Photo: Flickr.com
Many dismiss dreams as the random firing of
synapses; sort of a fireworks of the brain, letting off of steam and nothing
more. Today’s dreamer seems to fall into
this group of dreamers.
Dear SMYD,
What’s all the fuss about dreams? I think people read too much into them! Here’s the way I see it:
Every night scenarios of my previous day and
thoughts still anchored inside as I go to bed combine to make what I call “brain
soup…” the ingredients are tied together in a flavorless mass.
Don’t give too much attention to the night’s
nonsense!
Signed,
A Skeptic
Dear Skeptic,
Certainly many manage their lives and personal
growth without the assistance of their dreams.
Some eschew help from any source, seeking a sense of independence and
self-sufficiency even when faced with complex problems and emotional dilemmas
they’ve tried unsuccessfully to resolve on their own.
I’m reminded of the ramps built for handicapped
access to public buildings. Certainly,
the elderly, those in wheelchairs and others needing assistance, got it when
the ramps were put in place. But maybe
you’ve noticed that many able-bodied folks use those ramps too.
So it is, or can be, with dreams. They provide easy access into original and
inspired problem-solving that eludes us during waking life.
No one is required to take the ramp and delve into
the creative language of metaphor. No
one is mandated open another perspective into the work of his or her daily life
and relationships. But those who do find
a rich resource there for the asking, a wealth of insights and possibilities laid
out for them to consider and implement as they choose.
Photo: nl.wikipedia.org
I’m so glad Robert Lewis Stevenson worked with scenarios
from his dreams as he created many of his stories and novels, most notably his
masterpiece, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Mozart and Beethoven both heard
compositions in their dreams before bringing them into existence in the waking
world.
Dimitri Mendeleyev saw the basic elements of the
physical universe in a dream and woke to create the first model of the periodic
table.
Photo: Flickr.com
Albert Einstein credited a sledding dream with
providing his early understanding of the principle of relativity: “You could say, and I would say, that my
entire scientific career has been a meditation on that dream!”
On one point at least, Dear Dreamer, your assessment
of dreams proves true: In each of the
famous cases of dreams’ contributions cited here, those dreamers of towering
intellect and talent had examined the problems facing them from every viewpoint
they knew and understood in their waking lives.
When they laid their heads on their pillows, those scenarios and
thoughts still anchored in their brains went to work, applying the wisdom and
creativity of the dreaming mind to offer up new ways of deciphering clues and
unraveling mysteries.
Thank goodness for our Brain Soup! Anything but a flavorless mass.
Sweet Dreams to You!
SMYD
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