Vladimir_Nesov comments on Dreams with Damaged Priors - Less Wrong

36 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 08 August 2009 10:31PM

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Comment author: Vladimir_Nesov 09 August 2009 12:01:31AM *  0 points [-]

The next level's feat must be the ability to maintain sane thinking in one's sleep.

Comment author: MichaelVassar 09 August 2009 05:24:44AM 5 points [-]

I'd prefer that he take skill focus in "Friendly AI", or possibly "Craft FAI", whichever works. For me, "Negotiator" seems a better choice.

Comment author: UnholySmoke 09 August 2009 09:25:09PM 0 points [-]

But where's the fun in that?

Also, I find that my rationalist-module and my weird-stuff-generation-module are very interlinked. If I start running dream experiences through logic, weird stuff tends to stop happening. In fact, I generally wake up. Now, training yourself to become lucid but maintain the brain's penchant for throwing nonsense at you; that would be pretty cool.

Comment author: infotropism 10 August 2009 08:57:33PM 0 points [-]

So yes, you'd likely lose the fun of normal dreaming - experiencing weird stuff, letting the insane flow of your dreams carry you like a leaf on a mad wind and not even feeling confused by it, but rather feeling like it was plain normal and totally making sense, having lots of warm fuzzy feelings and partway formed thoughts about your experiences in that dream.

Yet you might on the other hand gain the fun of being able to, for instance, capitalize on your dreaming time to learn and do some thinking. Not to mention the pleasure and sense of security derived from knowing your rational mind can work even under (some) adverse conditions.

Comment author: UnholySmoke 11 August 2009 10:17:59PM *  0 points [-]

Good points, but;

  • I have plenty of time to think and don't feel like I'm in any rush. Sleeping is time off.

  • I've been pleased by my mind's acuity under some very adverse conditions indeed. And terrified by its fragility on other occasions (forest rave a couple of months back, not pretty). But dreams are too far removed from reality to be much use in training myself. Like I said - as soon as I become lucid (or at least aware that I'm dreaming) things stop being interesting.