Art by smbc-comics

Consciousness is often said to disappear in deep, dreamless sleep. We argue that this assumption is oversimplified. Unless dreamless sleep is defined as unconscious from the outset there are good empirical and theoretical reasons for saying that a range of different types of sleep experience, some of which are distinct from dreaming, can occur in all stages of sleep.

Pubmed Articles

Does Consciousness Disappear in Dreamless Sleep?

Sciencealert Article We Were Wrong About Consciousness Disappearing in Dreamless Sleep, Say Scientists

  • BigNote@lemm.ee
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    10 months ago

    It’s not rational. Evolution has hardwired us and every other organism that has the necessary neural architecture to fear death and seek to avoid it. A species that didn’t have an instinctive and heritable aversion to death would not last very long.

    • Rowsdower@lemmy.ca
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      10 months ago

      Definitely. I’m usually averse to death or dying, but I wouldn’t describe it as fear. Wishing to avoid an outcome isn’t always the same as fearing said outcome. Not in the same way I might fear pain

      My sense of self preservation is somewhat compromised so I’m probably not the best example

      • BigNote@lemm.ee
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        10 months ago

        Describe your “aversion” to death any way you want to, if in the end it results in something that very much looks like fear, I think you’re making a distinction without a difference.

        • Rowsdower@lemmy.ca
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          10 months ago

          A preference against it occurring. I don’t like slow jazz so I’d rather not listen to it. I don’t want to die at the moment so I’d rather not