by Mike Rhynard
She glared combatively. “No way, Doc. I can’t be away from Emily for any amount of time, period.”
He sighed, tapped his fingers on the tabletop, stared expressionlessly into her unyielding eyes. “Okay, I understand, but you need to understand that we can’t keep pushing this into the closet. If it continues to worsen, we’re going to have to deal with it. Understand?”
She nodded, whispered, “Yes.”
“Okay, so tell me about last night.”
They’d been finished with lunch for an hour when Allie finally completed her dream overview, which had included several tearful interludes during which Dressler had reached across the table, held her hands. His touch had comforted her, spread a pleasant warmth throughout her body, aroused an involuntary flutter in her heart and mind. She’d stared sheepishly at him through her tears then smiled meekly as she’d resumed her story. When she’d finished, she said, “Well, that’s it, and now you understand why I’m depressed.”
He nodded. “I do indeed. Tayler’s not a nice guy.” He paused, assumed a contemplative expression. “You know, as I listen to you tell this—all the explicit detail, the feelings, the emotions—it’s like you’re hardwired to the collective memory and get on-demand replays of your dreams downloaded to your mind as you tell the story.” He shook his head. “It’s astounding.”
“Well, maybe I am hardwired. Never thought about it; but it’s true, the details are always right there when I think about them.”
“Something to think about . . . also a good segue to our discussion of formative causation and morphic resonance. Have you had a chance to think about theory, and challenging mine?”
She smiled. “Yes, but you’re going to think I’m a lightweight, because I agree with you.”
After overviewing her analysis and showing him the chart of her dreaming process, which impressed him, she presented her rationale for concluding that formative causation, via morphic resonance, was the only possible fit for what she’d experienced with her dreams. She argued that there could be no other way to access both her own ancestral memories and experiences and those of connected individuals like Elyoner, Tayler, Baylye, and Waters unless a collective memory that held those connected memories resided somewhere external to her own mind-brain. She then presented her logic that the master copy of each person’s personal memory resided in their mind-brain, while a duplicate copy resided permanently in the collective memory like books in a library, for all time. “Then when I looked at my dream characteristics, I found that they fell quite neatly under morphic resonance, genetics—which you’re going to tell me about in a minute—and unknown. The three unknowns were: first, why the dreams go into fast forward whenever I’m not dreaming; second, why I can’t change anything when I’m lucid; and third, the stuff about Ian, which my mom and I are going to dig into this weekend. By the way, I think the very fact that I can’t impact the dreams when I’m lucid is a great argument for why they’re true history. Remember, as you said, you can’t change history.”
He nodded. “I think you may be right, but I don’t have any ideas on the fast forward thing yet. Hopefully, a clue will pop up as we go along.” He stared silently at her for a moment. “So you and your mom are going to get into your great-great-grandma’s belongings when you’re home?”
“Yeah. Mom’s got a box of Ian’s stuff in the attic that she’s never even opened. Could be interesting. Hope there’s a picture of her, even though I feel like I know her already.”
“That could be an incredibly interesting experience.”
“Yup.” She nodded, wondered what they’d find, wondered if it would help or hurt the study . . . or her. Her mind raced through possible discoveries and their consequences. She blinked as if suddenly awakened from a deep sleep. “I also looked at Domhoff’s critique of the Solms-Hobson debate; and frankly, I didn’t get much out of it because there wasn’t any real empirical proof for their claims. But what I did find interesting was Hobson’s belief that the origin of activation synthesis is in the pons, the same region of the brain that generates REM sleep, and that it activates the forebrain to conduct the synthesis of random, noisy inputs that result in bizarre dreams. But then the paper says Hobson has now acknowledged greater forebrain influence on the REM mechanism than he originally thought, especially through the hypothalamus. It also says he currently believes that the emotional brain, in the limbic and paralimbic regions, plays a big role in the process, while the executive planning areas of the prefrontal cortex do not. Solms, on the other hand, believes the origin of dreaming is in the ventral tegmental area of the midbrain. So I think we should monitor all the suspect parts of my brain with advanced neuroimaging equipment and see what happens when I dream—like where the commands come from, where they show up, where the resulting signals go, what parts respond to the commands and signals and with what activities—explore all the possibilities. I mean, with my precisely accurate and admittedly emotional reporting”—she smiled—“plus the EEG data, shouldn’t we be able to time-and-event correlate with the neuro-imaging data to see where and how much activity occurs with specific events, emotions, and feelings?
“Yes, we should because your unique capabilities give us the scientific opportunity of several lifetimes, possibly centuries. And my hope is that, at a minimum, we’ll figure out how to measure the back-and-forth signal traffic you depict on your chart.” He exhaled long and slow. “However, I’m at a loss as to how we’re going to measure the collective memory part of it; but hopefully, we’ll get some good leads when we learn exactly where things happen in your brain. And if there’s signal flow of any type between your brain and the collective memory, whether it ends up being in your unconscious mind or somewhere out in space, we might be able to detect and measure it.”
Allie nodded her head. “This is neat. I’m ready; when do we start?”
“As soon as I think about where in your brain things are happening and match those locations and activities with the most appropriate neuroimaging techniques. Meanwhile, we have excellent correlation between your reports and the EEG data already and should have more after your long weekend if you aren’t out chasing cows twenty-four seven.” He smiled.
Allie snickered. “I wish. I really need that right now.”
“I know you do, Allie. Hope you can relax and unwind a bit. And while you’re doing that, I’ll lay out a draft test plan for you to tweak when you get back. So what do you know about PET, CT, MRI, SPECT and functional MRI?”
“Not a lot.” She held up the index finger and thumb of her left hand in the shape of a zero.
“Okay. Then here’s a quick tutorial. Tomography is imaging by sections, or slices, through the use of penetrating waves of various types; and functional neuroimaging is the use of neuroimaging technology to measure brain-part functions to discover the relationship between activity in certain areas of the brain and specific mental functions, such as dreaming.” His eyes asked if she understood.
She nodded.
“Good. And PET, positron emission tomography, is a nuclear medicine functional-imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image of functional processes in the brain, and other places, by detecting gamma rays emitted by an introduced radioactive substance. It actually maps human brain functions by detecting the areas of high radioactivity in the increased blood flow stimulated by brain activity; and because of your undoubtedly high level of spontaneous activity in the temporo-parietal junction and median prefrontal cortex, PET should provide us a lot of data that correlate with your dream reports and the EEG data.”
Allie’s eyes widened, filled with doubt. “Radioactive substance?”
“Yeah, but a very safe amount.”
She smiled, replied slowly, tentatively, “Okay.”
“Next is CT, or computed tomography, which is a technology that uses computer-processed x-rays to produce tomographic images, or virtual slices, of the brain area scanned, which in turn allow us to see what’s going on inside the brain
without cutting it open. Good deal, huh?”
“Uhhhh, yeah.”
“So if we combine PET and CT in the same machine, we get the excellent functional imagery of PET and the more-precisely aligned and correlated imagery of the CT scan, which will allow us to more easily correlate the data with the precise event timelines and data stimulations mapped out by the dream reports and EEGs.”
“I feel like a test monkey—radioactive drinks and x-rays? I mean, how much of this stuff can I take before I mutate?”
He chuckled. “We use benign levels of both that are well below the threshold of concern, but obviously, we’ll monitor it very closely.”
She looked at him suspiciously. “Okay . . . if you say so. Now what about MRI? I’ve had a couple for sports injuries, but how do they work for brain measurements?”
“Thusly: MRI is magnetic resonance imaging; and as you point out, it’s a medical imaging technique used in radiology to investigate the anatomy and function of both healthy and unhealthy bodies. And because it uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to form images, it’s a great alternative to bombarding the body with radiation.”
“Good.”
“And a one-up from MRI is the functional MRI, which, like PET, measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow attributable to brain activity in the target area, but without the introduced radioactive substance. So again, if we capture this kind of data on the parts of your brain that are energized when you’re dreaming and correlate them with your reports and EEGs, we’ll learn a lot about what’s going on in there.” He pointed at Allie’s head. “Saturated yet?”
“Almost, but there’s a little room left, so let’s finish.”
“Very well. Next is PET-MRI, which combines the excellent functional imagery of PET with the less-invasive structural and functional tissue characterization of MRI—measurement of radioactivity plus magnetic resonance. And like PET-CT, PET-MRI aims at getting a more precise matching of brain activity and location than PET alone could get.” He paused for several seconds. “And last is SPECT, or single photon emission computed tomography, another nuclear medicine technique, which again, like PET, uses gamma-ray measurement to provide true 3-D information. So, that’s it. As I said, I’ll try to match the theoretical activity location in your brain with the most appropriate measuring technique for that area, and you can sanity check it when you get back from the ranch. Okay?”
“Sounds good, Doc. I really feel like we’re onto something here and gonna hit pay dirt.”
“We are, Allie; and like I said, your dreaming precision—vividness, lucidity, recall—is the only reason we can even hope to make this work. I’m really excited about it.” He smiled, nodded repeatedly. “Hope it doesn’t sound too intimidating.”
“No way. I’m as excited as you are, maybe more.” She looked at her watch. “Got time to talk genetics a bit? I think it may be the cornerstone of the gift, and I desperately need a refresher in it.”
“I do indeed.” He pulled a stapled clump of papers from his stack, handed them across the table to Allie. “Here’s a quick overview you can maybe look at before you leave for the ranch, or while you’re there.”
She scanned the list, looked up at him. “Yeah, I’ve seen some of this stuff before, but I need to get into it again and go deeper.”
“Good. So digest the basics, and we’ll get into the deep details when you get back. Meanwhile, I’ll look into setting up some genetic analysis for you.” He pondered something for a moment. “You know, let’s wait on the genetics review until next week. You need to drop out of all this for a while and just take it easy. Okay? ”
“No, Doc. I really want to look it over this afternoon before I head out. Won’t take that long.” Her eyes and look suddenly brightened. “You know, maybe we should do genetic testing on my mom, too. What do you think? She’ll do anything to help me through this.”
“Great idea. Why don’t you ask her when you’re home.”
“I will.”
“So when are you leaving?”
“Late this afternoon.”
“Then how ’bout a beer?”
She looked at her watch. “Actually, I better get going. Got a lot of stuff to get together, and I really want to get through this genetics stuff . . . but I’d love to take a raincheck if I can.”
“Absolutely.”
She started to stand but hesitated, looked into his eyes. “Steve, can I ask you a personal question?”
He looked instantly uncomfortable, cautious, spoke warily. “Sure.”
Allie blushed. “Why . . . why did you get divorced?”
“Whew! I thought you were going to ask something scary.” He took a deep breath, sighed. “I got divorced because my wife, quite rightfully, could no longer tolerate my total immersion in my work. I . . . I think we were both still deeply in love, but I left her no choice—totally my fault.” His eyes saddened; his entire persona suddenly embodied the essence of remorse.
“I’m sorry. That was tacky of me. I shouldn’t have asked.” She reached across the table, touched his hand. “I’m really sorry, Steve.”
“Don’t be. It was all my fault.” He put his other hand over hers, smiled. “Live and learn.”
They stared deeply, meaningfully into each other’s eyes until Allie smiled, stood. “Thanks for helping me, Steve. I really, really appreciate you letting me do this, and I . . . I . . . I better get going. Have a good weekend. See you Tuesday.”
He smiled. “Have a good R ’n’ R, Allie. It’ll feel kind of strange not having you here, and I can’t wait to get started next week. Have fun.”
“Until then.”
As Allie packed her belongings for the ranch, she wondered about Emily—what she’d decided to do, whether she’d submitted to Tayler’s will, sacrificed her life for Virginia’s. Damn, if she’s really my ancestor, then her baby and Tayler may be my ancestors. Her look saddened. What a jerk he is. That would suck. She thought of Dressler, her intensifying but necessarily restrained feelings for him. She felt a sudden wave of guilt over her drug deceit. If I keep this up, I won’t be able to look him in the eyes . . . like Emily with Isna. She grimaced at an unsavory thought. Emily didn’t create her problem, but I created mine. She sighed. Gotta get to the ranch, get my mind right before I lose it. After she zipped up her suitcase, set it by the door, she realized she’d forgotten her pills, retrieved the two bottles from the nightstand, paused to stare at them in the palm of her hand. You’re a fool, Allie. She shook her head, placed the bottles in the side pocket of the suitcase, then looked at her desk. Better look at genetics before I go.
She walked to the desk, sat, picked up Dressler’s genetics paper, and commenced reading.
Molecular Biology & Genetics—Top Level Overview (Note to Allie: We’ll need to dig very deeply into this in the near future.)
1.DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid)—The material of genetic inheritance— carries the actual genetic code (heredity) of a living organism
-Genetic code is made up of 4 chemical bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T).
-The 4 chemical bases combine in multiple ways to make 3-letter “words” that orchestrate protein production—like letters of the alphabet combining to make words, and words combining to make sentences that direct certain actions.
2.Proteins
-Do different things, but regulatory proteins are like switches that direct metabolic responses—how cells look, grow, and act
Yup. Seen that before.
-The epigenome (see below) helps decide which genes are active, and accordingly, which proteins a given cell produces.
Now that’s a new one for me.
3.Genes
-Units of the material of genetic inheritance (DNA)
-Short segments of DNA that carry the genetic sequence and information (the 3-letter “words” responsible for the production of proteins)
“So genes are segments of DNA that are the units of genetic inheritance, w
hile the DNA they carry is the actual material of genetic inheritance. Got it.”
-Segments of a chromosome that code for one protein
-If DNA is a “how-to” book, then genes are the individual “how-to” instructions for the various tasks encompassed by the book = the instructions that, via the proteins they encode, tell cells what to do and what traits they should show.
“Okay.”
4.Chromosomes
-Structures in a cell that hold the genetic code passed on from one generation to the next
-(See “genes”) An individual gene, with its bundle of DNA, is a short length of chromosome that codes protein to create a particular characteristic of an organism.
Knew that.
5.Genome
-All of an organism’s hereditary information
-Total set of DNA in a cell
-Inherited from parents
-Contains 2 copies of every gene—1 from mother & 1 from father—can mutate
“Getting interesting.”
oFor some genes, only the mother copy switches on; for other genes, only the father copy switches on. (Note to Allie: possibly why only women have the dreaming gift)
oCan skip generations (Note to Allie: possibly why dreaming gift is every 4th generation)
Real interesting, really fits. Wonder what makes the mother’s or father’s copy switch on?
oHuman Genome project said 20,000 genes define human biology.
^Those 20,000 genes = less than 2% of the total human genome.
“Whoa! Are you kidding?”
^The other 98% of the genes were previously called “ junk DNA.”
^But new data indicate most of the “ junk” isn’t actually junk.
^Large sections of DNA actually contain several hundred thousand regulators that help activate or silence genes. (Note to Allie: possible lead to how the dreaming gift calls up specific dreams and plays them like movies)
“Cool. So regulators activate or silence genes that, through the proteins they code for, tell cells how to function and what traits to express. Now we’re talking.” Now that word up above I hadn’t heard of . . . what was it? There it is—epigenome—down on the next line. It must be what tells the regulators in the genome to activate or silence certain genes. Gettin’ good! Read on, Allie.