An Analysis Of Mike Norton Hits Spot On Beethoven s...

â€Å"Beethoven said that it’s better to hit the wrong note confidentially than hit the right note unconfidently. Never be afraid to be wrong or to embarrass yourself; we are all students in this life, and there is always something more to learn.† – Mike Norton. This quote by Mike Norton hits spot on Beethoven’s character and his person in general. Unlike other musicians of his time, Beethoven had several unique characteristics about his compositions. In his time, he was called a revolutionary. In his later years, Beethoven became deaf and could not always verbally show his emotion, he portrayed his feelings in his music. Although considering the matters of religion and thoroughbass cut and dry, his study of aesthetics was something that he could create something of his own. Throughout several of his Sonata’s and compositions, he holds a darker style of music that shocked and disturbed rather than calmed like the traditional music in the 18th centur y. Much like his appearance, his contemporaries perceived his compositions as wild, bizarre and crazy. The pieces were more complicated than pieces that were being written in that time period, and Beethoven claimed he was writing them for the future. In one of his final pieces, Piano Sonata, Op. 111, he â€Å"shows his radical approach to form and his revolutionary brilliance stands out in every movement of his five Late Quartets, simply the greatest body of music ever composed† (Woods). He went against the grain of the musical society in

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Mechanicals in A Midsummer Nights Dream by William...

Mechanicals in A Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare The mechanicals consist of Peter Quince (a carpenter), Snug (a joiner), Nick Bottom (a weaver), Francis Flute (a bellows-mender), Tom Snout (a tinker) and Robin Starveling (a tailor). We first come across the mechanicals as they stumble into the woods to rehearse their play, for the Royal Wedding of Helena and Demetrius, and, Hermia and Lysander. This is when we realise that they are not very intelligent or well spoken, You were best to call them generally. Bottom uses the wrong word, he means severally or individually instead of generally. Shakespeare uses the mechanicals to provide comedy in the play and to make†¦show more content†¦They also show their naivety by looking in the almanac to find out if the moon will shine on the night of their play, in the commentary it says that the Almanacs were noted for containing foolish astrological forecasts. When Bottom is turned into an ass and Titania falls in love with him, the fairies try to do everything they can to keep him happy. Bottom enjoys this and calls them monsieur and signoir as if he was talking to a superior. The way they prepare for the play isnt very professional; let not him that plays the lion pare his nails. For they shall hang out for theShow MoreRelatedA Midsummer Nights Dream Essay1482 Words   |  6 PagesA Midsummer Night’s Dream: by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was born in April 1564. He had married at the age of eighteen to a twenty-six year old woman named Anne Hathaway in 1582. He had a daughter named Susanna and twins, Judith and Hamnet. Hamnet, his only son, died at age eleven. Shakespeare died in April 1616. Despite the fact that Shakespeare wrote some thirty-seven plays, owned part of his theatrical company, acted in plays, and retired a relatively wealthy man in the cityRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream1474 Words   |  6 Pagesinstance, one could look at the movies A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Shakespeare in Love. The latter follows the life of William Shakespeare himself, everything from his love affair with Viola de Lesseps to his creation of Romeo and Juliet. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is one of the most famous plays of Shakespeare’s, revolving around the tumultuous relationships of four lovers, aided, and sometimes thwarted by the mischief of fairies. Althou gh Shakespeare in Love outlines a few of the characteristicsRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream830 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream weaves stories of social ranks in the commedia dell’arte and some of its easily recognized stock characters. Shakespeare uses commedia dell’arte characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream to capture our imagination and amuse us. Commedia dell’arte includes three classes of characters in its performances. These characters are the vecchi, innamorati, and the zanni (McCarter.org). The vecchi are usually the nobility or masters. The vecchi in A MidsummerRead MoreWaning Of Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream1465 Words   |  6 PagesMoon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream Before the birth of William Shakespeare as a playwright, no craftsman could skillfully create a world composed of contradictions so shocking, yet profoundly insightful to the human condition. Shakespeare accomplishes the impossible by bringing many contradictory elements into his play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a comedy on the verge of tragedy. In this play, many of his characters allude to the moon through the use of repetitive metaphors. Shakespeare specificallyRead More William Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay1591 Words   |  7 PagesWilliam Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, there are endless images of water and the moon. Both images lend themselves to a feeling of femininity and calm. In classical mythology, the image of water is often linked with Aphrodite, goddess of passion and love. Born of the foam of the sea, Aphrodite was revered as an unfaithful wife to her husband Hephaestus (Grant 36). This may have a direct coloration to the unfaithful nature of theRead MoreA Midsummer Night s Dream By William Shakespeare1456 Words   |  6 PagesBefore the birth of William Shakespeare as a playwright, no craftsman could skillfully create a world composed of contradictions so shocking, yet profoundly insightful to the human condition. Shakespeare accomplishes the impossible by bringing many contradictory elements into his play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a comedy on the verge of tragedy. In this play, many of his characters allude to the moon through the use of repetitive metaphor s. Shakespeare specifically compares the moon to time asRead MoreEssay about William Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream1283 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream Shakespeare, in his A Midsummer Night’s Dream, uses his characters to cast a sense of derision over the use of the imagination. â€Å"The lunatic, the lover and the poet† are thrown together all on one line, and it is implied that the latter two are as crazy as the first. (Midsummer Night’s Dream, V.1.7) Despite this seeming scorn for plays and their ilk, Shakespeare is implementing a strong irony. Characters who scorn the imagination are no moreRead MoreShakespeare’s Use of Love Quarrels to Reach a Comedic Climax in A Midsummer Night’s Dream1668 Words   |  7 Pagescan be a great source of confusion and sorrow, but it is nevertheless probably the most powerful feeling a human being can experience. In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lysander says that â€Å"the course of true love never did run smooth† (Shakespeare 1.1.134), which is seen in the quarrels between the couples throughout the play. Shakespeare makes use c hiefly of the fairies’ supernatural powers to settle the love conflicts and portrays the irrationality in love of the characters, thereby creatingRead MoreA Comparison of the Great Gatsby and the Virgin Suicides1553 Words   |  7 Pageslike a soldier, walk, talk and behave like a soldier ¡Ã‚ ¨. This was the acting style. „h It is believed that A Midsummer Nights was first performed between 1595 and 1596. In the Elizabethan era there was a huge demand for new entertainment and A Midsummer Nights Dream would have been produced immediately following the completion of the play. There is a myth that A Midsummer Nights Dream was first performed for a private audience after an actual wedding had taken place. The structure of the playRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream Essay2005 Words   |  9 PagesIn William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare crafts a play with three very different viewpoints that can be interpreted in many ways, some with obvious interpretations and other with much less obvious ones. Shakespeare also ends A midsummer Night’s Dream, with an apology that is just as less obvious as some of the play’s interpretation. Yet, If a person looks past the obvious interpretations of the play, one can begin to piece together the p ossible message, that mortals no matter

Cultural Prohibition of Food in Two Societies Free Essays

Many people of different cultures and religions define themselves not only by what their religious beliefs are but also by what food they eat and the different ways in which they prepare it (Campo 2009). Food is one important factor of everyday life that brings people together and links people to the natural and sacred worlds (Campo 2009). Since the beginning of time dietary practices have been incorporated into the religious practices of different people around the globe. We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural Prohibition of Food in Two Societies or any similar topic only for you Order Now Some religious sects abstain, or are forbidden from consuming certain food and drink. Others restrict food and drink in their holy days, while some associate dietary and food preparation practices with rituals of the faith (Waibel 2004). These dietary practices are known as the cultural prohibition of food. In this essay I will discuss the Islamic dietary laws and the Hindu dietary requirements that are practiced around the world. The Muslim cultural prohibition of food plays a very significant role in the lives of Muslims around the world . The Islamic dietary laws are a matter of both social custom and religion (Campo 2009). In Islamic dietary laws, foods are categorized into different groups. These groups include those that are lawful (HALAL), those that are forbidden (HARAM) and those that are pure (tahir, tayibb) and those that are impure (rajis, najis). These divisions of what foods are lawful-pure and what foods are forbidden-impure are based on the QURAN and HADITH, the Islamic sources of revelation (Campo 2009). The Quran instructs people to eat only lawful and good things from the earth and not to â€Å"follow in Satan’s footsteps† (Q 2:168). The most general statement in the Quran about food is one that was intended for â€Å"children of Adam†: â€Å"Eat and drink, but do not be wasteful, for god does not like wasteful people† (Q 7:31) (Campo 2009). It is clear from both of these verses that ethics plays a major role in the practicing of the Islamic dietary laws. The Quran also identifies specific foods that God has provided for people to eat. These include the following; dates, grapes, olives, pomegranates, grains and the flesh of domestic sheep, goats, cattle and camels (Q 6:99, 141-145; 80:25 -32) (Campo 2009). Muslims can only consume meat where the animal has been slaughtered or sacrificed in accordance to specific rules: â€Å"The name of God (BASMALA) must be invoked (Q 6:118, 121), and a deep incision with a sharp knife must be made across the throat. Most seafood can be eaten (Q 5:96; 16:14), as well as hunted animals as long as the name of God has been pronounced when the hunting weapon is discharged (Q 5:4)† (Campo 2009). The Quran also forbids believing Muslims from eating carrion (Meat from unsacrificed dead things), spilt blood, pork and food that has been offered to idols rather then God (Q 5:3; 6:145). Other forbidden food such as the flesh of predators (animals with fangs or talons) is also included in the HADITH. The Muslim jurists consider meat from an animal that has not been correctly slaughtered as carrion (inedible). This includes animals that have been beaten to death, strangled, killed by a fall, or gored to death (Q 5:3). Wine is also prohibited along with other intoxicating substances. All of these forbidden foods and substances are said to be impure and can prevent Muslims from fulfilling their religious duties unless removed or avoided. Sometimes exceptions can be made when the situation is dire (Campo 2009). Specific dietary rules can also apply when it comes to worshipping and other activities in Muslim life. Prayer, fasting during Ramadan, Almsgiving, and the Hajj all involve restrictions and procedures concerning food that people are meant to abide by (Campo 2009). The offering of food is considered an important act of charity, but the food that is offered cannot be forbidden. Rules of etiquette are also recommended for special occasions involving hospitality and feasting as well as ordinary meals (Campo 2009). Hindu dietary requirements, like those of the Islamic dietary laws play a major role into the lives of many Hindus around the world. According to Arjun Appadurai â€Å" The density, scope and taxonomic complexity of Hindu symbolic thought in regard to food is difficult to capture in a brief space† (Appadural 1981). A love of nature and the importance of living a simple, natural life are the basis of Hinduism, which is a faith that originated in India (ElGindy 2010). The Hindu faith promotes a vegetarian lifestyle and encompasses a number of health beliefs and dietary practices. These practices arise from the idea of living in harmony with nature and having mercy and respect for all of God’s creations (ElGindy 2010). Devout Hindu’s believe that all of God’s creations including both humans and animals are worthy of respect and compassion. Therefore Hinduism promotes a vegetarian lifestyle with avoidance of eating animal meat or flesh (ElGindy 2010). However some Hindu’s choose not to practice vegetarianism and may adhere to the Hindu dietary codes in different degrees of strictness. For example, some Hindu’s avoid eating beef and pork (which are strictly prohibited in the Hindu diet code, especially beef because cows occupy a special place in the Hindu religion), but will eat all other meats (ElGindy 2010). Hindu’s believe that food affects both the body and the mind and a proper diet is considered to be vital for spiritual development in Hinduism. The Hindu diet code divides food into three separate categories, based on the foods effect on the body and the temperament (ElGindy 2010). The first is known as Tamasic food. This is food that is leftover, stale, overripe, spoiled or other impure food, which is believed to produce negative emotions such as jealousy, anger and greed. The second is known as Rejasic food. This is food that is believed to produce strong emotional qualities, passions and restlessness in the mind. The food in this category includes eggs, meat, fish, garlic, onions, spices, hot peppers, pickles and other pungent spicy foods. The last is known as Satvic food. This is the most desirable food and is food that is non-irritating to the stomach and purifying to the mind. The foods in this category include fruits, nuts, whole grains and vegetables. These foods are believed to produce calmness and nobility (ElGindy 2010). Hindu’s believe that for true service to God, purity of food is necessary to maintain the desirable state of mind that leads to enlightenment† (ElGindy 2010). Food is consumed to achieve mind/body equilibrium and good pure food promotes a peaceful – non agitated-mind. â€Å"Sin or an agitated state of mind, prevents the journey to moksha (divine supreme knowledge, which leads to freedom from the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth† (ElGindy 2010). Religion is the major factor when it comes to the prohibition of food around the world. Both the Muslim culture and the Hindu culture promote Holiness and pure lives through the prohibition of certain foods. A question of ethics arises from the practicing of such laws in both cultures. They also promote kindness and charity among people. There are many similarities between the two cultures in both the way they live their lives and the way in which they consume food according to their dietary laws and requirements. One major similarity is that both cultures categorize foods into groups, with certain foods being classified as being either pure or impure. Another similarity then arises from this as there are similar foods that are classified as pure, good foods to eat in both societies ,for example fruits and grains. Both cultures have specific foods that are forbidden, such as, meat that has not been slaughtered in accordance with specific rules for Muslims and Stale, leftover, overripe and spoiled food for Hindu’s. The main similarity between the two cultures is that they both strive to live pure, spiritual lives through the practicing of their dietary laws. For both cultures, if they do not abide by their dietary laws they cannot live fulfilled religious lives. As well as many similarities between the two cultures of Muslim and Hindu, there are also a few differences between the way in which they live their lives and dietary laws that they follow. One of the main differences between them is that Muslims can eat meat, as long as the animal has been slaughtered in the correct way, whereas Hindu’s promote a vegetarian lifestyle because they believe that all of God’s creations are equal. Although some Hindu’s may choose to eat meat (apart from beef and pork), depending on the level of strictness in which they follow their dietary laws. Another difference is that Islamic dietary laws are a matter of social custom and religion. Special etiquette is required at social gatherings such as feasts, as well as ordinary meals, for example, â€Å"pronouncing the basmala, taking food and drink with the right hand and not reclining while eating† (Campo 2009). Another difference between Muslims and Hindus is that Hindus believe that food is good for both the body and the mind. They believe that certain foods can create different emotions when consumed. For example, they believe that impure food can make someone angry, jealous and greedy (ElGindy 2010). The cultural prohibition of food in both the Muslim society and the Hindu society is a very strong element in the religious lives of those who practice these faiths. Firstly I would like to point out that ethics appear to be a major influencer into the practicing of dietary laws and codes in these religions. This is because people of both religions strive to live a fulfilled spiritual life, which they cannot have if they eat foods, which are not considered as being pure. This brings me to my next point, which is, both Muslims and Hindu’s classify foods into groups based on whether the food is pure or impure. In both societies people want to eat pure food and avoid impure food so that they can live a pure life. Certain rituals and rules apply to both cultures when it comes to how food is prepared before it is consumed. Sometimes in both cultures exceptions can be made to these laws in dire circumstances. In conclusion the cultural prohibition of food in the Muslim society and the Hindu society helps people to reach religious equilibrium, which is something that all people who practice the faith strive to achieve. From the research that I have conducted into the study of the prohibition of food I have found that both the Muslim faith and the Hindu faith follow similar morals and belief systems and place significant importance on the key ideas of holiness, pure, impure, kindness, generosity, equality and charity. How to cite Cultural Prohibition of Food in Two Societies, Essays

Sleeping and Dreaming Essay Example For Students

Sleeping and Dreaming Essay Sleeping And DreamingDespite the large amount of time we spend asleep, surprisingly little is actually known about sleeping and dreaming. Much has been imagined, however. Over history, sleep has been conceived as the space of the soul, as a state of absence akin to death, as a virtual or alternate reality, and more recently, as a form of (sub)consciousness in which memories are built and erased. The significance attributed to dreams has varied widely as well. The Ancient Greeks had surprise dream encounters with their gods. Native Americans turned to their dreams for guidance in life. Shamans dreamed in order to gather information from the spirits. Sleep and dreams have defined eras, cultures, and individuals. Sigmund Freuds interpretation of dreams revolutionized twentieth-century thought. Historical archives record famous short sleepers and notable insomniacssome accounts reliable, some not. When Benjamin Franklin counseled, Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy , and wise, he was using sleep habits to symbolize his pragmatism. Important public policy issues have arisen in our modern 24-hour society, where it is crucial to weigh the value of sleep versus wakefulness. Scientific knowledge about sleep is currently insufficient to resolve the political and academic debates raging about how much and when people should sleep. These issues affect almost everybody, from the shift worker to the international traveler, from the physician to the policy maker, from the anthropologist to the student preparing for an exam. In 2004-2005, the Penn Humanities Forum will focus on the topic of Sleep and Dreams. Proposals are invited from researchers in all humanistic fields concerned with representations of sleep, metaphors used to describe sleep, and sleep as a metaphor in itself. In addition, we solicit applications from those who study dreams, visions, and nightmares in art or in life, and the approaches taken to their interpretation. We also welcome proposals about the effects of dreaming on the dreamer, and the resulting emotions, behaviors, and actions taken or foregone in response to dreams. In this Forum on Sleep and Dreams, we will see how the diversity of academic disciplines can help to answer important questions about sleep and dreamingquestions that may touch the basis of human intellect. The Forum is fortunate in having an expert on the psychophysiology of sleep and dreaming, Hans Van Dongen, as the Topic Director for 2004-2005. His knowledge of advances in biomedical sleep research (which is vibrant at Penn) will complement the Mellon Fellows cultural and historical perspectives on the subject arising from books, paintings, sculptures, movies, music, and other forms of culture. According to Professor Van Dongen, the functions of sleep and dreams are still largely unclear to scientists. Whereas artists and humanists have long been concerned with sleep and dream states, the sciences mostly ignored it until the discovery was made that there is brain activity during sleep. It has now been documented that sleep is a necessity for health, for well-being, for the ability to think clearlythat is, for the overall quality of wakefulness. While much is known about the neurobiological underpinnings of sleep and dreams, however, the reasons behind these processes are still a mystery, and the question what are sleeping and dreaming for? awaits definitive answers. Under the circumstances, humanists have much to offer, not only to each other but to science as well, for the understanding of this fundamental aspect of life. Myths and Facts about sleeping :1. Snoring is a common problem, especially among men, but it isnt harmful. Although snoring may be harmless for most people, it can be a symptom of a life threatening sleep disorder called sleep apnea, especially if it is accompanied by severe daytime sleepiness. Sleep apnea is characterized by pauses in breathing that prevent air from flowing into or out of a sleeping persons airways. People with sleep apnea awaken frequently during the night gasping for breath. The breathing pauses reduce blood oxygen levels, can strain the heart and cardiovascular system, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Snoring on a frequent or regular basis has been directly associated with hypertension. Obesity and a large neck can contribute to sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can be treated; men and women who snore loudly, especially if pauses in the snoring are noted, should consult a physician. 2. You can cheat on the amount of sleep you get. Sleep experts say most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night for optimum performance, health and safety. When we dont get adequate sleep, we accumulate a sleep debt that can be difficult to pay back if it becomes too big. The resulting sleep deprivation has been linked to health problems such as obesity and high blood pressure, negative mood and behavior, decreased productivity, and safety issues in the home, on the job, and on the road. 3. Turning up the radio, opening the window, or turning on the air conditioner are effective ways to stay awake when driving. These aids are ineffective and can be dangerous to the person who is driving while feeling drowsy or sleepy. If youre feeling tired while driving, the best thing to do is to pull off the road in a safe rest area and take a nap for 15-45 minutes. Caffeinated beverages can help overcome drowsiness for a short period of time. However, it takes about 30 minutes before the effects are felt. The best prevention for drowsy driving is a good nights sleep the night before your trip. 4. Teens who fall asleep in class have bad habits and/or are lazy. According to sleep experts, teens need at least 8.5 9.25 hours of sleep each night, compared to an average of seven to nine hours each night for most adults. Their internal biological clocks also keep them awake later in the evening and keep them sleeping later in the morning. However, many schools begin classes early in the morning, when a teenagers body wants to be asleep. As a result, many teens come to school too sleepy to learn, through no fault of their own. 5. Insomnia is characterized by difficulty falling asleep. Difficulty falling asleep is but one of four symptoms generally associated with insomnia. The others include waking up too early and not being able to fall back asleep, frequent awakenings, and waking up feeling unrefreshed. Insomnia can be a symptom of a sleep disorder or other medical or psychological/psychiatric problem, and can often be treated. According to the National Sleep Foundations 2002 Sleep in America poll, 58 percent of adults in this country reported at least one symptom of insomnia in the past year. When insomnia symptoms occur more than a few times a week and impact a persons daytime functions, the symptoms should be discussed with a doctor or other health care provider. 6. Daytime sleepiness always means a person isnt getting enough sleep. Excessive daytime sleepiness is a condition in which an individual feels very drowsy during the day and has an urge to fall asleep when he/she should be fully alert and awake. The condition, which can occur even after getting enough nighttime sleep, can be a sign of an underlying medical condition or sleep disorder such as narcolepsy or sleep apnea. These problems can often be treated, and symptoms should be discussed with a physician. Daytime sleepiness can be dangerous and puts a person at risk for drowsy driving, injury, and illness and can impair mental abilities, emotions, and performance. 7. Health problems such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and depression are unrelated to the amount and quality of a persons sleep. Studies have found a relationship between the quantity and quality of ones sleep and many health problems. For example, insufficient sleep affects growth hormone secretion that is linked to obesity; as the amount of hormone secretion decreases, the chance for weight gain increases. Blood pressure usually falls during the sleep cycle, however, interrupted sleep can adversely affect this normal decline, leading to hypertension and cardiovascular problems. Research has also shown that insufficient sleep impairs the bodys ability to use insulin, which can lead to the onset of diabetes. More and more scientific studies are showing correlations between poor and insufficient sleep and disease. 8. The older you get, the fewer hours of sleep you need. Sleep experts recommend a range of seven to nine hours of sleep for the average adult. While sleep patterns change as we age, the amount of sleep we need generally does not. Older people may wake more frequently through the night and may actually get less nighttime sleep, but their sleep need is no less than younger adults. Because they may sleep less during the night, older people tend to sleep more during the day. Naps planned as part of a regular daily routine can be useful in promoting wakefulness after the person awakens. 9. During sleep, your brain rests. The body rests during sleep, however, the brain remains active, gets recharged, and still controls many body functions including breathing. When we sleep, we typically drift between two sleep states, REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM, in 90-minute cycles. Non-REM sleep has four stages with distinct features, ranging from stage one drowsiness, when one can be easily awakened, to deep sleep stages three and four, when awakenings are more difficult and where the most positive and restorative effects of sleep occur. However, even in the deepest non-REM sleep, our minds can still process information. REM sleep is an active sleep where dreams occur, breathing and heart rate increase and become irregular, muscles relax and eyes move back and forth under the eyelids. 10. If you wake up in the middle of the night, it is best to lie in bed, count sheep, or toss and turn until you eventually fall back asleep. Rap As Art EssayWaking up in the middle of the night and not being able to go back to sleep is a symptom of insomnia. Relaxing imagery or thoughts may help to induce sleep more than counting sheep, which some research suggests may be more distracting than relaxing. Whichever technique is used, most experts agree that if you do not fall back asleep within 15-20 minutes, you should get out of bed, go to another room and engage in a relaxing activity such as listening to music or reading. Return to bed when you feel sleepy. Avoid watching the clock. Dreaming and The Stages of Sleeping. One sleep cycle comprises of four stages and last for about 90-120 minutes. Dreams can occur in any of the four stages of sleep but the most vivid and memorable dreams occur in the last stage of sleep (also commonly referred to as REM sleep). The sleep cycle repeats itself about an average of four to five times per night, but may repeat as many as seven times. Thus, you can see how a person can have several different dreams in one night. Most people, however, only remember dreams that occur closer toward the morning when they are about to get up. But just because you cant remember those dreams does not mean that they never happened. Some people swear on the fact that they simply do not dream when in reality, they just dont remember their dreams. The Stages Of SleepSome text lists four stages of sleep, while others say there are five stages. Some consider the first five-ten minutes when you are falling asleep as a stage in the sleep cycle. We think that it is more of a transitional ph ase. While the other stages of sleep repeat themselves throughout the night, this phase of sleep does not. For this reason, we have excluded it as part of the sleep cycle. Stage 1: In this stage of sleep, your eyes move back and forth erratically. Often called REM sleep, this stage occurs at about 90-100 minutes after the onset of sleep. Your blood pressure rises and heart rate and respiration speeds up and becomes erratic. Your voluntary muscle are paralyzed. This stage may also be referred to as delta sleep and is the most restorative part of sleep. This is also where the majority of your dreaming occurs. Stage 2: You are entering into light sleep. This stage is characterized by Non-rapid eye movements (NREM), muscle relaxation and slowed heart rate. The body is preparing to enter into deep sleep. Stage 3 and 4: Also characterized by NREM, these two stages involves periods of deep sleep with Stage 4 being more intense than Stage 3. Your body temperature drops and muscles relaxes. You are completely asleep. These stages repeat themselves throughout a nights sleep . Here are some myths about dreaming. 1) Being chased or attackedMore than 80 percent of people dream theyre being pursued or attacked, although who or what is attacking or doing the pursing varies from place to place. These dreams are a natural response to life stress, Garfield says. The origin of this dream dates back to an era when humans fought off beasts or other tribal members to survive. The monsters of today more often are emotional beasts, she says fear, anxiety, anger, hatred and envy. Flip side: Being embraced or loved. These dreams also have early biological roots. Theyre driven by our genes to mate and produce children and include the sex dreams. Both men and women, its been documented in research, experience sexual arousal during REM sleep. These dreams can supply the desired missing elements in an unsatisfying marriage, or heighten during an intense love affair. 2) Being injured, ill or dyingOne myth about dreaming is that if you die in your dream, you die in life. Thats not true, of course, but dream dea ths do occur. They involve deaths of famous people, your parents or children, a lover and even yourself. Garfield believes that when you dream about an accidental death of any person, that persons death symbolizes something in you that is no longer functioning. One of the more common scenarios under this theme is of teeth falling out or crumbling. This might have a physical origin in people gritting or grinding teeth during sleep. Freud suggested that dreams of teeth falling out are related to fears of castration, but women have this dream as often as men, Garfield says. She believes the tooth troubles in dreams are related to anger, with a dreamer acting out the clenching of his teeth. Other psychologists believe the dream reflects anxiety about appearance and how others perceive you. Flip side: Being healed, born or reborn Rare, but good, this dream often accompanies a new start, a new job or first day of school. Sometimes dreaming of rebirth represents your hopes for a loved one who has died. 3) Car or other vehicle trouble Fairly common nightmare among all people and ages, whether or not the dreamers actually drive. Sometimes they have problems with an aircraft theyre flying. May occur when the dreamer feels events in waking life are out of control. Flip side: Vehicular pleasure When your time in a car or another vehicle is delightful. This can represent freedom, or moving in the direction of your choice. 4) House or property loss or damageIn these dreams, your house is damaged or destroyed by fire, water or other causes. These dreams may surface because you feel that some valuable aspect of waking life is at risk, she says. Dreams about losing a wallet, watch or cherished piece of jewelry, such as a wedding ring, also fall into this category. Meanings vary depending on what is lost or damaged. Biologically, they may reflect a basic need to defend your territory. Flip side: House or property improvement You may discover new rooms in your home or dream abou t repairs or improvements. These dreams may occur when you feel that some valuable aspect of waking life is improving. 5) Poor test or other poor performanceYouve probably dreamed of arriving for a test and found the exam has already started. Or you search fruitlessly for the room. This is a common nightmare and can occur years after youve faced the SAT. Garfield says it usually occurs when you feel you are somehow being tested in waking life. People continually face situations that challenge their capacity to perform well. This stems from the innate feeling that we need to achieve or compete. Some psychologists think the dreams can denote anxiety about sexual performance. Flip side: Great test or other fine performance This may occur when the dreamer feels that she is doing well in waking life. Not limited to exams, the dreamer may envision doing precise spins on the ice or catching a touchdown pass. Sometimes people master certain activities after theyve successfully performed the m in their dream. 6) Falling or drowning Falling is one of the most common nightmares among people of all ages, and may be a reflection of feeling insecure, helpless or of having no support or solid grounding. Some people may actually fall from their beds during this dream. Dreaming about drowning is less frequent, and often occurs when a person feels overwhelmed. Both scenarios involve life-or-death situations and can be traced to prehistoric origins. Garfield says that dreams of falling reflect a time when our ancestors took risks when climbing trees. Falling dreams of modern day often take place from high buildings, elevators and rooftops. Likewise, dreams of drowning go to our inborn need to breathe for survival. People often awake to escape the danger in the dreams. A persons age and medical circumstances can influence these dreams. Toddlers and young children, as well as older people, are prone to more falls in waking life. People with heart conditions that cause fluid buildup in the lungs or those with severe colds may dream of drowning. Flip side: Flying, swimming or dancing joyfully Have you had that feeling of zooming through the air, feeling free, unhindered? Flying often becomes a persons favorite dream. These can inspire the dreamer, lifting him to spiritual heights or filling him with creative notions. Pleasurable swimming may mean freely exploring your depths; dreams of dance may be a metaphor for moving freely through your life. 7) Being naked in public or inappropriately dressedThis is a common scenario that occurs at all ages, including with children. The dreams involve feelings of exposure and vulnerability, and often include an element of embarrassment or shame. Appearing partially nude is more common than being totally naked, Garfield says. Meanings vary depending on whether this occurs at school, at work, or on an open street, and depending on what part of the body is exposed. Wearing the wrong clothing also has various meanings. A bride being inappropriately dressed for her upcoming wedding, for example, could suggest second thoughts she has about the union. Flip side: Being well dressed Dreaming of being dapper or wearing a special outfit may suggest you feel good about your body or attractive, or feel good about your life. 8) Missing the boat or other transportYou rush to catch a departing bus, train, airplane or ship, only to have it leave without you. These leave you engulfed in an overwhelming feeling of frustration rather than fear. Garfield suggests that these dreams reflect feelings that you are missing out on something in waking life. Flip side: Pleasant travel Very infrequent dreams, but may arise when you feel content about how your life is going. 9) Machine or telephone malfunctionModerately common, and more frequent in women. These occur when you feel anxious about making an emotional connection or when you feel youre losing touch with someone. They can relate to mechanical difficulties with your body. Flip side: Smooth operation These usually occur when you feel there is an improvement in emotional connection. Garfield says many of the dreamers who participated in her study during bereavement reported dreams of clear connections with their deceased loved ones. Messages they received during the dreams helped them cope with their losses. 10) Natural or man-made disastersYoure confronted with overwhelming floods, tidal waves earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, hurricanes, bombings or chemical warfare. These dreams may depict personal problems raging out of control. They can be among the most frightening dreams. People through the ages have sought to harness nature, which can help them survive but also destroy them. Flip side: Natural beauty, miracles or rituals Dreams of vibrant flowers, verdant hillsides or uplifting music can leave the dreamer rejuvenated. Color is intensified, with bright yellow-green most often mentioned by dreamers. This may illustrate new growth. Drea ms of natural beauty can inspire and invigorate. 11) Being lost or trappedIn these highly common dreams, youre lost and feeling desperate. You may be buried alive or locked in a cage. Or you dream of not being able to move; youre powerless to scream or breathe. These dreams may occur when you feel confusion or conflict about how to act in waking life. The images are influenced by biological roots and experience. Feeling trapped or paralyzed also mirrors what occurs to the large muscles of the body during normal REM sleep, when theyre paralyzed to prevent the body from acting out the dreams. Such dreams could reflect frustrations in waking life, such as feeling trapped in a relationship or a dead-end job. Flip side: Discovering new spaces You may open a door in your home to find a new room or find something new in the neighborhood. These dreams occur usually when you feel an aspect of your life if opening up. 12) Being menaced by the dead or a spiritYou feel you are being haunted or berated by someone who has died. There may be For example, there is evidence that we learn while we sleep. Experiments have associated intense periods of daytime learning with longer periods of sleep that night, and particularly with dreaming. People awakened repeatedly from their dreams dont retain much of what they learned the day before. We see changes in the brain that may be caused by sleep-related learning, Sutton said. He referred to studies done by him and others in which people sleep in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine that takes pictures of their brain activity. At the same time, electrodes on their scalp and eyelids record eye movements that indicate dreaming. You scan peoples brains before learning, then after sleep, Sutton explains. The images let you look at how the brain reorganizes itself. In other words, with the right technology it should be possible to see the brain learning. Suttons studies form part of a larger research effort in which computer models of the brain are tested by watching the brain at work, then using the resulting images to correct the models. We expect this technique will reveal not only what happens in our brains when we sleep and dream, but what brain abnormalities correlate with disorders such as Alzheimers disease, stroke, and depression. Sleep or Die No one knows all the purposes of sleeping and dreaming, although lack of sleep can be lethal. Sleep controls heat regulation and appetite. If youre cold and hungry, you wont dream much, if at all. Sleep-deprived rats do okay for a week or two, then their appetites increase dramatically. Even when they get all they want to eat, their weights decrease, their body temperatures become unstable, and they die. Humans deprived of sleep hallucinate and behave abnormally. Sleep rests the body but not the mind. MRI pictures show furious activity from the base of the brain to its wrinkled covering, the cortex, or thinking dome. One theory holds that this excitement involve s consolidation of information learned during the day. The process could include discarding what the brain considers junk mail, as well as making new connections between brain cells. Called unsupervised learning, the latter produces novel associations and thoughts. You often hear people say, It came to me in a dream. Sutton has watched the sleeping brains of about 15 people. During dreaming, he saw waves of activity starting in the brain stem, moving up through areas concerned with emotion and memory, then spreading over the cortex. Nerve cells in the brain stem drive sleeping and dreaming by altering the balance of chemicals used to send and receive messages in the brain. The changes quickly travel to other parts of your head. The amygdala, an almond-shaped gland responsible for emotion, goes ballistic during dreams, Sutton says. Nerve impulses also crackle in cerebral areas concerned with vision, memory, attention, and thought. All this activity is associated with anxiety, joy, an ger, sadness, guilt, eroticism, time distortion, bizarre scenes, sudden shifts in subject, and incongruities. Humans try to make sense of it all by constructing stories that string all these things together, albeit in wacky and weird ways. Sutton thinks such narratives may just be side effects of chemical changes that represent the real purposes of this nervous activity, such as learning and consolidating memories. Sleep deprivation impairs learning in humans and animals, Sutton says. Not just learning after sleep-lack, but before it. Rats make smarter moves when running a maze after a good nights sleep. In one series of experiments, people tried to identify the position of objects that they saw quickly displayed on a screen. Researchers thought this skill would be learned immediately by repetition. But, in fact, subjects did better after a restful sleep. To investigate this surprise finding further, the researchers trained people in a repetitive task in the evening before they went to sleep. They then awoke some of them every time sensors on their eyelids showed them to be dreaming. These people retained little. In contrast, other subjects awakened during nondreaming sleep improved overnight. How come? Studies by Sutton and others pin part of it on a powerful brain chemical called acetylcholine, which passes messages between brain cells. Acetylcholine promotes dreaming and has been implicated in memory consolidation during sleep. Allan Hobson, professor of psychiatry at the Medical School, found a substantial increase in the dreaming of cats when he injected the chemical into their brain stems. Sutton and Hobson built a computer model that mimics brain changes during sleep and dream. Such a dream machine guides experimenters to pressing questions that need to be answered. The experiments, in turn, feed back new knowledge into the electronic brain. Dreams To Diagnose Disease Research on the dreamy role of acetylcholine may lead to a better understanding of Alz heimers disease, which involves a disabling loss of memory and the ability to learn. Brain cells that produce this chemical are among the first to degenerate in Alzheimers victims. Michael Hasselmo, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology, has built a computer model to simulate Alzheimers. Its learning and memory circuits change with variations in the availability of acetylcholine. Sutton thinks that by integrating computer models and experimental results on such senility-simulating circuits, it might be possible to see changes that would predict who will get Alzheimers. Theres also the hope that such understanding will lead to better treatments for the disease. Although such possibilities probably lie a long way in the future, they are not totally off-the-wall. Depression, for example, is linked with sleep disturbances. People suffering from it start to dream more quickly than those who do not. The difference is likely due to an imbalance in brain chemicals, includin g too much acetylcholine and too little adrenaline, Sutton explains. Antidepressant drugs are designed to correct the imbalance. Sutton believes that feedback between his brain machine and MRI pictures of the brain at work will provide more insight not only of depression and Alzheimers, but of stroke, multiple sclerosis, and other disorders that affect large areas of the brain. In one experiment, he and his colleagues looked at pictures of brains while their owners did simple motor tasks, such as tapping their fingers in simple and complex patterns. As expected, they saw activity in small networks of cells located in brain areas that control movements. Interestingly, the same type of brain arousal takes place whether people actually do finger tapping or only imagine it. What surprised Sutton most, however, was detection of remarkably similar activity in much larger networks spanning areas of the cortex dealing with both input from the senses and output signals to the muscles. Patter ns of activity in small, more primitive areas of the brain are recapitulated in larger, more advanced parts, Sutton says. This means that nature did not have to develop new rules of operation for different levels of the brain from small clusters of cells to large systems. In other words, as the brain evolved from a thimbleful of cells in a worms head to the billions of cells with trillions of connections in humans, many of the same principles of organization were retained. Those similarities make it infinitely easier to make computer models of the brain. We already have built models which allow us to understand what is going on more quickly, Sutton notes. Many types of mental illness may result from disorders of this organization. Understanding the details of what is happening will allow us to help real people with real suffering.