of a hypercube. An additional completely represent our reality, but it does inner cube now appears connected at all demonstrate how dimensions are used as a corners. Notice at each intersection there way to measure objects. As good as this are now four di mensions of space as model seems, it fails to provide a helpful compared to just three in figure 1. The means for directly measuring objects experi­ outer cube in this model still represents the enced in other conscious states such as domain of the waking SoC, but now we can dreaming, reverie, and day-dreaming. see an inner cube, which represents the Newer space-time models expand the domain of dreaming. This fourth number of spatial dimensions. dimension of space is what connects the two domains. During waking consciousness, we SPATIAL DOMAINS seem quite focused on the outer cube with Hyperspace refers to any space with more sensation, but if we close our eyes, we can than three dimensions. Bogzaran had tune in to this inverse cube through previously introduced the concept of imagination. As we go to sleep, we hyperspace lucidity and its relation to lucid naturally drift through this fourth spatial art. 1') Reimannian GeometlY is a branch of dimension and eventually we become more mathematics that uses four or more attuned to the inner domain of dreams dimensions of space. Some of the more where everything seems to be three recent theories in physics (e.g. strings and dimensional, as in our waking domain. To membranes) use models that contain as return, we must again access the fourth many as 10, 11 and even 26 dimensions. 16 dimension, which aJJows us to mentally A hypercube can be used to depict 4 or shift our attention into the outer domain of Subtle Energies 6- Energy Medicine • Volume 18 • Number 2 • Page 78 waking consciousness. Throughout our Experiences of past events in retrocognitive lives we repeatedly move between these two dreams are also frequently reported. IS This domains via the fourth dimension. model proposes that we can swiftly access any event of the future or past because three TEMPORAL ZoNES temporal dimensions are available to us. In addition to another spatial dimension, Shifting ahead in time allows us to experi­ this multidimensional model also proposes ence events within minutes or seconds that three additional temporal dimensions as would normally take hours, days or even indicated by the three dynamic loops in years to develop in the outer waking zone. figure 2, which can help explain the non­ linear events that often occur in dreams. A map of dream experiences can thus be Unlike our experience of only one temporal described by use of a 4D rime-space model dimension (see figure 1) in the outer waking (three dimensions of time, plus one zone, we seem to experience 3 dimensions dimension of space).
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