"Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives." (William Dement) "Trouble is the fat red thread that ties together the fantasies of pretend play, fiction, and dreams." (Jon Gottschall) While these two quotes seem to have relatively little in common, with some thinking they become closer than one could even "dream". Dreaming is something that each of us do each night whether we remember it or not. However, when we do remember our dreams, they are often rife with trouble (that so called "fat red thread"). In an article, it discusses how dreams are sites of creativity and agency as well as a means for inventing new forms (Kirtsoglou 321-335). While this article didn't directly discuss how dreams are insane, I was inclined to think about how most creative ideas are considered "insane" by those that can't quite grasp the beauty behind the idea. Another article I found completely wonderful was one discussing the similarities between animals dreams and humans dreams. It concentrated on some research done regarding neuroscience and behavioral biology. It goes into the belief that dreams "perform a crucial function in all animals." This article also goes in depth into the study mentioned in Gottschall's book about the cats with the centers removed from their brains to study their sleep cycles and dreams. I enjoyed very much reading the biological studies talked about within this article (Stevens 53).
Kirtsoglou, Elisabeth. "Dreaming the Self: Unified Approach towards Dreams, Subjectivity and the Radical Imagination." History & Anthropology. Sep 2010: 321-335. Web. 22 Sep. 2013.
Stevens, Anthony. "JUNGIAN PSYCHOLOGY, THE BODY, AND THE FUTURE." Journal of Analytical Psychology. Jul 1995: 353. Web. 22 Sep. 2013.
UGHHH! Juvets Cats!!!! I know it was for scientific reasons- but poor kitties :( I was really interested in the section of our text that described what animals dream about. We dream about what we know, and the potential outcomes that could occur.Good call on creativity being insane to those who cant quite see it yet. I have heard that if you wake up with a really good idea you should write it down then go back to sleep. I wonder how many of the inventions around today have that as their origin.
ReplyDeleteI read that same article! I thought it was brilliant, but those poor cats! I mean I'm not really a cat person, but I pictured these cats running in their sleep with bandages around their head and I just couldn't help but feel sorry for them. The outcome was genius though. I know animals have feelings too, but I didn't know their dreams were as vivid as ours. I wonder if they dream in color even though they are color blind.
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