For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,...For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, ...so that THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE: Col 1:16 / Rom.1:20

Sunday, December 31, 2023

DREAMS - A Finely Structured System

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.... Psalm 139:14

"You dream for two hours every night, but for something so common, it’s a remarkably enigmatic process.
 A. Dreams tap memories stored in connections between brain cells, which the hippocampus tracks as they form. At night it directs neurons to replay recollections, facilitating long-term storage. That
could be why reality seeps into our visions—but not why they tend to warp reality.
B. Our most vivid imaginings occur during the REM phase of sleep. Activity increases in brain regions that control movement and process optical inputs, like the visual and motor cortices, which likely create what we “see” and “do” in slumber.
C. The almond-shaped amygdala helps generate feelings like fear, anger, and anxiety. It and other emotional domains are more rowdy during REM sleep, which could explain why strong reactions happen frequently when we doze. We may rely on this process to dull the sting of difficult memories.
D. Despite their disjointed nature, dreams still contain semirational thoughts, likely thanks to areas supporting conscious cognition. The anterior, or front, portion of the cingulate, a semicircle in the brain’s center, influences motivation and decision-making—and can switch on while we’re snoozing.
E. During REM, neuroscientists see suppression of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which is critical for executive functions like directing attention, solving problems, and reasoning. This might help explain why we rarely realize we’re asleep, despite some outlandish scenarios." 
PocketWorthy
Q: Do you really think this Finely Tuned system---which includes switches---evolved randomly by time + chance over eons slowly with a little bit of hocus pocus of natural selection mixed in?