Dreams are often seen as a magical, misunderstood thing. They are seemingly limitless, random, and sometimes vivid.
They are seemingly limitless, random, and sometimes vivid. Most people maintain a distinct separation between them and the real world, but there a few individuals who have experienced the true power of dreaming.
History is full of examples of dreams changing the world. Ideas, songs, glimpses of a potential future, have all come to people through their dreams.
If you are interested in seeing how dreams can influence the world, read on. We’re going to cover five of the most well-known cases of dreaming affecting the world.
Frankenstein
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has gone down as one of the most important and influential literary pieces in the past couple hundred of years. The book had an even greater impact on movies with an entire series following in its wake as cinema took off.
The novel is often cited as the world’s first science fiction novel. It’s fitting that the fiction part of it was inspired by a nightmare Shelley had while visiting Lord Byron near Lake Geneva in 1816.
Shelley was dreaming of a “pale student” working on a mysterious mechanism he had put together. The mechanism came to life with an uproar of fear and tension.
Shelley used the experience as inspiration for the beginnings of her novel.
Nerve Impulses
Science and dreaming are often linked in mysterious ways. While science has long attempted to understand how dreaming works, sometimes the tables have been flipped. Otto Loewi is one example.
Loewi discovered how nerve impulses are transmitted through neural chemicals. In 1921, he made the discovery after he had a dream of an experiment that would prove impulses were chemically based.
After the dream, when he awoke, he frantically wrote down all the details of the experiment. Unfortunately, he lost the notes that day and almost lost the details forever. Thankfully, he had the same dream the following night and was able to replicate the details.
This lead to a Nobel Prize for his theory of chemical transmission.
Structure of the Atom
Another example of dreaming influencing real world understanding comes from Niels Bohr.
Often considered to be the father of quantum mechanics, Bohr was influential in deterring the structure of the atom. He was interested in figuring out all the different parts of the atom and how they fit together.
In 1911, he began seeing the structure of the atom through several dreams. He first saw the nucleus, then the electrons surrounding the center. After the dreams, he returned to his lab to find physical proof of the structures he had seen.
This started an important branch of physics that set out to understand the small physical world around us.
DNA
James Watson is credited as discovering the natural helix shape of human DNA. This understanding changed how we thought about strands of DNA and led to a variety of innovations such as genetic studies and cloning.
He thought of the helix structure after dreaming of a spiral staircase. The shape of the staircase mimicked the form of a DNA chain which he and his partner, Francis Crick, later confirmed through study and observation.
Watson’s findings encountered some hostility after he finished his work, “The Double Helix.” Some of these individuals included his own colleagues such as Crick and Maurice Wilkins. Despite this hostility, he later published the piece and won the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 1962.
The Speed of Light
Perhaps nothing has changed the world more than our understanding of the speed of light.
Albert Einstein developed his understanding and famous equation for the speed of light which led to a whole new branch of theoretical physics.
Einstein claimed that the basis for his understanding came from a vivid dream. In the dream, he found himself sledding down a mountainside, going so fast that he approached the speed of light. The stars around him changed their appearance in relation to his position.
This influenced his view that speed is relative. Since that time, many scientists have conducted studies and observations to confirm this theory. This has gone on to start other research in physics and astronomy.
The Power of Dreaming
Dreams are an important part of the human experience. While we may take them for granted or dismiss their importance each night, they are the mind’s way of sorting through details and even suggesting what is important. Dreams aren’t just fleeing images we have while we sleep.
It’s important to notice and think about the dreams you have. As some of these examples show, dreams can lead to wonderful ideas and discoveries. However, it’s important to actually remember the dream!
Dreams also can lead to new forms of creativity that you don’t have access to in the waking world. Creativity is a unique, mysterious process that many people struggle to tap into on a daily basis. Somehow, our minds have their own subconscious way to tap into this process without our input.
Lucid dreaming can even take all of these benefits to the next level when you are in control of the process. Many people have found that they can control themselves and their dreams to shape the dreams how they see fit. In these dreams, they can infuse the best parts of their active imaginations with the limitless landscapes their dreaming minds can produce.
Sweet Dreams
If you are interested in using your own dreams for inspiration and creativity, there are a few simple steps you can take to maximize your dreaming potential. Get a good night’s sleep whenever possible and write down what you remember of your dreams.
Actively think about what your dreams mean to you and how they may influence your future actions. Make goals and lists based off of your dreams. Share these dreams with other people so they can help you as well.
For more information and examples of how dreams can influence your waking life, check out the rest of the blog or chat with us. Until then, have a great dreaming experience!
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