Creativity In Dreams
The mind at its Creative Peak "That which the dream shows is the shadow
of
such wisdom as exists in man, even if during his waking state he may
know
nothing about it..... We do not know it because we are fooling away our
time
with outward and perishing things, and are sleep in regard to that which
is real
within ourselves."-Paracles The quote on dreams, taken out of the
novel by Ann
Faraday entitled The Dream Game, sums up the necessity for
the dream and the
importance of our creativity in the dream state. Not only
is it imperative to
understand this importance of creativity, but to ask and
find out how this
process we call dreaming takes place. One can accomplish
this task by using a
step by step approach to dreams. First looking at the
mind from a psychological
standpoint and then moving on to the creative
process and how it is involved in
dreaming. Ultimately, one will move to see
that in a dream, the mind is at its
creative peak because the mind is
unconsciously opening doors to information
processed during the day that has
been unknowingly passed over. The mind is
probably one of the most complex
systems in the body and is constantly being
studied. Though much is still to
be understood, scientists have been able to
watch carefully and see how the
dream images are produced. Many experts say that
more information is
processed in a dreaming brain that in the awake state
(Faraday 17). The
brainstem generates signals (PGO Waves) with sensory
information, the
brainstem responds to the signals, but is not activated. These
images are the
sources of dream images. Although a brainstem is not activated,
the signals
do trigger a system called the Central Motor Pattern Generator,
during REM
sleep, which causes the sensation of movement during ones dreams
(Hobson
162). REM sleep occurs every 90 minutes of the sleeping state,
beginning
first, with short activity and increasing with each passing period.
REM periods
are when the eyes move back and forth underneath the eyelids
according to the
brain activity in dreaming (Faraday 20). Not only is there a
complicated process
in the production of the dream image, but also as the
brainstem is producing
signals it causes a reaction called A.S.H. which
creates the contents of ones
dreams. A.S.H. or Activation-synthesis
Hypothesis is the loss of a
neurotransmitter that chemically charges the mind
to process information
differently (Hobson 164-5). These neurotransmitter’s
help creativity in
dreams, but are not always used to their full potential.
95%-99% of dreams are
forgotten because the aminergic neurotransmitters are
blocked in REM sleep.
However, when awaked in the REM state the
transmitters are opened and
information is recorded and remembered;
creativity during the dream period is
utilized (Hobson 166). The creative
process is looked at from two main views.
The first is that the creative
process is not enhanced by dreaming, but when one
is asleep, stress is not
invading the mind and therefore it is free to think;
that is the illusion of
the mind being more creative. Stress is something that
affects everyone
almost every day. When applied to the creative thought process,
it is easy to
see how it can become a wall that is difficult to push through.
The dream
content can be traced to the current ongoing of the individuals life,
before
sleep, and to the emotional level of the dreamer on the subsequent
morning.
In a dream, events, thoughts and feelings are reflected, that are
passed by
because we are not aware to catch them; we are to stressed (Faraday
4).
Stress comes from many sources in life such as home, work, and one of
the
most common among young adults and kids is school. When in deeper, longer
period
of REM sleep, stress is less and less a factor. This relief, during
REM
awakening dreams, leads to more bizarre dreams that include more physical
and
emotional activity. Each sense, in a dream state, is enhanced when
awakened
during REM cluster (Hobson 155-6). When this view of creativity in
dreams is
opened, stress is simply shown to be the cause of suppressing the
mind and
blocking the creative/problem solving ability in the awake state.
The second
approach to the subject of creativity in dreams, is that the mind
is
unconsciously opening doors to the information that we pass over each day,
but
unknowingly process. Brain-wave records show, that the dreaming brain is
more
active than the one that is awake. Therefore, these records prove that
when
dreaming, the brain has more capacity for greater work in a given time.
(Faraday
17-19). The records are recorded during the REM phase of sleep,
when the brain
seems to be the most active (the creative peaks of sleep).
These Rapid Eye
Movements, caused by the brain activity, occur three or
four times a night
(Faraday 19). Many experts have studied the psychological
activity that causes
the brain to be more creative in sleep. Another point
that is used to support
this view, is that in dreams, the mind is not limited
by physical laws and this
allows impossible solutions and new ideas to arise.
Dreams are a private space
that allows the mind to become creative and not
worry about the possibility of
receiving criticism from others. The
possibility of the brain understanding
knowledge the has been unknowingly
processed during the day, in sleep, is the
most probable view for creativity
in sleep. Creative dreaming is not just the
release of stress, but it is a
way in which our body works to help us see things
we pass over freely explore
all of the impossible possibilities. Each person who
has a major success in
creative dreaming has devoted much of their time to solve
the issue, and by
being prepared and working hard, they become emotionally
involved in the
problem (Stone 150). Throughout history, there have been a
number of famous
people, who have attributed some of their success to creativity
in their
dreams. It was because of their dedication to their work that the
dream
process was so vivid. Friedrich Kekule was an organic chemist who had
been
studying the atomic structure of the benzene molecule. He had almost
given up,
but in a dream, one night, he saw two snakes from a ring-like
structure. Upon
his awakening, he realized that the rings were the structure
of benzene molecule
and he had solved the missing link. Elias Howe is another
example of dedication
and emotional work to solve an impossible possibility.
He was looking for the
final solution to his automated sewing machine and
found it when he fell asleep.
His bizarre dream was of savages throwing
spears at him and chasing him due to
his failure to finish this machine. He
realized that the spearheads contained
holes in them and therefore the answer
to his sewing machine, a hole in the
sharp end of the needle (Stone 149-150).
Sleep has specific functions and shows
our perceptions and views, feelings
and thoughts that are stored and coded in
the juices created by 100 billion
nerve cells around the clock (Hobson 1-2). The
creative process is a
difficult thing to work out but when studied one can see
that it is truly
enhanced and brought out in the dream state. Not only by
looking at the
Physiological records of brain study, but at the many examples of
those who
allow their creativity to be expressed. Creativity is enhanced whether
one
chooses to pay attention to it, or not. Each person has the capacity to
learn
much from their creative dreaming, if they would only think more
creatively
and openly when awake. The lesson to learn is, the most miniscule
thing you
must pass by each day, can often be the key to solving the
impossible
possibilities. Creatively dream, do not let them pass you twice. I
myself have
never had a dream that solved a great problem but I have had
dreams that show me
the way I feel towards others. I think it is true that
the mind is most creative
and open when dreaming because in a dream it shows
me my feelings in the most
creative ways. I also notice I dream about many
things which I do not really
take notice of throughout the day.