> Yes, there is a difference between the "Mind" as a reasoning entity and
> the biological "Brain" which houses it... But that difference hardly
> matters when one is discussing the necessity of dreaming. If the
> biological brain requires it to maintain it's functions, dreaming is
> also a requirement of the human Mind. What would adversely affect the
> brain also adversely affects the mind.
Brain dead people don't dream yet their brain remains alive (despite the
misnomer).
> Perhaps it would be better to consider Mind and Brain two parts of a
> single whole rather than strictly drawing a line and calling them
> separate things. In my opinion, their processes... and in the Mind's
> case... very existence.. are too tightly interdependent.
> Given the results of the dream depravation experiments Stephen mentioned,
> I have to consider dreaming necessary for a Mind.
The mind of many animals doesn't need to dream to be a mind, therefore
dreaming isn't necessary per se for a mind.