Sleep in the Artificial Mind

Synopsis

  Hearing    Vision    Concepts Volition Emotion   Motor Output
 /iiiiiii\  /!i!i!i!\                             /YYYYYYYYYYYY\
| ||||||| || ||||||| |   T                       | |||||||||||| |
| ||||||| || | ___ | |   +                       | |||||||||||| |
| ||||||| ||  /old\  |   +                       | |S|||||||||| |
| ||||||| || (image)-|---+_                      | |H|||||||||| |
| ||||||| ||  \___/  |  /  \                     | |A|||||||||| |
| ||||||| ||         | (idea)               __   | |K|||||||||| |
| | ||||| ||         |  \__/---------------/  \  | |E|||R|||||| |
| |d------||---------|---+        ____    (fear)-|--*|||U|||||| |
| ||||o|| ||  _____  |   +-------/    \----\__/  | |||||N|||P|| |
| ||g|||| || / re- \-|---+      / de-  \---------|------*|||E|| |
| || |||| ||/entrant\|   +     (  ci-   )        | |||||||||T|| |
| ||||||| ||\ image /|   +      \ sion /---------|----------*|| |
| ||||||| || \_____/ |   +       \____/          | |||||||||||| |

The above brain-mind diagram shows the process of Reentry
whereby an "old image" in visual memory is redeposited as
a "re-entrant image" at the current moment of the advancing
front of consciousness.

In a dream during sleep, if the normal sensory inputs are
disconnected from the slumbering mindgrid and therefore do
not command the attention of the mind, it is possible for
faintly activated memory engrams to set in motion a cycle
of dream-state re-activations of memories which coalesce
into a remembered dream by re-assembling as a coherent group
of fresh memories (complete with a story-line or plot) at the
point in consciousness where the moving finger writes our life.

If we have total control and access within the software of the
artificial mind, we may be able to capture the contents of a
cyborg dream and display it as if it were a theatrical film.

A sleep function may turn out to be just as necessary in robots
as in humans. The SLEEP function may permit the consolidation of
memories and the bringing forward of old memories which would
otherwise be forgotten during the recycling of the oldest regions
of memory in the artificial mind.

Sleep Resources

How Sleep Works -- by Marshall Brain.

• http://www.howstuffworks.com/sleep.htm

A Theory of Sleep -- by Yan King Yin

• http://www.angelfire.com/myband/sevenless/Sleep.htm

Last updated: 25 October 2001
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