<p><strong>TheAvatarsintheMachine </strong></p><p>DreamingasaSimulationofSocialReality </p><p><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">A</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">n</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">t</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">t</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">i</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">R</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">e</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">vonsuo</a>,<a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">J</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">a</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">r</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">n</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">o</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">T</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">uo</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">m</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">i</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">n</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">e</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">n</a>&amp;<a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">K</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">a</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">t</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">j</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">a</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">V</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">a</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">l</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">l</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">i </a></p><p>Theideathatdreamingisasimulationofthewakingworldiscurrentlybecoming </p><p>Authors </p><p>afarmorewidelysharedandacceptedviewamongdreamresearchers.Several philosophers, psychologists, and neuroscientists have recently characterized dreamingintermsofvirtualreality,immersivespatiotemporalsimulation,orrealisticandusefulworldsimulation.Thus,theconceptionofdreamingasasimulated worldnowunifiesdefinitionsofthebasicnatureofdreamingwithindreamand consciousnessresearch.Thisnovelconceptofdreaminghasconsequentlyledto theideathatsocialinteractionsindreams,knowntobeauniversalandabundant featureofhumandreamcontent,canbestbecharacterizedasasimulationofhumansocialreality,simulatingthesocialskills,bonds,interactions,andnetworks thatweengageinduringourwakinglives.Yetthistemptingideahasneverbeforebeenformulatedintoaclearandempiricallytestabletheoryofdreaming. HereweshowthatatestableSocialSimulationTheory(SST)ofdreamingcanbe formulated,fromwhichempiricalpredictionscanbederived.Someofthepredictionscangaininitialsupportbyrelyingonalreadyexistingdataintheliterature, butmanymoreremaintobetestedbyfurtherresearch.WearguethattheSST shouldbetestedbydirectlycontrastingitspredictionswiththemajorcompeting theoriesonthenatureandfunctionofdreaming,suchastheContinuityHypothesis(CH)andtheThreatSimulationTheory(TST).Thesethreemajortheories ofdreamingmakedifferingpredictionsastothequalityandthequantityofsocial simulationsindreams.Wewilloutlinethefirststepstowardsatheory-and-hypothesis-drivenresearchprogramindreamresearchthattreatsdreamingasasimulatedworldingeneralandasasocialsimulationinparticular.Byfollowingthis researchprogramitwillbepossibletofindoutwhetherdreamingisarelatively unselectiveandthusprobablynon-functionalsimulationofthewakingworld(CH), asimulationprimarilyspecializedinthesimulationofdangerousandthreatening eventsthatpresentimportantchallengesforoursurvivalandprosperity(TST),or whetheritisasimulationprimarilyspecializedintrainingthesocialskillsand bondsmostimportantforushumansasasocialspecies(SST).Whatevertheevidencefororagainstthespecifictheoriesturnouttobe,inanycasetheconception ofdreamingasasimulatedworldhasalreadyprovedtobeafruitfultheoretical approachtounderstandingthenatureofdreamingandconsciousness. </p><p><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">A</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">n</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">t</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">t</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">i</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">R</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">e</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Antti_Revonsuo" target="_blank">vonsuo </a></p><p>antti.revonsuoꢀ@ꢀutu.fi HögskolaniSkövde Skövde,Sweden Turunyliopisto Turku,Finland </p><p><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">J</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">a</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">r</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">n</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">o</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">T</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">uo</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">m</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">i</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">n</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Jarno_Tuominen" target="_blank">en </a></p><p>jarno.tuominenꢀ@ꢀutu.fi Turunyliopisto Turku,Finland </p><p><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">K</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">a</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">t</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">j</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">a</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">V</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">a</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">l</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">l</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Katja_Valli" target="_blank">i </a></p><p>katvalꢀ@ꢀutu.fi Turunyliopisto Turku,Finland HögskolaniSkövde Skövde,Sweden </p><p>Commentator </p><p><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Martin_Dresler" target="_blank">M</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Martin_Dresler" target="_blank">a</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Martin_Dresler" target="_blank">r</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Martin_Dresler" target="_blank">t</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Martin_Dresler" target="_blank">i</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Martin_Dresler" target="_blank">n</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Martin_Dresler" target="_blank">D</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Martin_Dresler" target="_blank">r</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Martin_Dresler" target="_blank">e</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Martin_Dresler" target="_blank">s</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Martin_Dresler" target="_blank">l</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Martin_Dresler" target="_blank">er </a></p><p>martin.dreslerꢀ@ꢀdonders.ru.nl RadboudUniversiteitMedicalCenter Nijmegen,Netherlands </p><p>Editors </p><p><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Thomas_Metzinger" target="_blank">Tho</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Thomas_Metzinger" target="_blank">m</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Thomas_Metzinger" target="_blank">a</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Thomas_Metzinger" target="_blank">s</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Thomas_Metzinger" target="_blank">M</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Thomas_Metzinger" target="_blank">e</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Thomas_Metzinger" target="_blank">t</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Thomas_Metzinger" target="_blank">z</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Thomas_Metzinger" target="_blank">i</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=Thomas_Metzinger" target="_blank">nger </a></p><p><strong>Keywords </strong></p><p>metzingerꢀ@ꢀuni-mainz.de <br>Alteredstateofconsciousness|Avatar|Consciousness|Continuityhypothesis| </p><p>Dreaming|Evolutionary psychology|Inclusivefitness|Kin selection theory| Needtobelong|Practiseandpreparationhypothesis|Reciprocalaltruismtheory|Simulation|Socialbrainhypothesis|Socialmappinghypothesis|Social simulationtheory|Sociometertheory|Strengtheninghypothesis|Thedream self|Theinclusivefitnesstheory|Threatsimulationtheory|Virtualreality|Virtualrealitymetaphor <br>JohannesGutenberg-Universität Mainz,Germany </p><p><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=JenniferM_Windt" target="_blank">J</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=JenniferM_Windt" target="_blank">e</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=JenniferM_Windt" target="_blank">nn</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=JenniferM_Windt" target="_blank">i</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=JenniferM_Windt" target="_blank">f</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=JenniferM_Windt" target="_blank">e</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=JenniferM_Windt" target="_blank">r</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=JenniferM_Windt" target="_blank">M</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=JenniferM_Windt" target="_blank">.</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=JenniferM_Windt" target="_blank">W</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=JenniferM_Windt" target="_blank">i</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=JenniferM_Windt" target="_blank">n</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/showAuthor?author=JenniferM_Windt" target="_blank">dt </a></p><p>jennifer.windtꢀ@ꢀmonash.edu MonashUniversity Melbourne,Australia </p><p>Revonsuo,A.,Tuominen,J.&amp;Valli,K.(2015).TheAvatarsintheMachine-DreamingasaSimulationofSocialReality. </p><p>InT.Metzinger&amp;J.M.Windt(Eds).<em>O p e n M I N D :</em><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/papers/@@chapters?nr=32" target="_blank">3</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/papers/@@chapters?nr=32" target="_blank">2</a>(T).FrankfurtamMain:MINDGroup.doi:<a href="/goto?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.15502/9783958570375" target="_blank">1</a><a href="/goto?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.15502/9783958570375" target="_blank">0</a><a href="/goto?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.15502/9783958570375" target="_blank">.</a><a href="/goto?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.15502/9783958570375" target="_blank">15502</a><a href="/goto?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.15502/9783958570375" target="_blank">/</a><a href="/goto?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.15502/9783958570375" target="_blank">9783958570375 </a></p><p><strong>1</strong>|28 </p><p><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">www</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">.</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">o</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">pen-</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">m</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">i</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">n</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">d</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">.</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">net </a></p><p><strong>1 Introduction </strong></p><p>There may be no Cartesian ghosts residing&nbsp;vergedtowardsamoreunifiedunderstandingof within the machinery of the brain, but still,&nbsp;the basic nature of dreams. A widely shared somethingratherpeculiarisgoingoninthere, conceptualizationofdreamingnowdepictsitas </p><p>especiallyduringthedarkesthoursofthenight. the<em>s i m u l a t i o n</em>ofwakingreality.Wewillbriefly </p><p>Aswesleepandourbodiesceasetointeractbe- describe&nbsp;how this theoretical shift has taken haviourally with the surrounding physical placeandwherewecurrentlyareinthetheoretworld,ourconsciousexperiencesdonotentirely icaldefinitionofdreaming.Thistheoreticaldedisappear.Onthecontrary,duringsleepweof- velopmenthaspavedthewayforunderstanding tenfindourselvesembodiedandimmersedinan the<em>s oc i a l</em>natureofdreamsintermsofsocial experiential reality, an altered state of con-&nbsp;simulation. sciousnesscalleddreaming. TheDreamSelf— Second,wewillexplorethenatureofsothecharacterwithwhichweidentifyourselves cialdreamsimulationinmoredetail.Inwhat inthedreamworld,andfromwhoseembodied sensecandreamingbetakenasasimulationof perspectivethedreamworldisexperienced—is ourhuman<em>s oc i a l</em>reality?Howmuchandwhat who<em>I</em>aminthedreamworld(<a href="#0_1">R</a><a href="#0_1">e</a><a href="#0_1">von</a><a href="#0_1">s</a><a href="#0_1">u</a><a href="#0_1">o</a><a href="#0_1">2</a><a href="#0_1">005</a>). typesofsocialperceptionandinteractionoccur <br>Butwearenotaloneinthisalternative indreams?Thisquestioncanbebrokendown reality—thereareotherapparentlyliving,intel- intoanumberofmoredetailedquestions.We ligentbeingspresent, whoseemtosharethis willtrytoanswersomeofthesequestionsbased realitywithus.Weseeandinteractwithreal- onthealreadyexistingknowledgeandempirical istichumancharactersinourdreams.Theirbe- evidenceaboutthesocialnatureofdreams.Furhaviourandtheirveryexistenceinthedream thermore,wewilltrytoformulatemoreclearly world seem to be autonomous. The dream&nbsp;thequestionsthatcannotyetbeansweredempeoplewhoIencounterwithinthedreamseem piricallyduetothelackofappropriatedata. togoabouttheirownbusiness:Icannotpredict Third,&nbsp;we will review hypotheses that orcontrolwhattheywillsayordo.Yet,they, alreadyaddressthequestionofthesocialnature too,aresomehowproducedbymyowndream- ofdreamsorassignasocialsimulationfunction </p><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">ingbrain. </li><li style="flex:1">fordreams.Finally,wewilloutlinesomebasic </li></ul><p>Ontheonehand,dreamingisasolipsistic ideasofaSocialSimulationTheory(SST)of experience:whenwedream, wedreamalone, dreamingthatmightoffersomeexplanationsfor andoutsidershavenowayofparticipatingin thesocialnatureofdreams,oratleastmight ourdream.Yetontheotherhand,dreamingis producewell-defined,testableresearchquestions </p><p>anintensely<em>s oc i a l</em>experience,evenifthesocial concerning the possible <em>f u n c t i ons </em>of social </p><p>contactsand interactions in thedreamworld&nbsp;dreamsimulations. aremerelyvirtual.Inthispaper,wewillexplore Todescribeandexplainthesocialnature </p><p>theideathatdreamingisa<em>s i m u l a t e d</em>world,but of&nbsp;dreams as social simulation, concepts bor- </p><p>notonlyasimulationofthe<em>p hy s i c a l</em>world.Itis rowedfromvirtualrealitytechnologymaybe equally or perhaps even more importantly a&nbsp;applied, in this case to the social aspects of simulationofthe<em>s oc i a l</em>world.Wewillproceed dreaming.Oneoftheseconceptsisthenotionof inthefollowingway: </p><p>“avatar”:<em>A s i m u l a t e d v i r t u a l h u m a n c ha r ac t er </em></p><p>First,wewillarguethataremarkablecon- whoplaystheroleofacorrespondingrealhuvergence has gradually emerged in theories manwithinavirtualreality.Ifdreamsareviraboutthenatureofdreaming.Thefieldusedto tualrealitiesinthebrain(<a href="#0_0">R</a><a href="#0_0">e</a><a href="#0_0">von</a><a href="#0_0">s</a><a href="#0_0">u</a><a href="#0_0">o</a><a href="#0_0">1</a><a href="#0_0">995</a>),then beadisunifiedbattlegroundofdirectlyoppos- we ourselves within the dream world are ingviewsonwhatdreamsare,howexactlythe avatars,andweinteractwithotheravatarsinconceptof“dreaming”shouldbedefined,and sidethesimulatedreality.Somehow,thedreamontheproperlevelofdescriptionandexplana- ing brain is capable of creating credible, tionfordreaming.Recently,thefieldhascon- autonomous&nbsp;human simulations out of neural </p><p>Revonsuo,A.,Tuominen,J.&amp;Valli,K.(2015).TheAvatarsintheMachine-DreamingasaSimulationofSocialReality. </p><p>InT.Metzinger&amp;J.M.Windt(Eds).<em>O p e n M I N D :</em><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/papers/@@chapters?nr=32" target="_blank">3</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/papers/@@chapters?nr=32" target="_blank">2</a>(T).FrankfurtamMain:MINDGroup.doi:<a href="/goto?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.15502/9783958570375" target="_blank">1</a><a href="/goto?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.15502/9783958570375" target="_blank">0</a><a href="/goto?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.15502/9783958570375" target="_blank">.</a><a href="/goto?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.15502/9783958570375" target="_blank">15502</a><a href="/goto?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.15502/9783958570375" target="_blank">/</a><a href="/goto?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.15502/9783958570375" target="_blank">9783958570375 </a></p><p><strong>2</strong>|28 </p><p><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">www</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">.</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">o</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">pen-</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">m</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">i</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">n</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">d</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">.</a><a href="/goto?url=http://www.open-mind.net/" target="_blank">net </a></p><p>activities in the sleeping brain. A theory of&nbsp;consciousness. When dreaming is taken seridreamingasasocialsimulationshouldpredict ously,ideasaboutthenatureofconsciousness what kind of avatars are represented in our&nbsp;tendtoconvergeoninternalisttheoriesofcondreams,whattypesofinteractionsweengagein sciousnessthattakeconsciousnessanddreaming withthem,andinparticular,<em>w h y</em>itwouldbe to be varieties of the same internal pheusefultosimulatesuchavatarsandinteractions nomenon,&nbsp;whosemainfunctionistosimulate inourdreams—whatfunctions,ifany,dothey reality. </p><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">serveforus. </li><li style="flex:1">Oneoftheearliestattemptstoconceptual- </li></ul><p>izebothwakingconsciousnessanddreamingas </p><p><strong>2 Consciousnessasreality-modelingand </strong>theexpressionsofthesameinternally-activated <strong>world-simulation </strong></p><p>neuralmechanism, onlydifferentlystimulated, wasputforwardby<a href="#0_4">L</a><a href="#0_4">l</a><a href="#0_4">i</a><a href="#0_4">n</a><a href="#0_4">á</a><a href="#0_4">s</a>&amp;<a href="#0_4">P</a><a href="#0_4">a</a><a href="#0_4">r</a><a href="#0_4">é</a>in<a href="#0_4">1</a><a href="#0_4">991</a>: <br>Dreamingisthemostuniversalandmostregularlyoccurring, aswellasaperfectlynatural [C]onsciousness&nbsp;is an intrinsic property andphysiological(asopposedtopathological), arisingfromtheexpressionofexistingdisalteredstateofconsciousness.Thus,anyplaus- positionsofthebraintobeactiveincerible(empiricalorphilosophical)theoryofcon- tainways.Itisaclosekintodreaming, sciousness should also describe and explain&nbsp;where sensory input byconstraining the dreaming as a major state of consciousness.&nbsp;intrinsicfunctionalstatesspecifies,rather Mosttheoriesofconsciousness,however,donot thaninforms,thebrainofthoseproperties considerdreamingatalloratleastdonotdis- ofexternalrealitythatareimportantfor cusstheresultsofdreamresearchinanydetail survival.[…]Thatconsciousnessisgener- </p><p>(<a href="#0_2">R</a><a href="#0_2">e</a><a href="#0_2">von</a><a href="#0_2">s</a><a href="#0_2">u</a><a href="#0_2">o</a><a href="#0_2">2</a><a href="#0_2">006</a>). </p><p>atedintrinsicallyisnotdifficulttounder- <br>Dreamingpresentsaparticularlydifficult standwhenoneconsidersthecompleteness challengeforexternalist,embodied,andenact- of&nbsp;the sensory representations in our </p><p><a href="#3_0">1</a></p><p>ivetypesoftheoriesofconsciousness. Theyall&nbsp;dreams.(<a href="#0_4">1</a><a href="#0_4">991</a>,p.531) anchortheexistenceandnatureofconsciousnesstosomethingintheworldexternaltothe The&nbsp;argument by <a href="#0_4">L</a><a href="#0_4">l</a><a href="#0_4">i</a><a href="#0_4">n</a><a href="#0_4">á</a><a href="#0_4">s </a>&amp; <a href="#0_4">P</a><a href="#0_4">a</a><a href="#0_4">r</a><a href="#0_4">é </a>(<a href="#0_4">1</a><a href="#0_4">991</a>) was brain,ortosomekindofbrain-worldrelations mostly&nbsp;based on considerationsof the shared that,atleastpartly, resideoutsidethebrain. neurophysiologicalmechanisms(inthethalamoBycontrast,theempiricalevidencefromdream corticalsystem)thatcouldactasthefinalcomresearchshowsthatfull-blown,complexsubject- monpathforbothdreamingandwakingconiveexperiencessimilarwithoridenticaltoex- sciousness.Bindinginformationtogetherwithin periencesduringwakefulness(e.g., <a href="#0_3">R</a><a href="#0_3">e</a><a href="#0_3">c</a><a href="#0_3">h</a><a href="#0_3">t</a><a href="#0_3">s</a><a href="#0_3">c</a><a href="#0_3">h</a><a href="#0_3">a</a><a href="#0_3">f</a><a href="#0_3">- </a>thissystemintrinsicallygeneratesconsciousness <a href="#0_3">f</a><a href="#0_3">e</a><a href="#0_3">n</a>&amp;<a href="#0_3">B</a><a href="#0_3">u</a><a href="#0_3">c</a><a href="#0_3">h</a><a href="#0_3">i</a><a href="#0_3">gnan</a><a href="#0_3">i</a><a href="#0_3">1</a><a href="#0_3">992</a>),regularlyanduniver- (“Itbinds,thereforeIam”,<a href="#0_6">L</a><a href="#0_6">l</a><a href="#0_6">i</a><a href="#0_6">n</a><a href="#0_6">á</a><a href="#0_6">s</a><a href="#0_6">2</a><a href="#0_6">001</a>,p.261); sallyhappenduringrapideyemovement(REM) but&nbsp;only during wakefulness is consciousness sleep.Theconsciousexperienceswehaveduring modulatedbysensory-perceptualinformation— dreamingareisolatedfrombehaviouralandper- in this model, wakefulness can be seen as a ceptual interactions with the environment, dream-likestate(<a href="#0_5">L</a><a href="#0_5">l</a><a href="#0_5">i</a><a href="#0_5">n</a><a href="#0_5">á</a><a href="#0_5">s</a>&amp;<a href="#0_5">R</a><a href="#0_5">i</a><a href="#0_5">b</a><a href="#0_5">a</a><a href="#0_5">r</a><a href="#0_5">y</a><a href="#0_5">1</a><a href="#0_5">994</a>). whichrefutesanytheorythatstatesthatorgan- Although&nbsp;the idea that dreaming <em>s i m u - </em>ism-environment interaction or other external&nbsp;<em>l a t e s</em>wakingconsciousnesswasimplicitinthis relationshipsareconstitutiveoftheexistenceof neuroscientifictheory,<a href="#0_4">L</a><a href="#0_4">l</a><a href="#0_4">i</a><a href="#0_4">n</a><a href="#0_4">á</a><a href="#0_4">s</a>&amp;<a href="#0_4">P</a><a href="#0_4">a</a><a href="#0_4">r</a><a href="#0_4">é</a>(<a href="#0_4">1</a><a href="#0_4">991</a>)did </p><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">consciousness(<a href="#0_2">R</a><a href="#0_2">e</a><a href="#0_2">von</a><a href="#0_2">s</a><a href="#0_2">u</a><a href="#0_2">o</a><a href="#0_2">2</a><a href="#0_2">006</a>). </li><li style="flex:1">not consider the phenomenology of dreaming </li></ul><p>Afewtheoriesofconsciousnesshave,how- andconsciousnessinanydetail.Theoreticalapever,takendreamingasacentralstartingpoint proachescharacterizingthenatureofdreaming in their conceptualization and explanation of assimulation,basedonacombinationofphilosophical arguments and empirical facts about </p>