Read the article:

  1. Introduction
  2. Brain and context
  3. Other theories
  4. Examples
  5. Chaotic emotions
  6. Left and right
  7. The observing self
  8. Organising idea
  9. References

The REM state »

Caetextia and CFS

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The REM state and autism

Dream sleep occurs primarily in the state of sleep known as REM sleep. We and others have argued that acquiring conscious access to the REM state – daydreaming – was a major precursor of the development of complex language and culture.8 Daydreaming enabled humans to see beyond the present moment and to develop complex language to describe a past and plan a future. To focus intensely on solving problems also required the use of the imagination. So there must have been, and still remains, great pressure on genetic selection to favour the ability to achieve this state of focused attention. However, in increasing access to daydreaming, are we also potentially increasing access to an autistic state? We have already seen that people are caetextic whilst dreaming. Perhaps children who are able to go too deeply into the REM state whilst awake (as a result of a genetic vulnerability) are consequently less able to switch out of this caetextic state fully (whereas most of us automatically reorient to reality after dreaming or daydreaming). Could it be these children who are most vulnerable to autistic spectrum disorders (caetextia)? In autism proper, a great many mammalian templates are not accessed,11 in addition to the one for context thinking. This vulnerability could also arise for the same reason.

Caetextia and CFS »