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Introduction to Psychology Residue of the Day/Information Processing theory of dreams Residue of the Day/ Information Processing theory states that dreams are related to an experience of the previous day. Dorrel (2005) has mentioned that Dreams are primarily the input and output of the processing (Dorrel). Our brain can be considered as a computer. Computer needs instructions as the input and it will provide us the results as outputs, after the processing of the inputs. Same way our brain gets input information from our day activities which will be stored in our subconscious after processing. The output will come in the form of dreams when we sleep in the night. Even though, the architecture of dream is somewhat understandable, it is still difficult to know what information being processed and its outcome. For example, two persons who undergone the same experience during day time need not see the same dream during the night. So we cannot conclude anything about the input information processing and its outputs.
Sigmund Freud has argued that days residues are memory traces left by the events and psychic processes of the waking state; they are used as raw material by the dream-work that serves the wishes of the dreamer. According to Freud, the days residues, in combination with sensory impressions occurring during sleep, constitute the ” raw material” for dream (Days Residues)
Example of ” Residue of the Day/Information processing”
Consider a criminal has approached us with a machine gun and tried to kill us and we escaped even though many people were killed. Such a frightening experience would definitely create frightening dreams during night time in different ways. On the other hand consider we have attended a happy ceremony like wedding or birthday party. The pleasant day experiences may develop pleasant dreams during nigh time. The nature and characteristics of these dreams would be different for different people even though all of them undergo the same experience during day time.
Response to classmates
Oldham’s interpretation of dreams is only partly right. He is saying that re-examination of daily events is the most common type of dream. In fact we are not deliberately doing anything to re-examine the daily events. It happens automatically. Moreover this re-examination of day events may not happen always or may not convert into dreams always. Instead of giving a proper example for day residue dreams, Oldham casually explains what to or how to dream.
Autumn Gregory’s explanation of dreams is more realistic compared to Oldham’s explanation. Gregory’s argument about the processing of day information by brain as the the root cause of dream seems to be more logical. Moreover, the example provided by Gregory was also good more appropriate to the topic.
Works Cited
1. Dorrell, Philip. 2005. “ Dreams Update”. 02 February 2010. 2. “ Days Residues”. 02 February 2010.