Dreams beget ideas

‘The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is the faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift’. ~ Albert Einstein.

- By JAYDEV JANA

Dreams have often served as significant promoters of inspiration for some of the world’s greatest ideas and innovations throughout history.

Many scientists, musicians, filmmakers, poets, novelists, mathematicians, painters and sportsmen got creative ideas from their sleep. Dreams are indeed more than just mere fantasies or weird nightmares. Researchers believe that they serve several purposes such as strengthening memory and processing emotions. Dreams can also help in creativity and problem-solving. It is suspected that parts of the brains that deal with imagery become active when dreaming. This results in vivid visualization that may offer clarity for a problem or spark creative ideas. However, in this write-up, I shall delve into some famous literary works and amazing discoveries that originated in dreams. The story of the six-time Masters’ golf champion, Jack Nicklaus, deserves special mention. The American professional golfer admitted he dreamt that he was gripping the golf club differently than in real life.

He remarked: “I tried it the way I did in my dream and it worked. I feel kind of foolish admitting it; I guess it was a fever dream.” Robert Louise Stevenson, the Scottish novelist of The Treasure Island fame, was inspired by a frightening dream to write about the dual life of a man. His wife, Fancy, woke him up from the dream which involved a scene where aman transformed into another being after taking a potion and was then pursued by others. This dream-generated idea prompted Stevenson to write his famous novel, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, about a man with a dual personality (psychologically called bipolar disorder). Incessant urge of creating literary works felt by Rabindranath Tagore involved deep introspection and a connection with his inner world. He firmly held that the subconscious mind is a prerequisite for valuable insights and artistic inspiration.