i wonder how human mind works. i should take some cognitive science classes.

how are dreams and our subconscious/conscious related to one another? do we dream what we think? do we dream what we are yearning for? or do we dream simply because our brain wants to use its imagination and to make up a world of its own? how does it work?

if you put a probe into my dreams, you would see that there are some constant characters appearing in my dreams over and over again while others are just transient passerbies. these resident characters in my dreams explore and share adventures with me while the transient characters appear in one scene and disappear in another. i often feel that having dreams are like watching movies, except i can become the main character or the third person looking inward.
sometimes, my dreams can rewind themselves and replay the same scene over again. however, unlike tape with the same story, the replayed dreams change. small and insignificant things change in a dream, and the course of the dream from that point on changes... i get to see different endings. quite entertaining. life, unfortunately, cannot be rewound. if i make a choice now, there will be a result, good or bad. i will not be able to go back in time and make a different choice. life is linear and not circular in this sense. i wonder what will happen later on in life if i make this particular choice (if the opportunity is ever given to me). what will i do? i want the same people in my dreams to be in my life, so that we can share adventures, enjoy things, shed tears and frustration, and grow stronger together. i will never be able to find out the ending before i make my decision. maybe that is the reason why life is a thrilling adventure. maybe it is about the axious anticipation and adrenaline rush after taking the risk.