:"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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Watch out, pup! They're going to soak you! (Photo by Mara 1) For many of us, dragging ourselves out of bed in the morning is one of the day's least pleasant activities. Well, in Finland, today is National Sleepyhead Day; the one day of the year when ensuring you're up and about in good time is no problem at all. The day's traditional customs dictate that on July 27th, you get to wake up the last person asleep in your household through the medium of water. You might chose to simply pour a nice icy-cold glass of water over your victim as they snore away in their bed. But you may also be lucky -- or sadistic -- enough to toss the unfortunate individual into the nearest lake, river, or ocean. The origins of the day lie in the tale of the Saints of Ephesus, who, refusing to recant their Christianity fled the Emperor Decius and hid in a cave. Decius promptly ordered the cave to be sealed as punishment. Some 309 years later, a local farmer opened the tomb. Much to his (and we dare say the departed Decius’s?) shock, the farmer found the saints all waking from the longest nap in history. (Take that, Rip van Winkle!) What is less clear is where the water pranks associated with the day came from. Nowadays in the coastal town of Naantali, "unikeonpäivä" (to give it the day its Finnish title) is a major event and the town throws a festival each year in its honor. One might be tempted to think that a town that is already home to the world’s foremost theme park dedicated to the "Moomins" -- those incredibly popular (if seriously creepy) children’'s characters -- would have enough on its plate. But not so. The festivities kick off with a Finnish celebrity being (un)ceremoniously dumped into the Baltic Sea at 7:00 a.m., and run late into the evening with music, games, and other assorted revelries. If the phrase "Finnish celebrity" strikes you as a glaring oxymoron, then National Sleepyhead Day offers some interesting insight. Given that previous recipients of the chilly "honor" have included president Tarja Halonen's husband and the CEO of a Finnish oil company, the term "celebrity" is used in its loosest possible context. That said, if the upshot of being a celebrity in Finland is that someone may, one day, wish to throw you into freezing water at 7:00 a.m., it may account for slim pickings when unikeonpäivä rolls around. Just think of the effect on the cult of celebrity worldwide if we all embraced the practice with true Finnish enthusiasm. Suggested Sites... Visit Finland - home of the Finnish Tourist Board. Naantali - official site of the home of the annual celebrity dunk. Naantali Music Festival - everything you need to know about the long-running festival. The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus - information on the saints whose imprisonment is the precursor to National Sleepyhead Day

Directory categories: Finnish Holidays and Observances, Finland, Finnish Government Officials, Theme Parks, The "Moomin" Series

Archived under: Celebrations, Celebrities, Europe, European History, Events, Festivals, History, Mythology and Folklore, Pranks, Regional, Saints, Sleep, Tourist Attractions

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(Photo by Daniel Chan) Is there anything more satisfying than curling up under a toasty blanket on a cushy sofa for a long winter's nap? Or dozing on the cool grass under the shade of a tree? Or slipping into a lazy snooze in the sand on a sun-soaked, salty afternoon? Heck, I'd even settle for a stolen siesta in my cubicle with only a mousepad pillow and my desk to shield me from the brutal fluorescent rays beating down from above. However you take yours, napping is definitely on the menu today. It's believed that Americans are at their most sleep-deprived on the first Monday after the start of Daylight Saving Time, so today has been sagely designated as "National Napping Day." Founders and napping authorities Camille and Bill "Napmaster General" Anthony conceived of the idea in 1999 to promote the health benefits of napping which, not surprisingly, are abundant. According to the National Sleep Foundation, "naps can restore alertness, enhance performance, and reduce mistakes and accidents." Furthermore, napping improves your mood, has no dangerous side effects, and is free -- at least most of the time. Of course, the biggest challenge facing today's devoted nappers is overcoming the stigma associated with this afternoon indulgence. Although napping is de rigueur in many parts of the world, Americans generally see it as an activity for the indolent and slothful, acceptable only for kids, the elderly, and the infirm. Adult napping is tantamount to stealing from your friends or showing up to work drunk -- an occupation of the lazy, the irresponsible, and the worthless. But a new movement is waking. Many are quietly challenging the negative perception of napping in the U.S. and I would like to be counted among their supporters. I vow to rise up, make my voice heard, and fight to death to protect our God-given right to take a nap free from shame and persecution. Just give me twenty minutes or so. Suggested Sites... National Sleep Foundation - non-profit organization supporting public education, sleep-related research, and advocacy related to sleep disorders such as insomnia, apnea, narcolepsy, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Yelo - New York City-based wellness center offering power naps, sleep services, and reflexology massage treatments. Livelyhood - Night Shift - PBS program documenting Americans who work the night shift and the unique problems they face. MetroNaps - provider of "fatigue management solutions" to public and private sector organizations. Wikipedia: Power Nap - wondering what distinguishes a "power nap" from your garden-variety siesta? Wikipedia can help.

Directory categories: Sleep Disorders, Insomnia, Sleep Medicine, Sleep Related Products and Services, Sleep Disorders Organizations

Archived under: Boredom, Celebrations, Cultures, Events, Grumpiness, Health, Hibernation, In Character, Mental Health, Sleep, Society and Culture

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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 Gaetan Lee) On this day in 1857, Thorstein Veblen was born. Who, you might ask, is Thorstein Veblen, and why are we spending precious pixels on him? An American economist, Veblen is most famous for his 1899 book, "The Theory of the Leisure." While it may sound like an invitation to sleep in and slack off, it's actually a critique of class hierarchy and how the ruling class becomes the leisure class by subjugating lower classes through menial work. Veblen coined the terms "conspicuous consumption" and "conspicuous leisure" to describe the waste of money and time by people striving to obtain a higher status. If that view of leisure has you feeling guilty about calling in "sick" today, you may appreciate a philosophy that celebrates the idle life. In 1937, Chinese philosopher Lin Yutang penned (from a comfy sofa, no doubt) "The Importance of Living." It hails the joys of lying in bed, loafing, and lounging. And today, through frequent pub visits and a not-so-frequent journal, Tom Hodgkinson is doing his best to promote all things idle. He and his fellow loafers are swinging back at the culture of work and the fast life by doing, well, not much. Today, go slow. Sleep in and don't forget that siesta. Suggested Sites... The Idler - fighting the work ethic. Idle Idols: Lin Yutang - a profile of the icon of idlers, Chinese philosopher Lin Yutang. International Institute of Not Doing Much - do less... slowly. The Cloud Appreciation Society - be sure to look up at the clouds today. Anxiety Culture - offering a wealth of ideas to help you navigate the crazy, work-obsessed life.

Directory categories: Travel, Walking, Hobbies, Dreaming, Cocktail Recipes

Archived under: Hobbies, Sleep, Society and Culture, Travel, Work

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