Sleep is not just a disconnection from the outside world, but a dynamic interaction between the brain and body. This has been demonstrated by neuroscientist Mark Blumberg, who has discovered something surprising on this topic.
Dreams have always been a mystery, as many questions have arisen around this natural phenomenon of the brain. What are they? What meaning do they have? Given this, Scientists have studied dreams for centuries, but there is still no definitive answer to these questions.
One of the most accepted theories is that they are a way of processing the information you have received during the day. They help you understand what has happened to you, learn from your mistakes and prepare for the future, but it is not completely proven.
On the other hand, It is said that the answer to this enigma lies in the connection between sleep and the body.a connection that has been studied for decades and has been explored in depth by neuroscientist Mark Blumberg.
Blumberg is a leading researcher in the field of neuroscience. He delved into the mystery of dreams while observing newborn rats in his laboratory at the University of Iowa, USA. During tests, he noticed that the little creatures, just a few days old, experienced spasms and contractions while they slept.
The fascinating connection between sleep and the body
The explanation for these events is that the movements were simply remnants of dreams, but Blumberg had his doubts. Given this, he decided to eliminate the rats’ cerebral cortex, specifically the region that was believed responsible for generating dreams.
To their amazement, the rats continued to experience the same contractions during sleep, even without this part of the brain. This finding challenged the conventional idea that movements during sleep were simply side effects of mental processes.
In this sense, what is the real function of these movements during sleep? The answer lies in the theory that the brain uses REM (rapid eye movement) sleep to map the body.
In this way, instead of disconnection, sleep becomes an active body learning process. For example, Babies, in particular, benefit greatly from this mind-body interaction, as they gradually develop an understanding of their own bodies.. Ultimately, this allows them to learn how to move and how to perceive different parts of themselves.
Mark Blumberg’s research shows that the connection between sleep and the body is not only about physical movement. During REM sleep, the brain is noticeably active, and emotions can be enormously intense.
The lack of clear sensory cues during this stage can lead to vivid, incomprehensible dreams. In short, and to understand the term in a lesser way, dreams are not simple mental narratives, but rather they are a space where your body and mind dialogue and learn at the same time.
Despite constant advances in psychology and neuroscience, the mystery of dreams has not been completely solved. However, this does not prevent this complex and at the same time fascinating phenomenon from continuing to be explored.