Sleep, Dream, and Creativity

Why so many tales of dream selves? Of course, the dream self raises questions about the nature of identity, but it also allows us to ask "what if?" What if I were someone else? Am I someone else? While many of the stories we've discussed focus on the danger of such inquiry carried to the extreme (The Dead in Love, Fight Club, "Open Your Eyes") or the costs of the double life ("Brazil"), there is a flip side. If the dream self represents some unexplored part of the psyche, then it holds also the potential for power, inspiration, and creativity.

Podcast Lecture: The Somniloquy

Reading:

Dement, The Promise of Sleep: Ch. 14

Questions:

1. What has Dement discovered about the relationship between sleep and learning from observing college students reduce their sleep debt?

2. What might be some of the practical connections between sleep and creativity?

3. Note some famous examples of dream-inspired creations.

Activities:

Dreams and Problem-Solving: Have you ever had the answer to a problem come to you after you "slept on it?" Have you ever dreamt the solution to a problem? Has a dream ever inspired a creative endeavor? Ask your friends and family these questions too-- how common are such dreams?