:"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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We're hoping we can avoid a jinx. (Photo by Pete) Over the past couple of days, we've asked our fellow Yahoo!s about some of their fears and phobias. Today, we'd like to deal with their superstitions -- and ways to ward off bad luck. Some of us have superstitions, rather than outright fears. Personally, I’m not superstitious, but my wife won't let me put shoes on the bed, and I won't walk under ladders, and will throw spilled salt over my shoulder and knock on wood to ward off anything untoward happening. Corinne: My mum always says that we shouldn't open an umbrella in the house, and never celebrate your birthday before the day. But, being French, we always have baguettes on the table -- though you should never place them upside down…. Adam: As a sailor, I have quite a few superstitions: never leave for a voyage on a Friday, never talk about lack of wind, and don't bring bananas on a boat. Randall: I obsessively knock on wood. When it came time to buy a wedding ring, I bought one that was made out of wood so that I could "knock on wood" wherever I am. Michelle: I'm not generally a superstitious person, but I do believe in jinxing things, especially traffic and baseball. When the Indians are winning or traffic is surprisingly light, any positive comment must be prefaced with, "I'm sure they're about to blow it, but..." or "I know we'll hit a traffic jam soon, but..." Failing to do this guarantees sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic while listening to the Yankees win the World Series. Liz: I fear that if I mention the possibility of something bad happening, it's more likely to happen. Wait -- forget I said that! We leave you with a pair of examples of arachnophobia that are frighteningly similar: Helene: I am afraid to death of spiders, small or large, hairy or not, and all the more since a "good" friend told me that we swallow three spiders while sleeping each year. Adrianna: I'm not scared of rats or snakes but I am deathly afraid of spiders. Even the tiniest spiders scare me, and I make sure when I'm walking to watch out for those sticky spider webs. But from a recent fact I read, I'm never more than ten feet away from a spider. Now that's a frightening thought. A frightening thought, indeed. Good luck to you all -- knock wood! Suggested Sites... All Recipes: French Baguettes - keep one in the house for good luck. Traditional Nautical Superstitions - no women, no whistling. Insecta-Inspecta: Arachnophobia - sorry, they're still creepy. Wikipedia: Baseball Superstitions - if the team is doing well, I can't change position. World Series.com - watch the horror for yourself.

Directory categories: Superstitions, Umbrellas, Traffic and Road Conditions, Major League Baseball, Spiders

Archived under: Bananas, Baseball, Curses, Phobias, Psychology, Sailing, Spiders, Superstition

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Seriously, does this kitty look like bad luck? (Photo by Adhi Rachdian) Today is Friday the 13th, which is supposed to be an unlucky day. Why this is, no one is exactly sure. There are plenty of theories, ranging from the numerological to the religious to the historical, but nothing concrete. For some folks, it's just another day, but for others, it's something to be taken seriously while being reminded of our phobias. With that in mind, we polled some of our fellow Yahoo!s to find out what they were afraid of, and what they do to ward off bad luck. In fact, there turned out to be so many fears and cures that we had to break it all up into three parts. Not surprisingly, some of our colleagues suffer from coulrophobia, or an unnatural fear of clowns: Sarah: I'm afraid of clowns and roller coasters, which is interesting, considering I worked at an amusement park for two years in college. Mike: People with a lot of makeup on make me ill -- literally. Like, I can't eat around clowns and stuff. I'll totally hurl. (Editor's note: That might inspire emetophobia in some other folks.) Mahlon suffers from xyrophobia: Razor blades, especially straight razors or double-sided razors, creep me out! Whenever I see them, I feel especially vulnerable around the throat and inner arms. Eek! And gum chewing -- not a phobia exactly, but I will cross the street or leave the room to avoid seeing or hearing it. Adam has acrophobia: Heights. Even driving over on-ramps or off-ramps that are way off the ground freaks me out. Majorly high bridges, zip lines, and other activities that put your body more than a dozen feet off the ground freak me out, too. Robert: I'm afraid of mirrors in dark rooms and doors that are open to dark hallways. I don’t know what might come through them. Helene: I can't stand alignments, like military parades. ("Don’t put that one in," she says. "People will think I’m crazy.") Personally, I have a fear of things that are too big. Not big objects, but things that are larger than they're supposed to be. The first (and only) time I saw Howard Hughes' "Spruce Goose" airplane, I nearly had a panic attack, because the thing was just too damn big. Coming up Monday: Media-inspired phobias. Watch out for those black cats this weekend! Suggested Sites... Snopes: Friday the 13th - myths and legends about the date. Wikipedia: Friday the 13th - an historic overview. How Friday the 13th Works - doesn't it just roll around? Wikipedia: Luck - what it is, and how to get it. Skeptic's Dictionary: Paraskevidekatriaphobia - a rational view of the fear.

Directory categories: Friday the 13th, Superstitions, Phobias, Friday the 13th Movie Series

Archived under: Curses, Friday the 13th, Holidays, Numbers, Phobias, Psychology, Society and Culture, Superstition

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"This chair will protect me!" (Photo by Capture Queen) Halloween is right around the corner and it seems everyone is game for a little scare. Horror movies, haunted houses, and ghoulish costumes are all benign ways of generating a little jolt of fright, a rush of adrenaline to remind us we're still alive. There is, however, nothing enjoyable about a fear that becomes irrational and pervasive and overtakes one's everyday life. There is nothing fun about a phobia. Defined as an unrelenting or persistent fear of a situation, activity, or thing, phobias run the gamut from ablutophobia (fear of washing or bathing) to zemmiphobia (fear of the great mole rat), and just about everything in between. If it exists, there's a phobia associated with it. Some are relatively common, like claustrophobia (fear of small or tight places) and agoraphobia (fear of open spaces), while others, like homilophobia (fear of sermons) and kathisophobia (fear of sitting down), are decidedly rarer. To those who suffer from phobias, the world can be a terrifying place. Think of how difficult a simple trip to the grocery store would be for a sitophobic (one who fears food) or a lachanophobic (one who fears vegetables). A library would be a nightmare to someone suffering from bibliophobia (fear of books), not to mention poor papyrophobics (those who fear paper) and metrophobics (those who fear poetry), although it might just be the spot for a ligyrophobic (one who fears loud noises). And just imagine the terror a sushi bar would provoke to an ichthyophobic (one who fears fish), a consecotaleophobic (one who fears chopsticks), or a Japanophobic (one who fears the Japanese). Perhaps the most complicated phobia to understand is phobophobia. This affliction is characterized by an unrelenting fear of fear or phobias, and specifically, "of the internal sensations associated with that phobia and anxiety." Rather than being affected by environmental stimuli, sufferers of phobophobia are set off by the internal sensations of fear itself, which is further exacerbated by experiencing those exact same sensations. It's a lot to think about, I know. Let's just hope you aren't phronemophobic. Suggested Sites... The Phobia List - provides an extensive list of fears. MedlinePlus: Phobias - information on phobias from the National Institutes of Health. Anxieties.com - self-help site for persons suffering from anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, fear of flying, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Anxiety UK - works to relieve and support those living with anxiety disorders by providing information, support, and understanding. MayoClinic: Phobias - features resources and treatment information for a wide array of phobias.

Directory categories: Phobias, Agoraphobia, Mental Health, Horror, Halloween

Archived under: Halloween, Health, Horror, Mental Health, Phobias, Psychology

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As autumn rolls in, we've been stocking our web pantry (a.k.a., the Directory) with great sites to help you out this season. Here’s a selection of the freshest choice sites: Best-selling author James Patterson has put together a site where he offers recommendations for kids' books, sorted by age group. It's a wonderful resource for teachers, librarians, and for parents of kids heading back to school. You can browse book lists by type, read and listen to author interviews, and view lesson plans. Now that "Reading Rainbow" is no more, this is just the kind of site we need! We're already looking forward to Halloween. The California Science Center must be, too. Their latest exhibition, "Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear," is traveling all over the country, and has a great interactive online exhibit to get you in the mood -- or at least explain the mood. Explore how fear works in the brain, in the wild, and in the media -- and find out how to deal with it. Fall is a season for cooking. But when you're ready to take a break and eat out, you may want more than "just" a restaurant review. Dishola allows users to review specific menu items at local eateries, and upload photos of their meals. For those who are trying to live green (a good idea in any season), Project Label provides "nutritional labels" for companies, revealing their social and environmental impact based on public info and user input. Suggested Sites... Read, Kiddo, Read! - the world of kids' books, according to James Patterson. Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear - online and traveling exhibit explains why our hearts race, our knees shake, and our bodies sweat when we're scared. Dishola - reviews for individual menu items at local eateries. Project Label - company "nutrition" labels rate impact on the planet, community, and workers.

Directory categories: Children’s Literature, The Brain, Restaurant Reviews, Green Product Reviews

Archived under: Authors, Autumn, Books, Children, Children´s Literature, Consumer Advocacy, Eating, Education, Food and Drink, Green Living, Green Products, Museums, Parenting, Psychology, Reading, Restaurants, Science, Society and Culture, Yahoo! Directory

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