:"Doctor, every night I dream I run ten miles to get away from something. What can I do?" "Nothing.You get more exercise asleep than I do awake" (Photo by Vincepal) Our 21st-century understanding of medicine and psychology is pretty advanced, yet dreams continue to baffle us. More than a century after the publication of Sigmund Freud's "The Interpretation of Dreams," his theories still influence our understanding of dreams -- though we no longer interpret every symbol as either sexual or wish-fulfillment. While there's no definitive answer as to the purpose, meaning -- or even the cause of dreams -- their study continues in earnest. Although we might not concern ourselves with the ongoing battles over dreams in the halls of academia, most of us do dream. Some remember few dreams, if any. Others make a study of their own dreams, keeping journals, and attempting to control them through lucid dreaming. You don't need to be a hardcore dream analyst to occasionally wonder whether your dreams hold some sort of meaning or message, especially since there are so many common dream themes. Ever have the one about your teeth falling out? Or being back in school taking a test? Being naked or being chased? Ever dream about this guy? There may not even be a cookie-cutter explanation for each dream symbol. Therapists sometimes use dreams in the context of an individual's life as a tool for exploring emotions and identifying and working through issues. "Dreamwork" has carved out its own niche in the self-help industry, with tons of books and even a popular radio dream coach. If you aren't quite ready to sign up for psychoanalysis, but you'd still like some insights into that dream you keep having about dogs, this weekend is your chance to talk to a teacher from the School of Metaphysics. Each year they open the National Dream Hotline for a weekend in April and offer free dream interpretations (the phone call itself will cost whatever long-distance charge applies to your phone service). If you’d like to give it a whirl, call (417) 345-8411, starting today at 6:00 p.m. (Central Daylight Time) and running through Sunday at midnight. Sweet dreams! Suggested Sites... School of Metaphysics - classes, seminars, and media for developing the whole Self. Dreamschool - explorers of dreams since 1973, and hosts of the Dream Hotline. Journal of the Association for the Study of Dreams - the only professional journal devoted specifically to dreaming. dream moods - site features a dream dictionary and discussion forums. Dreamstop - social networking centered around dream journals.

Directory categories: Sleep and Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Lucid Dreaming, Dream Interpretation Services, Psychoanalysis

Archived under: Dreams, Events, Mental Health, Psychology, Science, Sigmund Freud, Sleep

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McCay's Little Nemo in Slumberland The division of worlds between what's "for kids" and what's "for adults" is generally clear. But with comics, there's a vast gray area. I have a distinct memory of sitting with my dad and reading the candy-colored Sunday newspaper comics. I asked him, "What does @#$%& mean?" I can't print his answer, but it was the beginning of my understanding that there were things in the comics that were for me, and things that weren't. Comics exist on a continuum, with child-friendly cartoons like "Garfield" at one end and editorial cartoons at the other. It's a rare artist whose work spans this spectrum, but at the nascence of the art form, Winsor McCay (whose 127th birthday we celebrate today) was such an illustrator. He is fondly remembered for his pioneering contributions to cartooning, thanks to his 1914 film, "Gertie the Dinosaur," as well as for his comic strips, including "Little Nemo in Slumberland" (for kids) and "Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend" (for the grown-ups). Thanks to technology, animation and comics have made leaps and bounds since the 1910s, but if McCay were alive today, I believe that many modern comic strips, with their classic lines in ink, would be pleasantly familiar to him. Many creators, from Maurice Sendak, with his "In the Night Kitchen," to Neil Gaiman and his "Sandman" comics, openly cite McCay as an influence, as his subject matter is timeless. He delved into the subconscious, mapping out dreams that were (as dreams are) a little creepy and surreal (as opposed to saccharine). Gaiman plays on this theme, as does Jesse Reklaw -- quite literally, as he draws people's dreams into his strip, "Slow Wave." With the arrival of the First World War, McCay's popularity lessened, but his work was as detailed and stylish as ever. His greatest legacy may be that he followed his own vision and, regardless of circumstance, kept his pen moving. Suggested Sites... Meeting McCay - blog devoted to informing the world about McCay and his home town of Spring Lake, Michigan. History of Animation - 1824-2005 timeline of animation history from Amazing Gallery. An Eclectic Repository - read examples of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" and "Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend." Annie Awards: Winsor McCay Award - find out who has received this honor from the International Animated Film Society.

Directory categories: Winsor McCay, Animation, Comic Strips, Maurice Sendak, Neil Gaiman

Archived under: Animation, Artists, Arts, Cartoonists, Cartoons, Comics, Creativity, Dreams, Winsor McCay

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Sigmund Freud, 1856-1939 It seems perfectly natural to discuss a co-worker's ego, a neighbor kid's overactive libido, or even Great-Grandma's perceived sexual repression. Nowadays, most everyone is keen on the influences of the unconscious mind on day-to-day life, but in Sigmund Freud's era, the idea that we might not be fully aware of our motivations was revolutionary. In November 1899, Freud published "Die Traumdeutung" or "The Interpretation of Dreams." This seminal work introduced the ego, outlined techniques in understanding dreams, and revealed the naughty desires of little Oedipuses and Electras. Freud laid the groundwork for psychoanalysis, a method of treatment that seeks to uncover mental processes not conscious to the person experiencing them. Freud's theories led Jaques Lacan to better consider language, Jung to discover the collective unconscious, and Žižek to shed light on capitalism. And psychoanalytic literary critics, like crime profilers on TV, apply Freud's methods of psychoanalysis to elucidate the characters, narrative structures, and lives of enigmatic authors like Faulkner, Brontë [PDF], and Kafka. Most significantly, Freud popularized the unconscious mind, and got us all talking about what might lie beneath. Suggested Sites... The Interpretation of Dreams - the complete text of Freud's psycho-literary-philosophical hit. Introduction to Freudian Psychology - this easy-to-read outline covers Freud's stages of psychosexual development, structural and topographical models of personality, and defense mechanisms. Freud and the Judaeo-Christian Tradition - this critic calls Freud the "creator of a complex pseudo-science which should be recognized as one of the great follies of Western civilization." Sigmund Freud Photobiography - excellent collection of photos and captions outlining the life, times, and ground-breaking publications of the man himself. Web Directory of Psychoanalysis - collection of links to all things related to psychoanalysis.

Directory categories: Sigmund Freud, "The Interpretation of Dreams", Dream Interpretation, Psychoanalysis, Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism

Archived under: Dreams, History, Mental Health, Psychology, Sigmund Freud, Sleep

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(photo by Silvio Tanaka) We spend at least a quarter of our lifetime sleeping. In addition to getting a good night's rest, why not enjoy every minute of slumber by recalling and controlling your dreams at will? The science community didn't fully explore the phenomenon of lucid dreaming -- a sleep state in which the dreamer is conscious of being in a dream -- until the late 1970s, when Stephen LaBerge conducted sleep experiments to aid lucid dreaming in test subjects. Expert lucid dreamers, known as oneironauts, use induction devices, mental exercises, and other techniques to maximize their dreaming skills. Supporters of lucid dreaming claim sleepers can rehearse real life experiences, enhance physical healing, and access spiritual bliss. So the next time you take a snooze, perform some reality tests and check for dream signs. You just might discover your own lucid dream. Suggested Sites... The Lucidity Institute: Lucid Dreaming FAQ - summarizes lucid dreaming benefits, techniques, research, and workshops. Wikibooks: Lucid Dreaming - overview of induction techniques, possible dangers, and common terms related to lucid dreaming. Dream Views - learn about lucid dreaming through message forums and tutorials.

Directory categories: Lucid Dreaming, Dream Journals, Sleep and Dreams

Archived under: Dreams, Psychology, Science, Sleep, Spirituality

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