Sweet Dreams, Sweet Communication

"Dream when the day is blue. Dream and they might come true." That is one of the lyric lines from the song, "Dream," one of the late Johnny Mercer's many classics. I begin this posting this way as it comes right after my reading in a recent issue of Time magaine an article on dreams. It is an interesting piece as it pertains to a challenge so many of us face: nightmares. We all have them from time to time. Some are silly. Some are scary. Some are disturbing. Collectively, they cut into our sleep time and that is something no one wants. One recurring nightmare I have involves being chased by hungry crocodiles (or is it alligators?) and not being able to stand up to run to safety.  

The article highlights the efforts of researchers now working with patients to help them reformulate their dreams. One of the scientists, a person named Stephen Laberge who gained famed while teaching at Stanford University, believes dreams are as manageable as any one else's behavioral experience. It is Laberge's contention that people can be taught how to take more control of their dreams, so that they are better able to ensure they get a good night's sleep and feel better when they approach a new day. One group such a skill would benefit greatly is combat veterans returning from war who lose much sleep due to recurring dreams they have regarding things they either witnessed or, in some cases, had to do.

Dreams are a form of communication. Even though it happens within our own heads and at a time when we are not interacting with others, dreams, particularly bad ones, can and do affect our ability to cope in society and present ourselves in a consistently favorable light. I find the work of Laberge interesting because it seeks to build on our ability to manage communication when we are awake. Moving such a skill into the realm of sleep strikes me as being quite revolutionary. This research is very much at the beginning stage, so no one should get overly excited at the prospect at being able to ensure their nights of nothing but pure bliss. Yet.