Facts about Dreams
Most of our dreams last anywhere from five to 20 minutes. People don't only dream in black and white, as was once believed. Even though they may not remember them, everyone dreams several times a night. In fact, during a typical lifetime, we spend about six years dreaming. People who have been blind from birth have dreams that are formed from their other senses (e.g., touch, smell, sound). When people are snoring, they're not dreaming. Elephants (and some other animals) sleep standing up during non-REM sleep, but lie down for REM sleep. Kekule, the German chemist who discovered the structure of the benzene molecule, had worked endlessly to figure it out. Then, in a dream, he saw snakes forming circles with their tales in their mouths. When he awoke, he realized that the benzene molecule, unlike all other known organic compounds, had a circular structure rather than a linear one. The inventor of the sewing machine, Elias Howe, had struggled in 1884 to figure out how the needle could work in a machine for sewing. In a dream, he found himself surrounded by native tribesmen with spears that had a hole in the point. When he woke up, he realized that a needle with a hole in the point would solve his problem. Mary Shelly, author of "Frankenstein," got the idea for the story from a dream. Edgar Allen Poe got inspiration from a dream featuring large luminous eyes for his story, "Lady Ligea." Many musicians, including Paul McCartney, Billy Joel and Beethoven, have found inspiration for their music from their dreams. Some hear musical arrangements in their dreams, while others hear lyrics. Golfer Jack Nicklaus found a new way to hold his golf club in a dream, which he credits as significantly improving his game of golf. |
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