The subject of dreams covers an immense field and one which requires
updating. As we move into the 21st century, it is no longer viable to regard
the ideas of Freud, Jung and more recent theorists as having the topic
'all sewn up'. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.
It is accepted that, in their own way, these
individuals made some valuable contributions in the sphere of sleep and
dreams. However, with the advent of computers, sleep laboratories, access
to vast numbers of dreams through the national press, magazines, television,
radio and the internet, more and more exciting discoveries are being made
on a regular basis.
Years ago dream theorists had only limited
access to dream accounts and there was no knowledge of the various sleep
and dream related phenomena. No doubt if they could have availed themselves
to modern technology and methods, they would have relinquished many of
their own hypotheses.
Freud barely paid lip service to the important
subject of 'lucid' dreaming. Indeed, in order to 'make' this remarkable
dreaming condition fit in with his theories, he even suggested that to
be conscious within a dream represented wish fulfilment, in that the dreamer
was striving for the ultimate dream experience. Clearly, his understanding
of lucid dreams was very limited.
Before Dr Hearne and David Melbourne joined
forces in dream research, five years ago, many of their theories were running
a parallel course. When they did come together, the advantages were apparent
right from the outset - they found that they were constantly sparking off
each other in developing new ideas and techniques for various dream research
projects. It was as if they had opened a new door of discovery into sleep
and dreams.
As Hearne and Melbourne continually bounced
ideas off each other in the field of dream interpretation, they perceived
something of a paradox. Although nowadays, very little is still known about
the curious inner universe called sleep, they realized that, in certain
areas, the ancients - unrestricted by the sceptical strait-jacket of behaviourist
science - appeared to have a far better understanding of dreams than modern
man.
Indeed, it is only the arrogance of western
science that would have us believe that the civilized world is at the forefront
of dream research. It can be said that diverse cultures such as that of
Aborigines, native Americans, Brazilian Indians, West Indians, and many
African civilizations, for example, which are scattered throughout the
world, have a better understanding of different aspects of dreaming - specifically
the spiritual dimension. Unfortunately, though, this is another area that
the western academic refuses to consider.
Far more sense can be made of dreams if, to
a certain extent, the researcher takes into account such factors as the
existence of the soul, various paranormal events like precognition, telepathy
and other related occurrences. Moreover, Hearne and Melbourne discovered
that by allowing for all theories, both past and present, much deeper insights
into the mysterious world of dreams was forthcoming.
For example, modern scientists refuse to accept
the premise of premonitions. They maintain that to experience an effect
before the cause is impossible, therefore foreknowledge simply cannot exist.
Yet if you ask a friend or family member if he or she has ever had a premonition
or knows somebody who has, the answer is likely to be in the affirmative
- so what is going on?
As far as the world of dreams is concerned
it does not recognize the constraints of the laws of physics, so why are
they constantly applied to a dimension where anything is possible? Dreams
in particular are a common vehicle for accurate premonitions (precognitive
dreams). Through the growing interest in dreams, more and more cases of
precognition are being reported before the event foreseen actually occurs.
The world of science, therefore, has but a small part to play in this vast
subject - small, but interesting, nonetheless.
In this sense, using sophisticated monitoring
equipment, we are able to see how the brain-wave patterns vary during different
sleep stages, i.e. rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, to that of slow wave
sleep (SWS). However interesting this side of study might be, sleep laboratory
work is naturally limited to simply providing data.
Real inroads are made, however, when somebody
follows a hunch or, employing a little lateral thinking, pursues ideas
which modern science might not countenance. Indeed, had it not been for
Dr Hearne following a hunch, structured communication from a lucid dreamer
to the outside world might never have been established. David Melbourne's
theory of the 'trigger mechanism' in sleep that identifies message bearing
dreams, would probably have gone undiscovered for years.
Primarily, it was the subject of dream interpretation
which led Hearne and Melbourne to recognize that they shared a common interest
in the research of all aspects of dreams. The reason being that to accurately
decode a dream's message, the analyst must first learn all there is to
learn about sleep and, in particular, dreams. In this sense, Freud nor
Jung could have understood the way in which dreams are structured.
Dream structure has a direct bearing on our
perception of dreams, especially in the field of dream interpretation.
Therefore, Hearne and Melbourne also reveal that dreams flow along certain
uniform pathways, some of which result in consistent effects. If modern
Freudian and Jungian analysts understood these same effects, they would
concede immediately that some of their interpretations are wildly inaccurate.
This ongoing research by Hearne and Melbourne,
and refusal to be bound by the dogmatic constraints of science, has lead
to many fascinating discoveries which are outlined in their book, "Understanding
Dreams" - an outline of which can, over the coming months, be accessed
from this site.
Hypnagogic and hypnopompic imagery are examined.
These phenomena occur respectively as we nod off and wake up, and can be
put to constructive uses. For instance, problem solving, and reinforcing
hypnotic suggestion to give up smoking. Hypnopompic imagery can be studied
to provide deeper insights into our dreams.
Lucid dreams, are dealt with in detail. We
look at ways in which this amazing dream state could be used to initiate
prodromic dreams (forewarning of illness), instances of precognition, lowering
of stress levels, healing, enhancing creativity, and other constructive
applications. We also see how lucid dreams can have such a powerful effect
on people that it can change their perspective on life itself.
Undergoing a powerful lucid dream raises perhaps
the most fascinating question of all time! Is the lucid dream another level
of reality, and is reality as we know it, just an elaborate and convincing
dream state? Do we exist, therefore, in a mentalistic universe, a universe
of the mind?
False awakenings are another fascinating dream
state and provide the dream enthusiast with an opportunity to initiate
lucid dreams, conduct experiments to discover more consistent effects,
and perhaps even carry out research into the paranormal!
The elimination of nightmares is a priority
subject and is examined in detail. It is estimated that at least a million
people in Britain alone suffer nightmares at a frequency of two or more
a week. Quadruple the number of sufferers for the USA, and increase proportionately
for countries with higher populations and we begin to see the size of the
problem on a world-wide scale. Hearne and Melbourne have developed techniques
to eliminate nightmares, which can be learned.
A link is established between neurological
visions brought about by trauma and the subconscious. Employing a method
to eradicate nightmares, we will see how these sometimes disturbing visions
can be transformed into more pleasant experiences, thus eliminating the
need for the use of medicinal drugs.
Precognition, dream telepathy and other related
paranormal phenomena are examined. We view the sometimes terrifying condition
known as 'sleep paralysis', and establish how this could be confused with
accounts of alien abductions, apparitions, or sensing the presence of somebody
in the house who has malicious intent.
SWS occurrences such as sleep walking, sleep
talking, bruxism (teeth grinding), and night terrors are also be discussed.
To illustrate all the above topics, many case histories are be used.
Clearly, evidence suggests that in order to
develop a good understanding of dreams, all hypotheses have to be evaluated.
Therefore, it becomes necessary to consider ancient as well as the more
modern theories concerning this vast subject. When blended with the ideas
of different cultures from around the world and added to modern investigations,
a clearer picture begins to emerge.
Hidden in the enigmatic world of dreams there
exists a realm of magic and seemingly unlimited knowledge and wisdom. As
we all spend approximately six years of our lives dreaming, it makes sense
to develop an understanding of this inner universe, so that we may be better
enabled to access these mysteries and truths. Understanding dreams often
leads to far greater insights into the dreamer's own life!