Brain basis of self: self-organization and lessons from dreaming

Abstract

Through dreaming, a different facet of the self is created as a result of a self-organizing process in the brain. Self-organization in biological systems often happens as an answer to an environmental change for which the existing system cannot cope; self-organization creates a system that can cope in the newly changed environment. In dreaming, self-organization serves the function of organizing disparate memories into a dream since the dreamer herself is not able to control how individual memories become weaved into a dream. The self-organized dream provides, thereby, a wide repertoire of experiences; this expanded repertoire of experience results in an expansion of the self beyond that obtainable when awake. Since expression of the self is associated with activity in specific areas of the brain, the article also discusses the brain basis of the self by reviewing studies of brain injured patients, discussing brain imaging studies in normal brain functioning when focused, when daydreaming and when asleep and dreaming.

Dreamlike effects of LSD on waking imagery in humans depend on serotonin 2A receptor activation

“…One is LSD-induced disturbance of the basic sense of self, also known as depersonalisation. Similar to what happens during dreaming (Kahn 2013), this alters fundamental structures of consciousness, i.e., mental framework and perspectives on space, time, causality and selfhood. Our results show that the LSD-induced increase in the cognitive bizarreness of mental imagery reports was related to the LSD-induced loss of self-boundaries and cognitive control (Figure 3 and Table 4).…”

Right hemisphere neural activations in the recall of waking fantasies and of dreams

“…Acceptance of implausibility in normal dreaming has been proposed to play key roles in normal mentation (Desseilles et al, 2011;Kahn, 2013), but little is known about the neural underpinnings of the bizarreness of physiological dream experiences. Studies of cerebral blood flow and metabolism during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep suggested a relatively reduced activity in precuneus, dorsolateral prefrontal, posterior cingulate and parietal cortex, with increased activations in limbic and paralimbic regions including amygdala, hippocampus, anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortex (Dang-Vu, 2012).…”

Dissociative states in dreams and brain chaos: implications for creative awareness

“…According to these findings chaos may enable flexible brain responses to some external stimuli associated with novel neural activities, behavior and cognitive processing, for example experiences of original ideas and creativity ( Skarda and Freeman, 1987 ; Freeman, 1991 , 2000 , 2001 ; Elbert et al, 1994 ; Melancon and Joanette, 2000 ; Korn and Faure, 2003 ; Bob, 2011 ). Chaotic states in the brain may manifest in various cognitive processes as for example in dreams ( Kahn and Hobson, 1993 ; Kahn et al, 2000 , 2002 ; Bob, 2011 ; Kahn, 2013 ), dissociative states ( Pediaditakis, 1992 ; Putnam, 1997 ; Sel, 1997 ; Bob, 2003 ) and may characterize specific processes in development of mental disorders, as for example in depression or schizophrenia ( Gottschalk et al, 1995 ; Huber et al, 1999 ; Paulus and Braff, 2003 ; Bob, 2011 ).…”

“…Dream scenes mainly occur in the REM sleep and include mental images, thoughts, sounds, and other sensory experiences in various sequences that may be episodically disturbed by discontinuous shifts in dream narratives ( Kahn and Hobson, 1993 ; Faw, 1997 ; Kahn et al, 1997 , 2000 , 2002 ; Stickgold et al, 2001 ; Hobson and Pace-Schott, 2002 ; Kahn, 2013 ). According to some findings neural correlates of these discontinuous shifts in a dream scenery are rapid shifts in neural patterns related to self-organized neural activities, mainly associated with activities of cholinergic pontogeniculoocipital (PGO) systems ( Hobson and McCarley, 1977 ; Quattrochi et al, 1989 ; Hobson, 1990 ; Kahn and Hobson, 1993 ; Stickgold et al, 1994 , 2001 ; Kahn et al, 1997 , 2000 , 2002 ; Kahn, 2013 ). In addition, there is also evidence that the PGO activity is correlated with increased firings in the visual cortex and lateral geniculate bodies participating in formation of images ( Callaway et al, 1987 ; Singer, 1989 ; Kahn and Hobson, 1993 ; Porte and Hobson, 1996 ; Stickgold et al, 2001 ; Kahn, 2013 ).…”

“…According to some findings neural correlates of these discontinuous shifts in a dream scenery are rapid shifts in neural patterns related to self-organized neural activities, mainly associated with activities of cholinergic pontogeniculoocipital (PGO) systems ( Hobson and McCarley, 1977 ; Quattrochi et al, 1989 ; Hobson, 1990 ; Kahn and Hobson, 1993 ; Stickgold et al, 1994 , 2001 ; Kahn et al, 1997 , 2000 , 2002 ; Kahn, 2013 ). In addition, there is also evidence that the PGO activity is correlated with increased firings in the visual cortex and lateral geniculate bodies participating in formation of images ( Callaway et al, 1987 ; Singer, 1989 ; Kahn and Hobson, 1993 ; Porte and Hobson, 1996 ; Stickgold et al, 2001 ; Kahn, 2013 ). During these self-organizing processes brain responses may become very sensitive with respect to very small stimuli which may lead to chaotic bifurcations that cause rapid shifts in patterns of neural activities related to increased cholinergic and decreased aminergic input onto forebrain structures ( Kahn and Hobson, 1993 ; Stickgold et al, 1994 ; Kahn et al, 2000 , 2002 ; Kahn, 2013 ).…”