DREAMS by NOA SEMPELS

Lunatica Editore

Veiled Powers of Our Mind by Noa Sempels

LETTER TO THE READER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. What is a dream? 2. Recurrent dreams 3. The meaning 4. Inkblots 5. The interpretation 6. Positions 7. Dream ≠ reality 8. AI 9. Some dreams

WHAT IS A DREAM?

WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT

IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS IS

A A A A A A A A A A A

DREAM? DREAM? DREAM? DREAM? DREAM? DREAM? DREAM? DREAM? DREAM? DREAM? DREAM?

WHAT IS A DREAM?

FREUD’S DREAM INTERPRETATION The self-organization theory of dreaming proposes that the sleeping brain is a self-organizing system that can combine discontinuous and incongruous neuronal signals (i.e., different elements of dreams) sesoporp gnimaerd fo yroeht noitazinagro-fles ehT into a relatively continuous narrative during sleep. metsys gnizinagro-fles a si niarb gnipeels eht taht This theory also implies that dreams are not indesuourgnocni dna suounitnocsid enibmoc nac taht pendently functional but rather a coproduct of the )smaerd fo stnemele tnereffid ,.e.i( slangis lanoruen sleeping brain, reflecting the dreamer’s physiolog.peels gnirud evitarran suounitnoc ylevitaler a otni ical and psychological activities such as memory -edni ton era smaerd taht seilpmi osla yroeht sihT consolidation, emotion regulation, and reception of eht fo tcudorpoc a rehtar tub lanoitcnuf yltnednep external stimuli. -goloisyhp s’remaerd eht gnitcefler ,niarb gnipeels yromem sa hcus seitivitca lacigolohcysp dna laci By contrast, Freud regarded dreams as a royal road fo noitpecer dna ,noitaluger noitome ,nodream itadilosinterpretation. noc to the unconscious;ofdream interpretation has thus dreaming .ilumits lanretxe and seek to elucidate its meaning for been an importantthis psychoanalytic technique. His article, we refer to the self-organization theory theory of dreams mainly refers to two key points: of dream interpretation. In daor layor a sa smaerd dedrager duerF ,tto saran tnounderstanding c yB what are the materials answers of a dream? and how do suht sah noitaterpretni maerd ;suoicsnoThe cnu eht ot to these questions are closely related these materials work together? these work together? siH .euqinhcet citylanaohcysp tnatropmi na materials neeb The answers to these questions are closely related :stniop yek owt ot srefer ylniam smaerwhat d fo yare roehthe t materials of a dream? and how do to an understanding of dream interpretation. In to two key points: dreams mainly refers od woh dna ?maerd a fo slairetam ehtheory t era taofhw this article, we referbeen to the self-organization theory psychoanalytic technique. His ?rehtegot krow slairetam an eseimportant ht of dreaming and seekthe to elucidate its meaning for dream interpretation has thus detaler ylesolc era snoitseuq eseht ot srto ewsnaunconscious; ehT dream interpretation. contrast, Freud regarded dreams as a royal road nI .noitaterpretni maerd fo gnidnatsrBy e d n u n a ot yroeht noitazinagro-fles eht ot refer ew ,elcitra siht rof gninaem sti etadicule ot kees dna gexternal nimaerd stimuli. fo emotion regulation, and reception of .noitaterprconsolidation, etni maerd ical and psychological activities such as memory sleeping brain, reflecting the dreamer’s physiologpendently functional but rather a coproduct of the This theory also implies that dreams are not indeinto a relatively continuous narrative during sleep. neuronal signals (i.e., different elements of dreams) that can combine discontinuous and incongruous that the sleeping brain is a self-organizing system The self-organization theory of dreaming proposes

WHAT IS A DREAM?

What are the Materials of a Dream? According to Freud (1900), sources of dreams include stimuli from the external world, subjective experiences, organic stimuli within the body, and mental activities during sleep. Empirical evidence has supported some of these assertions. The self-organization theory of dreaming posits that memory consolidation, emotion regulation, and reception of external stimuli can contribute to dream content; hence, dream content can contain important information about the dreamer.

WHAT IS A DREAM?

Consider, for example, the case of memory consolidation during sleep: according to the two-stage memory model, the process of memory consolidation generates memory fragments to extract pertinent information when an individual is asleep. Moreover, salient memories for the sleeper, such as newly encoded memories, memories that will be incorporated into long-term memory within 6–7 days, and corresponding long-term memories, are preferentially activated and then manifested in dream content. In addition, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM (NREM) sleep refer to the processing of different types of memories: REM sleep is primarily implicated in emotional memory and implicit memory, whereas NREM sleep is more closely associated with declarative memory. From this perspective, newly encoded memories are related to what Freud (1900) called the “day’s residues” in that they reflect some daytime activities of the dreamer. Temporarily stored memories, denoted as the “dream-lag effect,” offer another window into a patient’s recent life. Long-term memory is correlated with remote events, implying that dream content may harkenback to early experiences.

WHAT IS A DREAM?

13 Remote memory may even involve information collected over the course of evolution and reflected in typical dream themes, such as flying and being chased. Moreover, many psychoanalysts have emphasized emotional memories in dream content. Freud (1900) found that affect remains stable in the process of dream formation, at least with respect to quality. Affect or emotion can be a gateway to learning more about the state of the dreamer. “The principle of affective organization of memory” suggests that the memory network is organized by affect; accordingly, a therapist may be able to identify a patient’s similar affective memories (e.g., traumatic experiences) via emotional material in dream content.

The focus on transference dreams and countertransference dreams in contemporary psychoanalysis aligns with this point. Unconscious communications between the patient and analyst may be reflected in dream content as either the day’s residues or a major emotional focus. As such, the therapist can perceive and address interaction issues in treatment (e.g., transference, resistance, countertransference, and counterresistance) based on these dreams. To understand and use dreams in this way implies a focus on manifest rather than latent dream content. However, the self-organization theory of dreaming does not endorse the existence of latent dream content although many analysts have expressed interest in manifest dream since the 1950s. Even Freud came to realize the significance of such content and suggested considering it seriously at the end of his life . WHAT IS A DREAM?

WHAT IS A DREAM?

ANALYSE RESOLVE

COMBINE MANIFEST

USE ESU

EXIST CONVEY

UNDERSTAND UNVEIL CREATE 14

ENRICH

WHAT IS A DREAM?

Some researchers have contended that manifest dream content represents the whole dream, with no element of distortion or disguise. For example, Kavanagh (1994) advocated eschewing Freudian latent content and instead proposed that manifest content constitutes “real” dreams. Greenberg and Pearlman (1999) proposed that if psychoanalysts understand how manifest dream content attempts to convey the dreamer’s problems and resolve them, then a dream can be expressed directly rather than through an obscured purpose. Jennings (2007) purported that dreams are self-evident in that they directly reflect the dreamer’s experiences, traits, and wishes. From this perspective, the therapist should use the self-evident method to discover dreams as they truly are in therapy. That is, even if no hidden implications exist, dreams can still be a tool by which the therapist and patient can work together to enrich the therapeutic process. Nevertheless, Freud paid close attention to how these materials combine, and his technique of dream interpretation also relied on this integration, which brings us to our second point.

WHAT IS A DREAM?

How do the Materials of a Dream Work Together? Freud (1900) realized that dream content is derived from but not identical to real life; thus, he suggested that some transformation and connection must exist between these materials. He contended that these connections are not random but rather constrained by one’s unconscious desires, such that “a dream is the fulfillment of a wish” (p. 122). He also found that “disagreeable” dreams seem more widespread than “pleasant” dreams (p. 134), hence his hypothesis that

WHAT IS A DREAM?

dreams can disguise their true purpose (i.e., indirectly fulfilling wishes). Freud therefore identified two types of dreams: manifest dream and latent dream. He stated that the latent dream is the real dream, and the goal of dream interpretation is to reveal it. To further elaborate on this idea, Freud proposed four mechanisms by which latent dream can be obscured. Condensation refers to the reduction and simplification of rich contents of latent dream. Displacement refers to a process that substitutes various aspects (e.g., constituents, intensity, significance, and properties) of manifest and latent dream to render them dissimilar. Symbols indicate that latent dream is expressed by relevant signs. Secondary revision involves making disordered and incoherent dream materials more well-organized and reasonable. This mechanism causes a dream to appear meaningful, but the presented dream is in fact quite different from its actual implication.

WHAT IS A DREAM?

The self-organization theory of dreaming does not concur with this viewpoint; instead, it offers a different perspective on Freud’s dream-work. According to this theory, the nature of condensation is the fragmentation of memories during consolidation, as this process must extract important information for further processing. Displacement, from this perspective, depends on weak control of the sleeping brain and the high degree of freedom in dream elements. In this state, the brain develops new connections between different elements; then, the self-organization mechanism combines various elements to construct a relatively concordant “story,” deemed secondary revision per Freud’s theory. No analogous symbols exist in dream content because the elements presented therein are merely memory fragments and other components of information processing. Some researchers have also pointed out that dream symbols are too far-fetched.

WHAT IS A DREAM?

In other words, dreams are not riddles to be translated, and “the manifest dream is the real dream”; thus, Freud’s dream-work does not exist according to this point of view. However, this position does not mean that the self-organization mechanism does not provide support for dream interpretation. According to self-organization theory, the sleeping brain’s control of physical and mental activities is weaker than in the awake brain. Thus, dream elements are characterized by more freedom than mental content when an individual is awake, rendering hyperassociativity between these components possible. This is why dreams can present bizarre scenes and “miracles” that cannot happen in real life. Nevertheless, this “disordered state” is not unlimited; it could impair brain function otherwise. Therefore, the self-organization mechanism is necessary: it provides a relatively stable state for the dreaming brain, as it can offer a way in which the system can give rise to ordered behavior, structure, or pattern from disorder. Order parameters or collective variables are crucial during this process.

WHAT IS A DREAM?

A system’s state is generally determined based on many variables that describe its different aspects. Under certain conditions, the interactions between different components will cause the system to reach a critical state at which most of these variables vanish quickly. To put it another way, few variables survive, but those that do reflect the state of this system. These variables also serve as an invisible hand that controls the operation and evolution of the system, leading to the emergence of a new ordered pattern or behavior.

WHAT IS A DREAM?

The formation of order parameters is therefore the key channel through which self-organization can successfully continue. Emotion is a pivotal factor during sleep. Several investigations have revealed that dreams are often accompanied by emotions, especially negative ones. Many researchers have identified a close relationship between dreams and emotions, even labeling emotions indispensable to dream formation.

WHAT IS A DREAM?

For instance, Reiser noted that images serving as nodal points in an individual’s memory network are connected by similar types of affect, indicating that affect plays an essential role in memory organization. Reiser further conjectured that strong affect during sleep evokes existing images that are loaded with similar affect and hence activate relevant earlier experiences to form a dream. Clément hypothesized the following chain of processes: emotions in sleep are activated and combine to form different emotional scripts, which then serve as templates and replicate a series of images to finally construct a dream narrative. Hartmann stated that combinations of dream elements are not random but rather guided by emotion; accordingly, dreams are helpful for building and rebuilding an individual’s emotional memory system. In brief, emotions likely play the role of order parameters: they control and guide combinations of dream elements. Emotions can therefore serve as a springboard in comprehending dreams. For instance, perhaps traumatic experiences constitute a core theme of a patient’s dreams, suggesting an avenue for further treatment.

WHAT IS A DREAM?

Conclusion The self-organization theory of dreaming offers a framework distinct from psychoanalytic theories to explain how dreams are generated and operate. This theory proposes that dreams are a byproduct of the dreamer’s physical and mental state during sleep, distinguishes between manifest and latent dream, and points out that the dream-work proposed by Freud is actually a result of information processing and self-organization in the sleeping brain. However, this theory allows the therapist to derive important information (e.g., significant memories) from dream content and underscores emotions as a potential order parameter that can provide an effective means of grasping the core of a dream. Therefore, dream analysis may still prove useful in the therapeutic process.

RECURRENT DREAMS

WHY ARE SOME DREAMS COMMON? Having the same dream again and again is a wellknown phenomenon — nearly two-thirds of the population report having recurring dreams. Being chased, finding yourself naked in a public place or in the middle of a natural disaster, losing your teeth or forgetting to go to class for an entire semester are typical recurring scenarios in these dreams.But where does the phenomenon come from?

RECURRENT DREAMS

The science of dreams shows that recurring dreams may reflect unresolved conflicts in the dreamer’s life. Recurring dreams often occur during times of stress, or over long periods of time, sometimes several years or even a lifetime.

Not only do these dreams have the same themes, they can also repeat the same narrative night after night. Although the exact content of recurring dreams is unique to every individual, there are common themes among individuals and even among cultures and in different periods.

For example, being chased, falling, being unprepared for an exam, arriving late or trying to do something repeatedly are among the most prevalent scenarios. The majority of recurring dreams have negative content involving emotions such as fear, sadness, anger and guilt.

RECURRENT DREAMS

More than half of recurring dreams involve a situation where the dreamer is in danger. But some recurring themes can also be positive, even euphoric, such as dreams where we discover new rooms in our house, erotic dreams or where we fly. In some cases, recurring dreams that begin in childhood can persist into adulthood. These dreams may disappear for a few years, reappear in the presence of a new source of stress and then disappear again when the situation is over.

RECURRENT DREAMS

Unresolved conflicts Why does our brain play the same dreams over and over again? Studies suggest that dreams, in general, help us regulate our emotions and adapt to stressful events. Incorporating emotional material into dreams may allow the dreamer to process a painful or difficult event.In the case of recurrent dreams, repetitive content could represent an unsuccessful attempt to integrate these difficult experiences. Many theories agree that recurring dreams are related to unresolved difficulties or conflicts in the dreamer’s life. The presence of recurrent dreams has also been associated with lower levels of psychological wellbeing and the presence of symptoms of anxiety and depression. These dreams tend to recur during stressful situations and cease when the person has resolved their personal conflict, which indicates improved wellbeing. Recurrent dreams often metaphorically

reflect the emotional concerns of the dreamers. For example, dreaming about a tsunami is common following trauma or abuse. This is a typical example of a metaphor that can represent emotions of helplessness, panic or fear experienced in waking life. Similarly, being inappropriately dressed in one’s dream, being naked or not being able to find a toilet can all represent scenarios of embarrassment or modesty. These themes can be thought of as scripts or ready-to-dream scenarios that provide us with a space where we can digest our conflicting emotions. The same script can be reused in different situations where we experience similar emotions. This is why some people, when faced with a stressful situation or a new challenge, may dream they’re showing up unprepared for a math exam, even years after they have set foot in a school. Although the circumstances are different, a similar feeling of stress or desire to excel can trigger the same dream scenario again.

RECURRENT DREAMS

A continuum of repetition William Domhoff, an American researcher and psychologist, proposes the concept of a continuum of repetition in dreams. At the extreme end, traumatic nightmares directly reproduce a lived trauma — one of the main symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Then there are recurring dreams where the same dream content is replayed in part or in its entirety. Unlike traumatic dreams, recurring dreams rarely replay an event or conflict directly but reflect it metaphorically through a central emotion. Further along the continuum are the recurring themes in dreams. These dreams tend to replay a similar situation, such as being late, being chased or being lost, but the exact content of the dream differs from one time to the next, such as being late for a train rather than for an exam. Finally, at the other end of the continuum, we find certain dream elements recurring in the dreams of one individual, such as characters, actions or objects. All these dreams would reflect, at different levels, an attempt to resolve certain emotional concerns. Moving from an intense level to a lower level on the continuum of repetition is often a sign that a person’s psychological state is improving. For example, in the content of traumatic nightmares progressive and positive changes are often observed in people who have experienced trauma as they gradually overcome their difficulties.

RECURRENT DREAMS

Physiological phenomena Why do the themes tend to be the same from person to person? One possible explanation is that some of these scripts have been preserved in humans due to the evolutionary advantage they bring. By simulating a threatening situation, the dream of being chased, for example, provides a space for a person to practise perceiving and escaping predators in their sleep. Some common themes may also be explained, in part, by physiological phenomena that take place during sleep. A 2018 study by a research team in Israel found that dreaming of losing one’s teeth was not particularly linked to symptoms of anxiety but rather associated to teeth clenching during sleep or dental discomfort upon waking. When we sleep, our brain is not completely cut off from the outside world. It continues to perceive external stimuli, such as sounds or smells, or

internal body sensations. That means that other themes, such as not being able to find a toilet or being naked in a public space, could actually be spurred by the need to urinate during the night or by wearing loose pyjamas in bed. Some physical phenomena specific to REM sleep, the stage of sleep when we dream the most, could also be at play. In REM sleep, our muscles are paralyzed, which could provoke dreams of having heavy legs or being paralyzed in bed. Similarly, some authors have proposed that dreams of falling or flying are caused by our vestibular system, which contributes to balance and can reactivate spontaneously during REM sleep. Of course, these sensations are not sufficient to explain the recurrence of these dreams in some people and their sudden occurrence in times of stress, but they probably play a significant role in the construction of our most typical dreams.

RECURRENT DREAMS

Breaking the cycle People who experience a recurring nightmare have in some ways become stuck in a particular way of responding to the dream scenario and anticipating it. Therapies have been developed to try to resolve this recurrence and break the vicious cycle of nightmares. One technique is to visualize the nightmare while awake and then rewrite it, that is, to modify the narrative by changing one aspect, for example, the end of the dream to something more positive. Lucid dreaming may also be a solution.In lucid dreams we become aware that we are dreaming and can sometimes influence the content of the dream. Becoming lucid in a recurring dream might allow us to think or react differently to the dream and thereby alter the repetitive nature of it. However, not all recurring dreams are bad in themselves. They can even be helpful insofar as they are informing us about our personal conflicts. Paying attention to the repetitive elements of dreams could be a way to better understand and resolve our greatest desires and torments.

COGNITIVE PATTERNS

Cognitive dream patterns Dreams are images , emotions and thoughts sewn together in sequence, and have a pattern which can be analyzed and interpreted for useful insights towards cognitive behavior. Study of Cognitive Dream patterns, Analysis and Interpretation are interesting areas which contribute towards human brain cognitive analysis and to create interesting algorithms to analyze and interpret a set of dreams. Cognitive dreams may be helpful in future predictions and to initiate preventative measures. There is a mysterious and fascinating world of dreams waiting to be analyzed and interpreted, creating the knowledge to explain the dream sequences in relation to psychoanalytic behavior of the dreamer.

COGNITIVE PATTERNS

A cognitive model for dreams There is no doubt that some dreams seem to be clear-cut wish fulfillments. One experiment, for instance, indicated that subjects deprived of food had a higher incidence of dreams of eating than did a control group. However, on Cognitive Patterns in Dreams and Daydreams 31 the basis of our research, I have concluded that this may not always, or even generally, be the case. A more parsimonious way of approaching dream reports is to regard their interpretation as a kind of biopsy of the patient’s psychological processes. The cognitive model provides a useful framework for analyzing these processes. According to this model, the pathognomonic dream dramatizes the way the individual sees himself, his world, and his future. In the course of an individual’s waking experiences, certain cognitive patterns peculiar to that individual are activated, but may be

obscured by the input of external stimuli. When the external stimuli are cut off during sleep and a certain state of arousal is reached, these patterns (or schemata) exert a maximum influence on the individual’s thinking and are manifested in the thematic content of the dreams. Cognitive patterns or schemata exert a varying degree of pull on the individual’s dreams. Although some dreams seem to be a prosaic reflection of daytime events, pathognomonic dreams, which are often the repetitive dreams, point to a particular type of conceptualization. The conceptualizations apparent in dreams also seem to influence the emotions and behavior of waking life. In his waking experience, an individual may conceptualize a situation in a variety of ways. He is most aware of the realistic conceptualization; however, the unrealistic one, based on more primitive cognitive patterns, may have a greater influence on both his waking emotions and his dreams, in which it emerges dramatically.

COGNITIVE PATTERNS

The kind of stuff that dreams are made of may be obtained by training a patient to observe not only his realistic appraisal of a situation but also the automatic, unrealistic evaluations that seem to be at the fringe of awareness. I have described these elsewhere as “automatic thoughts” or distorted cognitions, a kind of ideation probably analogous to what Freud called the preconscious. These cognitions are much more closely related to the pathognomonic or idiosyncratic dream than are the usual realistic cognitions at the center of the person’s awareness. In psychopathology, however, unrealistic cognitions are dominant in the waking ideation, and in severe cases, occur at the center of the cognitive field. The depressed patient perseverates in thinking about his inadequacies, losses, and bleak future. The anxiety neurotic is preoccupied with hypothetical dangers. The paranoid patient dwells on the theme of abuse by others. These dominant patterns in the waking mentation exert their influence in the dreams. Thus, the depressive, anxiety neurotic, and paranoid patients are prone to dream respectively of themes of failure, danger, or abuse.

A DEEP DR EAM

DREAMS, FEELS REAL WHILE WE’RE IN THEM RIGHT? I T ’ S O N LY W H E N W E WA K E U P T H AT WE R E A L I Z E S O M E T H I N G WA S A C T U A L LY S T R A N G E .

THE MEANING

WHAT DO DREAMS MEAN? Different cultures throughout history have ascribed meaning and importance to dreams, though there’s little scientific evidence that dreams have particular meanings attached to them, Kuras says, “No one has yet determined with exactitude what dreams or the images in dreams mean. That dreams are significant indicators of one’s subconscious mind is a basic assumption in various cultures, but in different ways.”

THE MEANING

Dr. Kryger says that dreams are “mostly speculation in terms of specific meanings.” Among the scientific community, he continues, there are two main trains of thought. One is that every part of a dream has a specific meaning, and the other is that dreams are entirely spontaneous and mean nothing.

The first train of thought can be attributed to Sigmund Freud, who is recognized as the first person to assign definitive meanings to dreams, like that dreaming about a king and a queen actually means you’re dreaming about your mother and father, Dr. Kryger says.

THE MEANING

Although dream psychoanalysis may have only begun in the last century or two, people have studied dreams for far longer: Aristotle wrote about dreams as early as 325 B.C., according to Dr. Kryger.

Lauri Quinn Loewenberg, a professional dream analyst, says the problem with arriving at proof across the board “is that dreams and their meanings are so very personal because they are based on the person’s individual life experiences.”

Additionally, neuroscience tends to focus on the function of dreaming (like memory retention) rather than the “comparative analysis between the imagery in dreams and the content of the previous day, which is how I approach dream analysis,” Loewenberg says.

That said, certain dreams do have meanings attached to them, if for no reason other than holding significance for many people. Below, Dr. Kryger, Kuras and Loewenberg discuss meanings about common dreams and symbols in dreams.

THE MEANINGS

THE MEANING

SINGULAR MEANINGS What if dreams don’t actually mean anything? That’s the conclusion drawn by some modern neuroscientists, who believe that dreams are just a side effect of more fundamental neurological processes. Although people often think that the brain is shut down during sleep, researchers now know that sleep is a period of intense neurological activity. One of the main reasons we sleep may be to allow the brain to consolidate and organize our memories. Much like computers must periodically optimize their hard disks, our brains must continuously consolidate the memories we have stored. You can think of it as a kind of neurological housecleaning, sweeping away the unnecessary experiences from the previous day and storing the important ones more securely. Research shows, for instance, that people’s recall of recently learned tasks improves after sleep, and that their memory suffers if sleep is interrupted. That’s why parents and teachers often urge children to get a good night’s sleep before taking a test.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN YOU DREAM ABOUT

WATER, OR 64

WIND FIRE?

THE MEANING

waves can represent overwhelm Though there’s no true evidence that the elements have particular meanings it’s mostly speculation, Dr. Kryger says there are some

and clear water

“As far as these

can represent

being accepted

emotional clarity.

meanings, all that truly

associations that

Fire most often

matters is

seem common.

equates to anger

what fits for

Water is thought

or distress,

the dreamer,”

to symbolize

Loewenberg

emotions,

says, while wind

says.

Loewenberg says,

can represent

While many

that can fit most people and common

imminent

symbols have a

and different

changes or

general meaning

types of water can

changes that

situations, you

mimic different

you’re currently

have to account

emotions.

going through.

for your personal

For instance,

associations with

muddy water

symbols, she

can represent

explains.

sadness, tidal

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN YOU DREAM ABOUT

DEATH 66

THE MEANING

Dr. Kryger says it’s very common

change. According to Kuras, “this all

to dream about death, particularly

depends on what these images mean to

about the death of someone close to

the dreamer in the context of their life

you emotionally. It’s also common

and challenges.

to interpret those sorts of dreams as

Dream work is very much the exploration

communication from the dead, which

of feelings and meaning for the dreamer

isn’t really a surprise: “death has such a

and is somehow related to the ‘work’ of

great impact on the living that it is often

managing life and its challenges.

incorporated into dream content,” he says. Loewenberg says dreaming about death can signify the end of something in real life, and that doesn’t necessarily mean the end of a life. “To dream of your own death isn’t a premonition but rather a reflection of how you are coming to realize that life as you now know it is coming to an end,” she says, adding that it’s not unusual to dream about death during things like moving, the process of quitting smoking or making a career

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN YOU DREAM OF

FALLING 68

THE MEANING

“Dreams about falling from great heights are very common. While there is a popular myth that if you hit the ground in your dream you will die in real life, it simply is not true. So what exactly could dreams about falling really mean? According to many popular dream interpretations and at least one study, falling dreams are a sign that something in your life isn’t going well.2 It might suggest that you need to rethink a choice or consider a new direction in some area of your life. “Dreaming of falling is very common. It is a symbol of fear in real life - perhaps of failing at work or in your love life,” claims Russell Grant, author of The Illustrated Dream Dictionary. “Falling often expresses a need to let yourself go more and enjoy life more.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN YOU DREAM OF

BEING 70

NAKED?

Have you ever have one of those awkward dreams where you show up at school or the office in your birthday suit? Don’t worry. Dreaming about being naked is hardly unusual. Penny Peirce, author of the “Dream Dictionary for Dummies”, suggests that dreaming of public nudity might indicate that you feel like a phony or that you are afraid of revealing your imperfections and shortcomings.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN YOU DREAM ABOUT

BEING 72

CHASED?

THE MEANING

Dreams that feature being pursued by a known or unknown attacker can be particularly terrifying. These types of dreams are very common. But what do these dreams say about what’s going on inside your mind? Dream interpreters often suggest that such dreams mean that you are trying to avoid something in your daily life. Tony Crisp, author of Dream Dictionary, suggests that being chased in a dream might indicate a desire to escape from your own fears or desires. The key to understanding what such a dream might mean depends partly on the identity of your pursuer. Being chased by an animal might indicate that you are hiding from your own anger, passions, and other feelings. If your pursuer is a mysterious, unknown figure, it might represent a childhood experience or past trauma. If you are being chased by someone of the opposite sex, Crisp suggests that it means you are afraid of love or haunted by a past relationship.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN YOU DREAM ABOUT

LOOSING 74

TEETH?

THE MEANING

out, you lose

Dreaming about of teeth is their about your ability

personal power

ability to bite

to communicate

and your ability

or appearance.

through, to cut,

It might also

or concerned that

to be assertive,

might mean that

tear, and grind,”

indicate that you

you might have

decisive, and self-

you are worried

she explains. “If

said something

protective.”

are concerned

your teeth fall

losing teeth can

about your

have multiple

attractiveness

meanings. It

embarrassing. “The real essence

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN YOU DREAM ABOUT

INFIDELITY 76

THE MEANING

Dreaming that your spouse or romantic partner is cheating on you with someone

Dreams Mean, believe that such dreams probably don’t mean that your spouse

else can be incredibly distressing. In

is cheating or will cheat. “This is another

some cases, people even start to wonder

‘what if’ dream you are testing the limits

if the dream might really be true.

of reality,” they suggest.

Does dreaming that your partner is unfaithful mean that it might happen?

Eve Adamson and Gayle Williamson,

Or that it is already happening?

authors of TheComplete Idiot’s Guide Dream Dictionary, posit that such

While in some cases such dreams

dreams about infidelity indicate issues

might be the reflection of waking

with trust, loyalty, and communication

fears of such infidelity, Trish and

in a relationship. “If you or your partner

Rob MacGregor, the author’s of the Complete Dream Dictionary: A Bedside Guide to Knowing What Your

cheated in your dream, one of you isn’t getting what you need from that relationship right now,” they write.

WHAT DOES IT W

MEAN H

D R E A M S ARE SET AT DAYTIME OR NIGHTTIME?

INKBLOTS

RORSCHACH INKBLOT TEST The Rorschach test is a psychological test in which subjects’ perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then analyzed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both.

INKBLOTS

Some psychologists use this test to examine a person’s personality characteristics and emotional functioning. It has been employed to detect underlying thought disorder, especially in cases where patients are reluctant to describe their thinking processes openly. The test is named after its creator, Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach. In the 1960s, the Rorschach was the most widely used projective test. Although the Exner Scoring System (developed since the 1960s) claims to have addressed and often refuted many criticisms of the original testing system with an extensive body of research, some researchers continue to raise questions. The areas of dispute include the objectivity of testers, inter-rater reliability, the verifiability and general validity of the test, bias of the test’s pathology scales towards greater numbers of responses, the limited number of psychological conditions which it accurately diagnoses, the inability to replicate the test’s norms, its use in courtordered evaluations, and the proliferation of the ten inkblot images, potentially invalidating the test for those who have been exposed to them.

INKBLOTS

The goal in coding content of the Rorschach is to categorize the objects that the subject describes in response to the inkblot. There are 27 established codes for identifying the name of the descriptive object. The codes are classified and include terms such as “human”, “nature”, “animal”, “abstract”, “clothing”, “fire”, and “x-ray”, to name a few. Content described that does not have a code already established should be coded using the code “idiographic contents” with the shorthand code being “Idio.” Items are also coded for statistical popularity (or, conversely, originality). More than any other feature in the test, content response can be controlled consciously by the subject, and may be elicited by very disparate factors, which makes it difficult to use content alone to draw any conclusions about the subject’s personality; with certain individuals, content responses may potentially be interpreted directly, and some information can at times be obtained by analyzing thematic trends in the whole set of content responses (which is only feasible when several responses are available), but in general content cannot be analyzed outside of the context of the entire test record.

INKBLOTS

HOLZMAN INKBLOT TEST The Holtzman inkblot technique was developed in an attempt to minimize certain statistical difficulties that arise in the analysis of Rorschach results. In the Holtzman inkblot, the subject responds to each of a series of 45 ambiguous inkblots. These responses are scored to describe and to classify the personality of the subject. The HIT is used to assess the personality structure of a test subject. It is sometimes used as a diagnostic tool in assessing schizophrenia, depression, addiction, and character disorders.

INKBLOTS

The HIT, developed by psychologist Wayne Holtzman and colleagues, was introduced in 1961. The test was designed to overcome some of the deficiencies of its famous predecessor, the Rorschach Inkblot Test. Unlike the Rorschach, the Holtzman is a standardized measurement with clearly defined objective scoring criteria. The HIT consists of 45 inkblots. The test administrator, or examiner, has a stack of 47 cards with inkblots (45 test cards and 2 practice cards) face down in front of him or her. The examiner hands each card to the subject and asks the test subject what he or she sees in the inkblot. Only one response per inkblot is requested.

Occasionally, the examiner may ask the test subject to clarify or elaborate on a response. The Administration of the HIT typically takes 50-80 minutes. The HIT is then scored against 22 personality-related characteristics. The HIT can also be administered in a group setting. In group testing, 30-45 inkblots are projected onto a screen and test subjects provide written responses to each inkblot. The main difference between the Holtzman inkblot and the Rorschach inkblot technique is that in the Holtzman technique, the subject is permitted to make only one response per inkblot. The empirical validity of the Holtzman inkblot technique, and other projective techniques, is disputed by some authorities.

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THE INTERPRETATION

HOW TO INTERPRET YOUR DREAMS Dream interpretations date back to 3000-4000 B.C., where they were documented on clay tablets. For as long as we have been able to talk about our dreams, we have been fascinated with them and have strived to understand them.

THE INTERPRETATION

In some primal societies, members were unable to distinguish between the dream world and the waking world. Or they could simply choose not to make the distinction. They saw that the dream world was not only an extension of reality, but that it was a more powerful world. In the Greek and Roman eras, dreams were seen in a religious context. They were believed to be direct messages from the gods or from the dead. The people of that time look to their dreams for solutions on what to do or what course of action to take. They believed dreams forewarned and predicted the future. Special shrines were even built where people can go there to sleep in hopes that a message could be passed to them through their dreams. Their belief in the power of a dream was so strong that it even dictated the actions of political and military leaders. In fact, dream interpreters even accompanied military leaders into battle to help with war strategy. Greek philosopher, Aristotle believed that dreams were a result of physiological functions. Dreams were able to diagnose illness and predict onset of diseases. During the Helllenistic period, the main focus of dreams was centered around its ability to heal. Temples,

called Asclepieions, were built around the healing power of dreams. It was believed that sick people who slept in these temples would be sent cures through their dreams. Dream interpreters even aided the medicine men in their medical diagnosis. It was believed that dreams offered a vital clue for healers to finding what was wrong with the dreamer. In Egypt, priests also acted as dream interpreters. The Egyptians recorded their dreams in hieroglyphics. People with particular vivid and significant dreams were believed to be blessed and were considered special. People who had the power to interpret dreams were looked up to and seen as divinely gifted. Dreaming can be seen as an actual place that your spirit and soul leaves every night to go and visit. The Chinese believed that the soul leaves the body to go into this world. However, if they should be suddenly awakened, their soul may fail to return to the body. For this reason, some Chinese today, are wary of alarm clocks. Some Native American tribes and Mexican civilizations share this same notion of a distinct dream dimension. They believed that their ancestors lived in their dreams and take on non-human forms like plants. They see that dreams as a

way of visiting and having contact with their ancestors. Dreams also helped to point their mission or role in life. During the Middle Ages, dreams were seen as evil and its images were temptations from the devil. In the vulnerable sleep state, the devil was believed to fill the mind of humans with poisonous thoughts. He did his dirty work though dreams attempting to mislead us down a wrong path. In the early 19th century, dreams were dismissed as stemming from anxiety, a household noise or even indigestion. Hence there was really no meaning to it. Later on in the 19th century, Sigmund Freud revived the importance of dreams and its significance and need for interpretation. He revolutionized the study of dreams. Tracing back to these ancient cultures, people had always had an inclination to interpret dreams The bible alone has over seven hundred references to dreams.

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POSITIONS

WHAT POSITION DO YOU SLEEP IN? During sleep, your body works to restore and repair itself. Your sleep position can either help or hinder that process, depending on how effectively it supports the natural curvature of your spine. It’s also common for people to wake up with brand new aches and pains in the morning, sometimes due to sleep position. We spend a third of our lives asleep or resting, so it’s important to choose a sleep position that assists your body with physical recovery. A proper sleep position can relieve stress on your spine, while an unhealthy position can increase pain or stiffness in the back, arms, or shoulders, all while contributing to lower-quality sleep.

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The most popular way to sleep is favored by more than 4 out of 10 people, especially among women, who are twice as likely as men to sleep curled up on their side. For the most part, it’s a healthy way to doze, because it allows your spine to rest in its natural alignment. The fetal position might also help ward off conditions like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s: Recent research on animals suggests that your brain does a better job of clearing waste that can lead to these neurological diseases when you’re sleeping on your side rather than on your back or stomach. This position’s also good for pregnant women. You should stick to lying on your left side while expecting. It improves circulation to your growing baby and prevents your uterus from pressing against your liver.

Make it better: Stretch out a bit. Pulling your body into a tight ball or curling forward too much limits your lungs and diaphragm. A more relaxed back encourages easy breathing.

POSITIONS

Do you sleep on your side but with both arms down, close to your body? You’re in fairly good company, too: 15% of people prefer to catch their ZZZs in the log position. And that’s great, because it’s good for your health.Resting on your side, with your back mostly straight, can help cut down on sleep apnea. It can also nix neck and back pain since your spine stays aligned.

Make it better: Place a soft pillow or folded blanket or towel between your knees to ease pressure on your hips.

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POSITIONS

Make it better: To help avoid aches in this face-up position, place a pillow or rolledup towel under your knees. It supports the natural curve of your spine and can lower your chances of back pain. If you’re snoring or have sleep apnea, it’s best to sleep on your side.

Flat on your back, with arms by your side, can cause snoring, which affects half of all adults at some point and is more common the older we get. Snoring isn’t just annoying for the person next to you or in a nearby room. It can disrupt your sleep and lead to thickening and problems with the carotid artery, which supplies blood to your brain, face, and neck. This position also isn’t a good choice if you’re prone to sleep apnea shallow breathing or pauses in your breath that prevent restful sleep. Sleeping on your back can lead to a sore lower back as well. There is one big pro to this position, though: It can help acid reflux.

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STARFISH Being a “starfish” sleeper still means laying on your back, but this time your legs are spread apart and your arms are bent up on either side of your head. Like “soldier,” this position can be very helpful for people suffering from acid reflux, but it will be unconvenient for anyone sleeping with a partner or a ciebling, because it makes you more likely to snore and can aggravate sleep apnea.

Make it better: Put a pillow under your knees before you doze off. If your mattress is soft or worn out, swap it out for one that’s more firm. Support for your spine will help you avoid back pain.

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POSITIONS

Someone who has a yearner sleeping position, snoozes on one side with his or her arms stretched out in front. This position is quite harmful for the showlder’s joints. A good practice would be sleeping on your left side with a pillow to support your stomac and lift some weight away from your limbs. A person sleeping like this, is usually very suspicious towards anything happening around them and therefore has a very rational approach to life.

Make it better: If you haven’t been sleeping well and want to try a new position to see if it helps, be patient. A habit like that can take a while to change, especially if you’ve been hitting the sack the same way for years.

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POSITIONS

As if sinking into the clouds, you’re lying on your stomach with your arms tucked under your pillow or on either side of your head. It may seem cozy when you’re snuggling in to bed, but sleeping on your stomach can lead to low back and neck pain. You’re also more likely to toss and turn as you try to get comfortable on your belly than while in other positions.

Make it better: Avoid a stiff pillow. It can put your neck at an uncomfortable angle and cause pain. Try propping a softer pillow slightly under your forehead, and sleep facing the mattress, rather than turning your head to one side. This will help keep your airway open.

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DREAM ≠ REALITY

WHY DO OLD DREAMS FEEL LIKE MEMORIES? “Remember the time when we... For some, dreams can feel like memories. This is more common than you may think.”

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DREAM ≠ REALITY

For some people, old dreams can feel like real memories and this experience is referred to as ‘dream-reality confusion’. In two studies by researchers from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, difficulty distinguishing dreaming and reality was reported by a substantial minority of participants (12 percent in one study and 26 percent in another). It has been proposed by other teams of researchers that the experience is particularly common in certain participants (such as those with narcolepsy or borderline personality disorder). Although there is relatively little research in this area, there are many hypotheses as to why this might occur. One possibility is that the dreams that are confused with reality are different from other dreams (they could be more vivid, for example). It is also possible that when dream-reality confusion occurs, this could represent unusual memory encoding during sleep.

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So, how can you tell if you’ve experienced dream-reality confusion? Simply reading this article could help: becoming aware that false memories can develop could have an impact. As one 2021 study found, merely explaining to participants that their recollections could have been based on something other than reality was enough to correct a false memory – while not affecting their ability to remember true events. Of course, you can also play detective and consider the evidence. If you think that you swam in Lake Constance with a friend but wonder whether it was in fact a dream, you might want to check whether your friend remembers the experience or whether there are any photos or diary entries from the time to confirm that your fun day at the lake really happened.

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DREAM ≠ REALITY

DRC Dream–reality confusion (DRC) is a difficulty or an impossibility to determine whether an event or an experience took place during wakefulness or if it was the content of a dream. The main goal of the present study was to explore characteristics of participants from the general population who often/very often experience DRC in comparison with those who never/almost never experience it. Altogether, 82 participants were investigated with a set of questionnaires. Results of the study indicate that individuals prone to DRC—in comparison with those who rarely or do not at all experience DRC—more often experience various sleeprelated phenomena, and they also have higher neuroticism, thinner boundaries, higher dream recall frequency, and more involved attitudes toward dreams. Furthermore, some trends were revealed, suggesting that high level of borderline personality disorder features, fantasy proneness, and dissociative symptoms may be related to higher probability of experiencing DRC. The limitations of the study and future research directions were also discussed.

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Lucid dreams Lucid dreaming is when the dreamer becomes conscious and aware that they are within a dream. They can then proceed to interact with their dream environment with their conscious free will, interacting within their dream environment or conversing with dream characters in complete and vivid awareness. People wondering how to get to sleep fast might be confused by the idea of such an awake experience, but it’s restorative in a wholly unique way.Lucid dreaming is like experiencing virtual reality without the headset and technological gear. As awe-inspiring as all of the amazing advancements of modern technology are, we human beings still don’t realize that the greatest technology ever is hidden in plain sight—in the form of consciousness itself. The potential of a built-in virtual reality through lucid dreaming can hold great entertainment value for some dreamers.

Imagine trying your favorite sex position with a celebrity crush, or engaging in extreme sports. However, it is also a form of spiritual practice for others. It can feel quite spiritual for people because it is an exceptional experience of consciousness. In other words, it falls outside of our ideas of a perceived reality and can fall within the category of ‘mystical experience’. So you can add that to your weekly horoscope and tarot card reading as a form of holistic and mystic self-care!Besides entertainment or the psychological escape from the mundane realities of everyday life, there are many benefits of lucid dreaming. These include problem-solving, creative insights and overcoming fears, trauma, self-limiting beliefs, and PTSD. A lucid dream can evoke a distinguished notion of oneness with an infinite universe of infinite possibilities which can, in turn, have positive and transformative effects on a person.

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DREAM ≠ REALITY

Where does lucid dreaming come from? Human beings have been lucid dreaming for thousands of years with accounts recorded in the ancient Hindu tract called The Vigyan Bhairav Tantra. Central to both the ancient Indian Hindu practice of Yoga Nidra and the Tibetan Buddhist practice of dream Yoga, it’s been part of a spiritual path for consciousness explorers since the days of antiquity. As well as being recognized in some of the best bedtime yoga practices, documentation of lucid dreaming is also found in Ancient Greece: the philosopher Aristotle once wrote ‘often when one is asleep, there is something in consciousness which declares that what then presents itself is but a dream’.

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Although people have been experiencing lucid dreams for thousands of years, it was only in 1975 that it was scientifically proven in a sleep lab by British psychologist, Dr. Keith Hearne. Dreams are the blueprints of the unconscious mind therefore when you ‘wake up’ in a dream you have the opportunity to interface with your own unconscious mind. This can become deeply transformative because as the dream unfolds you can be shown its meaning in real-time. They are like mini-films that get projected every night from your cinema of the unconscious. These micro screenings grab our attention through their surreal content in order to prompt us to look at areas in our waking life that need balance, care, or transformation. When you carry over insights and messages from your lucid dreams into your waking life, you can find that the guidance helps you to grow as a person.

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WILL AI READ HUMAN DREAMS? A group of researchers from University of Kyoto in Japan have figured out a way where computers can visualise what you are thinking! Any guesses for how they have achieved it? It’s artificial intelligence.

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As a part of the study published by Guohua Shen, Tomoyasu Horikawa, Kei Majima and Yukiyasu Kamitani, they have used artificial intelligence to decode thoughts. Machine learning has been used previously to study brain scans or analysis of human functional magnetic resonance imaging, where it could also generate visualisations of what a person is thinking when referring to simple, binary images. These images are limited to the reconstruction with low level image bases. With the recent development, the researchers have found a way to “decode” thoughts using deep neural networks or artificial intelligence. It could allow scientists to understand more sophisticated “hierarchical” images having multiple layers of color and structure—for instance, a picture of a bird or man wearing cowboy hat. According to the paper published, the visual cortical activity can be decoded into hierarchical features of a deep neural network for the same input image, providing a way to make use of the information from hierarchical

AI visual features. They came up with novel image reconstruction method where the pixel values of an image are optimized to make its DNN features similar to those decoded from human brain activity at multiple layers. “We found that the generated images resembled the stimulus images (both natural images and artificial shapes) and the subjective visual content during imagery. While our model was solely trained with natural images, our method successfully generalised the reconstruction to artificial shapes, indicating that our model indeed ‘reconstructs’ or ‘generates’ images from brain activity, not simply matches to exemplars”, noted the researchers. “Our previous method was to assume that an image consists of pixels or simple shapes. But it’s known that our brain processes visual information hierarchically extracting different levels of features or components of different complexities”, they said.

During the research which was carried over 10 months, three subjects were shown natural images such as photos of a bird or person, artificial geometric shapes and alphabetical letters for varying lengths of time. The brain activity was measured while the subject was looking at one of 25 images. Once the brain activity was scanned, the computer decoded the information to generate visualisations of subject’s thoughts. There are many potential applications, once the technology develops visible improvement. It can allow to draw pictures or make art simply by imagining something, it can visualise human dreams, hallucinations of psychiatric patients and much more.

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SOME DREAMS This is the end of the dream journey I dedicated the last three months to. The idea behing this publication raise in my mind during one gloomy winter morning, silence got stroke by the dark sound of my phone vibrating onto the tiny woden night table close to my bed, I had just recieved a four minutes vocal message from one of my lifelong friends who had just had the weirdest drem of all and strangly enough I was part of it. Normally I would not be entirly happy recieving such long messages, however I knew, since it was from Sara, that most probably it would’ve been a great way to start the day. I instantly grabbed my phone, unlocked it, and pressed play. I was laying in bed under the duvet, I put the phone on the pillow just on the side of my head while I stared at the white ceiling and started listening to her voice. I was in a state of non-complete consciusness because I hadn’t even completly woken up yet, and probably that helped my imagination, but I could picture everything she was describing directly on my ceiling, as if it was a white canvas. That day I decided to create this publication, not only as a school project but also as a mean of study to feed the curiosity my friend unconsciously raised in me.

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SOME DREAMS

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SOME DREAMS

BY ANAN SONN KAAREN First it was it my apartment in Milan, lots of going up and down the stories of the building, going to a Chinese food place very close by and something about desperately trying to find my old dog that I could see on a map with a tracker. I remember seeing the apartment as if it were a doll house. Then it was me camping with very little equipment in the forest with a friend of mine, we chat and mess around and move our stuff every couple of minutes because it was starting to drizzle.

A few people pass by us on walk and such, four brittish speaking people in their 50s/60s stop to say hi and this one woman makes very sexual comments that make us very uncomfortable Then they leave, my friend and I keep hanging out, then we start challenging each other to do things and I end up having to sneak into the sort of plane or zeppelin that these brittish speaking people came in and hop out before it’s too late.

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SOME DREAMS

I sneak in and lock myself in the bathroom but can’t manage to sneak out, so when I do manage to get out we’re somehow in Marocco. So now I’m in summer clothes outside of an airport in Morocco in the city and I’m trying to find a way back, I stop at a coffee shop, stand in line between a lady and her 11 year old bully son and a couple of guys behind me; I arrive at the counter and ask for an espresso and a bottle of water, then the bully kid does this classic 11 year old thing where he has no special awareness or consideration for other people’s personal space, so he just strongly pushes into me trying to get to the counter, so I start beefing with him and push him away, and the two guys start doing the same because he doesn’t stop. So I’m out of the coffee shop 133

SOME DREAMS

and looking for a way back home, except I have no money for a flight so I try sneaking back into the airport and the zeppelin; before that I overhear the same brittish people talking with the airport staff that tells them they’re requisitioning the plane so they can’t use it. First I panic then I realize I can just sneak in and fly it myself (such an easy thing to do), so I do that and there’s a sequence of me struggling to fly, not knowing what altitude to reach but somehow still managing to do it, I see this picture of a tiny Italy coming in view from above, and I fly over this one city 2 hours from where I live.

I drop altitude there and try not to crash into stuff, people are freaking out until I gain control and start doing tricks and other very weird stff that I don’t particularly remember, except that I stop on a hill just on one side of the city and blow an immense cloud of smoke onto the streets to impress people, but it ends up causing more damage than fun so I leave I arrive back at the camping site where there’s no longer my friend but a group of three or four people that have waited for me for idk how long, we catch up and immediately go into an abandoned temple they found on one side of the woods, the floors and walls are covered in little symbols and trinkets, we try going up some very unsteady flights of stairs and I urge dad (my dad was apparently there) to stay back cause his balance is too bad. 134

SOME DREAMS

The rest of us get to the top, then I turn back cause I feel bad for dad so I go help him climb the steps, and while I go back the symbols start to glow and the names of those symbols appear over them, which does absolutely nothing.

Then there’s a fast forward where me and the group, which suddenly has different members, are back in Morocco. The only people that I kind of remember were mom, my suster, a brittish friend of mine and an annoying family friend that visited some days ago.

Apparently we’re now sightseeing and all the while we have to keep our voices down because it’s disrespectful to be loud in Morocco, we bump into a couple of car mechanics from my town that left a while ago, we catch up and move on; I’m chatting with my friend from England while we walk around town and the others keep shushing us cause we’re joking around too much, then we arrive at this cozy little library where people can grab a notepad and draw for however long they want then leave the doodled books there for other people to continue, we chat with the people there and the dream slowly fades away. 135

SOME DREAMS

BY SARA BERTOLOTTI

I’m in the city of Florence, where I study and I’m hanging out with some people, I don’t know them, at a certain point a girl says “let’s play some music!“ and I say “ok, sure”, so she tells me to play the playlist she has on her phone. I see that there’s an artist I listen to and tell her that I like his music and so I agree to play it. 136

SOME DREAMS

Once I undressed I meet a friend of mine who greets me and tells me to follow her and tells me “Oh yes you did a good thing by taking off some of your clothes because they bothered you “. I suddently go away from the woods and get into a square, it ‘s night.

Turns out the playlist is not at all as I thought it would be, it is all about weird girls singing, so I tell myself “no please I hate this“, and I leave. I end up reaching a shelter in the woods, I start feeling like my clothes bother me, so I had to take them off.

SOME DREAMS

There’s a church on the square and I find two of my friends standing in front of it, so I ask them what they were doing there and they tell me that they were trying to get into the church. At this point they brake through the church door and they enter.

It’s not night inside and it is not actually a church, it’s a sort of library or museum. We decide to stay inside even if we actually can’t because it is illegal, so the security comes to get us and we hide under some tables, but they find us anyways. 138

SOME DREAMS

This confuses me quite a little bit, so I start waking up and while I do I hear snow noises and so I think it’s snowing outside , but actually it’s just raining.

After that I somehow get out of the church and find myself on the shore of the river Arno in Florence. A woman is there with me and tells me that she had written a book when she was younger. Turns out her book was the pile of my zoology notes.

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CREDITS

ART & DESIGN

CONTENT SOURCES

Noa Sempels Elisabetta Salaveni

COPYEDITORS

www.sciencealert.com www.sciencefocus.com www.frontiersin.org www.driccpe.org.uk www.asdreams.org Noa Sempels

Noa Sempels Anan Sonn Kaaren Sara Bertolotti

IMAGES SOURCES

ART DIRECTION Noa Sempels Marina Bonanni

www.unsplash.com www.weshoot.it (E.E. McCollum “The Cocoon Series“) www.inagblog.com www.flickr.com www.mymodernmet.com (“Haunted drawings“)

PUBLISHER Lunatica Editore

PRINTING HOUSE Centro Stampa Erresse

Lunatica Editore 142

OTHER PUBLICATIONS DEJA-VU “Déjà-Vu” is the second publication of the “Veiled Powers of Our Mind“ series, a deep and complete research on the phenomenon of the illusion of remembering scenes and events when experienced for the first time. The analysis goes through various stages,

the origin of the naming, the meaning, psychological view, biological understanding, different forms, connections with other phenomena, such as epiphanies and real examples.

MIRAGE “Mirage” is the third chapter of the “Veiled Powers of Our Mind“ series, featuring a full research on the optical illusion caused by atmospheric conditions. The in depth analysis takes into consideration different elements, the origin of the naming, the

meaning, psychological view, biological understanding, different forms, connections with other phenomena, such as epiphanies and actual experiences.

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THANKS TO A special thanks to the sponsors of this publication, the International Association for the Study of Dreams and the Dream Research Institute, who made this dream of mine possible. Thanks to the contributors too, Elisabetta Salaveni, who curated the production of most of the illustration, Sara Bertolotti and Anan Sonn Kaaren, who kindly handed in their personal dreams and allowed me to publish them. A big thanks to Marina Bonanni, who followed and directed the project from beginning to end. Thanks to everyone who collaborated and gave points of view to better the look and feel of the publication.

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