Friday Open Thread ~ Quarantine Dreams
Submitted by phillybluesfan on Fri, 01/15/2021 - 5:00am
Have you been having more vivid dreams lately? You’re not alone. EARSHOT delves into the collective unconscious to find out what’s behind these ‘quarantine dreams’.
During our dream states, stress sends the brain on a trip. The neurobiological signals and reactions that produce dreams are similar to those triggered by psychedelic drugs.
Since the Covid-19 crisis began, people around the world have reported that their dreams are more vivid and bizarre than usual: from nightmares about overcrowded trains or Donald Trump sneezing on them, to wistful dreams about their favourite restaurant. What can we learn from this strange new phenomenon?
Guests: Dr Kelly Bulkeley, psychologist of religion specializing in dream research, and the director of the Sleep and Dream Database ~ Dr Deirdre Barrett, author of The Committee of Sleep as well as a Harvard dream researcher. Her new book is Pandemic Dreams ~ Zara Haghpanah-Shirwan is one of the founders of Lockdown Dreams ~ Dr Julia Lockheart, artist and Professor Mark Blagrove, sleep scientist set up and run Dreams ID. Through the lockdown they’ve run online dream groups. inviting frontline and key workers to discuss a recent or important dream, while Julia creates an artwork that captures the dream.
