During our daily lives we operate as if we’re in control -- our rational minds navigating the way. Come bedtime, however, we slip into unconsciousness and traverse great inner distances. Where do we go on these nighttime escapades?
We know that the regeneration occurring during sleep is vital to our bodies and can help us process stress and emotions and also stimulate memory, learning and creativity. But why we dream is still pretty mysterious.
A recurring theme in my dreams is that I’m fleeing some sort of political turmoil. One of the better episodes of this series was when I conjured up a dust storm into which I made my safe escape. It was reassuring to see my unconscious mind could take a creative leap.
Shakespeare wrote that “we are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.” Dreams have long inspired writers, artists, musicians, probably scientists and all of us. They can also scare our pajamas off. But if we don’t overlook them, they may reveal parts of our psyches unreachable when we’re in that waking, controlled mode. And sometimes if we’re lucky, we might find ourselves being to able to fly or visit with lost loved ones.
This weekend we turn back the clocks and regain that hour of sleep. Here’s wishing you a good rest wherever your dreams may take you.
I’m Paula Garrett and that’s my perspective.
