Layers of consciousness and the sources of story

[paesano]

I had a dream last night that included a plot twist and it got me thinking about the layers of consciousness and the sources of story in our heads. Explanation below my questions, which are in the next paragraph.

I wanted to hear thoughts on this topic. Is anyone else amazed? Is there a grounding framework or text you can recommend to help me process this phenomenon?

Here’s the explanation. In my dream I was going to a football game with a group of people, I can’t remember whom. I was staying in a new place right next to the stadium, and we had ordered pizza to eat before the game. I can remember vivid details from the dream about the stacks of pizza boxes, the transition to the game, the darkness outside, the fanfare at the game, and my feelings of excitement, pleasure, social anxiety and even fear as I later went back out into the night to get some leftover pizza in unfamiliar surroundings.

And then I felt a loud boom reverberate through my body. As I tried to figure out what was happening, I watched a mushroom cloud slowly form in the night sky.

And then I woke up, amid the swirling emotions that followed.

The “writer” may have been planning this plot twist all along. Everything that came before the realization of the fact of the bomb, so vivid at first, faded away in comparison. Even if the bomb was spontaneous and not planned, it took a minute for me to be sure of what I was seeing.

Someone, some screenwriter, inside me kept the secret of this plot twist from the “dream conscious” me.

I’ve had this type of plot twist many times in dreams, and I am always left scratching my head when I awake.

Anyone have a resource to explore this phenomenon?

 

[Pragmatic Idealist]

I was very taken with the book, "The User Illusion" which demonstrates from laboratory testing that the unconscious processes a massive amount of data while the conscious, in comparison, can only handle a trickle. When I was a CFO and had to produce decisions on certain dates I would go through the data and then forget about it. On the deadline morning I always awoke with the decision and its justification.

 

[Pragmatic Idealist]

To give another illustration, William James famously stated "when we see the tiger we are afraid because we run." Just a few decades ago this was proven in a series of experiments. Our subconscious is running the show and our thoughts and emotions trail behind.

 

[Pragmatic Idealist]

My favorite literary example is Saul Bellow. The first draft of "Herzog" was over two thousand pages. The subconscious pours out the material and the conscious edits it. Many famous writers describe the process of writing as primarily editing.

 

[dmns2]

I'm really interested in the psychology and neuroscience of consciousness, and though I haven't read much on this particular topic, you might be interested in reading about the phenomenon of lucid dreaming. Also more generally about the borderline between consciousness and unconsciousness, my general sense is that where that divide is most fuzzy is where things get interesting. As for the connection with creativity, I'd be interested to hear about any specific sources on that as well!

 

[Cobalt Jade]

Paesano, there's been a lot of publicity around the movie Oppenheimer lately, so I'm sure your subconscious picked up on that and put the atom bomb into your dream. I often dream about movies and TV shows I heard buzz about, but never watched, or will watch. For example, last night I was dreaming of some DC superhero movie, and since I detest superhero movies, my superhero "character" (the role I was playing in the dream) speed-tunneled into the earth to escape the action and hid out at a local pancake house.

 

[paesano]

Paesano, there's been a lot of publicity around the movie Oppenheimer lately, so I'm sure your subconscious picked up on that and put the atom bomb into your dream. I often dream about movies and TV shows I heard buzz about, but never watched, or will watch. For example, last night I was dreaming of some DC superhero movie, and since I detest superhero movies, my superhero "character" (the role I was playing in the dream) speed-tunneled into the earth to escape the action and hid out at a local pancake house.

No doubt. I also came across a story about nuclear obliteration that I wrote when I was 9, so I think that was the seed for the dream.

But I’m more interested in how some part of my brain kept the plot twist of the bomb - I’m sure it was planned and not random because of how it fit in the setting - from myself.

 

[Al X.]

In my limited knowledge of subconscious thought, I know that dreams are highly symbolic and not literal. One could interpret your dream is that you have a deep seated subconscious hatred of mushrooms, and when you reached the Italian combo, it became 'game over.'

But more likely, the game probably represents life challenges, the pizza probably represents indulgences, and the bomb probably represents both coming to a head. This may or may not tie to your actual life, it's just how your subconscious views it.

 

[paesano]

In my limited knowledge of subconscious thought, I know that dreams are highly symbolic and not literal. One could interpret your dream is that you have a deep seated subconscious hatred of mushrooms, and when you reached the Italian combo, it became 'game over.'

But more likely, the game probably represents life challenges, the pizza probably represents indulgences, and the bomb probably represents both coming to a head. This may or may not tie to your actual life, it's just how your subconscious views it.

That’s pretty good! Fits my life, but probably most people’s as well.

But my hatred of mushrooms is definitely conscious. I mean, controversial take, I know, but why would I choose to put rotting fungus in my mouth?

Anyway my bigger question isn’t about the content of the dream (although I love your armchair analysis) but about the phenomenon of the subconscious slowly revealing information and building suspense from your conscious self - and all of this in a dream! It’s just too fascinating and others must have written about it authoritatively.

 

[Sonsofthepharaohs]

Here's one that'll really bake your noodle then.

I believe deja vu really is visions of the future in dreams, because when I experience it, I not only remember dreaming it, but when I dreamed it, i.e. what dreams came before and after it.

Once when I was staring at my computer screen, completely blocked, I got deja vu of me staring at the computer screen, completely blocked... same exact words on the screen, my hands in the same position on the keyboard. And then I knew what to write because I remembered seeing it in my dream. So I wrote it, and then the blockage was gone.

Is that seeing the future or just self fulfilling prophesy? Both?

Who knows...

 

[paesano]

Wow. It’s definitely a mystery and it’s a compelling one, all the way down.

 

[Woollybear]

But more likely, the game probably represents life challenges, the pizza probably represents indulgences, and the bomb probably represents both coming to a head. This may or may not tie to your actual life, it's just how your subconscious views it.

Plot twists are another word for symbolism--I like that.

It may be worth considering the layers might include other levels or facets. We've had threads about physical activity being a means to work through plot issues (a solution comes to us while exercising or being outdoors). Elsewhere people talk about the value of writing longhand over typing, as a means of harnessing a different part of our creative selves. The story comes out differently with different forms of writing. Also, in terms of other 'layers,' and regarding editing, there are occasional discussions of reading work backwards, or on hard copy, or in a different color or font, or after stepping away from the work for a while. I wonder if dream-time is another facet that can be added to all of these ways of using aspects of our cognition.

And for what it's worth, although this is getting pretty far afield of the topic now, if you've ever woken with a thought for your work, told yourself you'd remember it, and then didn't the next morning, I found a trick that works for me. I sign out the first letter (or two or three) in my hand, using ASL. When I wake the next morning, I still can't consciously remember the thing that had occurred to me, but my muscle memory has no trouble pulling up those letters with my hand ... and that's enough. The prompt of the first few letters pulls the idea back to awareness.

 

[paesano]

Wild. The mind and body connection is getting more attention in the west now, but it’s been part of eastern philosophy forever.

I experienced some powerful insights (mostly about gratitude) and images doing qi gong recently too.

It seems like anything that can get us out of our heads and out of our routines can give those neurons a rest and let other parts of our brains and minds step in and take part. Thanks for responding!