Thinking about the utility of the dream space. It is a computationally efficient elaborate realm of high fidelity virtual reality with few constraints. A realm that ties the memories and experiences of your conscious world with the foundational constructs and shadows of your subconscious world. A liminal space - the boundary between realms. The controlled waking hallucination vs. the uncontrolled dreaming hallucination.
I wonder how, if you really made an effort to study or utilize it, the dream state could be used to explore your inner world. To explore concepts and frameworks, to explore memories and emotional circuits, to have pleasurable imaginal experiences that feel real. Is it possible? What are the risks? Perhaps dream ought not be controlled; could the stochastic nature of dreaming serve a load bearing function for memory and emotions?
sleep is a fascinating and heavily under-explored phenomenal space. I had the opportunity to move towards sleep research right after my neuroscience undergrad, but the circumstances of my life made it difficult.