Dream-driven Histories

“As we slumber through the dark hours
of the night, these visions

Which haunt our mind are not just
random signals in our brain.

They have a purpose.”

• BBC, “Why Do We Dream?” Documentary

Articles concerning the capability of dreams to offer solutions are available in every dream-related study, dream interpretation site, and in some books regarding dreams. But these information are only theoretical, which means that they will not be effective if they are not applied, and therefore, are not useful. As the quotation above declares, dreams do have a purpose and reason of existence, but this very purpose will not be unraveled without application. Dreams do provide solutions and teach some points on certain aspects of a person’s life, but they do not offer these things for no reason. Dreams make known to a person all the things that he needs to be aware of, and one’s task is to apply these things. Finally, after the application, the history will write the dreamer’s story.

BBC’s documentary entitled “Why Do We Dream?” narrated by Steven Mackintosh, explained in a very comprehensive and understandable manner how dreams convey the solutions to one’s problems. Professor Deidre Barrett, from Harvard Medical School, one of the persons interviewed in the documentary, enumerated the breakthroughs that notable persons have achieved by way of their dreams. She said that dreams have been responsible for numerous scientific discoveries, important political events, novels, films, and works of visual art, and that these are the reasons why dreams are really important. Professor Barrett has dedicated her life in studying how dreams can help in solving one’s problems which the dreamer cannot resolve in his waking state.

source: energy.gov

Truly, dreams served as the way towards the revelation of genius ideas. But what is magnificent in those dreams is not the revelation, but the application. Friedrich August Kekule von Stradonitz’s dream lead him to the discovery of the structure of Benzene. Paul McCartney came up with his best-selling song ‘Yesterday’ through his dream. Most of Stephen King’s best selling novels were greatly influenced by his dreams. Many accounts have proven that dreams do have a purpose, and the dreamer’s responsibility is live with that purpose.

“We can see things much more clearly when we think about them in dreams, and it also helps us think outside the box. Our associations are looser and more intuitive and less linear,” Professor Barrett said. The documentary further stated other superb works of dreams like the formation of the periodic table of the elements by the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev, Elias Howe’s design of the first sewing machine, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

A person doesn’t have to become a genius in order to dream big. He has to start dreaming in order to become a genius. Each person dreams and these dreams serve one’s own needs. There is no distinction as to the quality of dreams that those famous personalities had in comparison with what an ordinary person has. These dreams only differ because each person’s needs also differ. What is important is one’s capability to harness these dreams in order for them to make great impacts and manifestations in his realities.

“Just say to oneself: ‘I want to dream about X tonight’ as you're drifting off to sleep. And in my research, I find that about 50% of people can do that if they just practice that for a brief period of time, and about half will get an answer that is really gratifying to whatever the issue is.”

- Professor Deidre Barrett

In the above quotation, Professor Barrett stated that each person can become a genius and may take part in the world’s history by commanding himself to dream about a particular solution. Dreams will only provide what a person needs, but often times, the offerings that dreams give are distorted. Maybe the problem is that dreams are confused because people do not ask directly. People fail to specify what they really need that is why dreams also fail to specify the answer. Professor Barrett also stated that asking dreams for a solution needs to be practiced. The solution doesn’t easily come by a single snap, it has to be meditated. If it didn’t work out in the first try, then try it again. Professor Barrett said that half of the world’s population can do that, and that estimate gives a very good chance to every person. Still, regardless of the time it takes to master the maneuvering of dreams, it cannot outweigh the satisfaction that one can achieve in receiving the answer.

source: focusnjoy.com

Dreams really did create a great impact in specific corners of the world’s history. But what is awe-inspiring is not the dream itself, but the applications that those dreamers have done. Just as theories generated need to be practiced, dreams also need applications and manifestations in one’s life. The solutions will never be effective if they are not tangible in one’s realities. Never stop dreaming and start to make histories, dreamer!