This is a presentation by Brant A. Gardner at the 2016 Science & Mormonism Symposium: Body, Brain, Mind & Spirit, which took place on 12 March 2016 in Orem, Utah.
This presentation is also available as an audio podcast, and will be included in the podcast feed. You can listen by pressing the play button or download the podcast below:
Podcast: Download (Duration: 26:49 — 9.2MB)
Great thoughts and presentation. Thank you. At the beginning I was hoping you would elucidate a comment supposedly made by Brigham Young JD 1:351 “For instance, it is like this: when we lie down to sleep, our minds are often as bright and active as the mind of an angel, at least they are as active as when our bodies are awake. They will range over the earth, visit distant friends, and, for aught we know, the planets, and accomplish great feats; do that which will enhance our happiness, increase to us every enjoyment of life, and prepare us for celestial glory; but when we wake in the morning, it is all gone from us; we have forgotten it.
Thoughts?
Laurin, I can see his comment as an explorations of the wonders of the mind and the associations it makes for us of which we are unaware. When we sleep, our mind can continue to work on issues and present us solutions later. As metaphor, it is a wonderful picture of our relationship between our conscious and unconscious thoughts. I don’t see it as a realistic explanation of what happens, however.