Snooze to Innovate
Have you ever woken up from a dream and wondered, "What was THAT all about?"
We dream during sleep, especially in the REM phase, where our brain is really active. Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku points out that dreaming is linked to a fundamental part of our brain. Meanwhile, parts of our brain responsible for reasoning and consciousness are less active, letting our emotional side take over. Dreams do more than entertain us at night; they help us consolidate memories and make sense of daily events. It is often seen as a window into our subconscious, revealing desires, fears, and unresolved issues. Psychologically, it's a vital part of our mental and emotional health.
Joseph Murphy, a thinker in this field, discusses how our subconscious mind, or our 'inner self', influences our reality. He compares our mind to a garden, where our thoughts are like seeds planted in the subconscious. These thoughts then shape our life experiences. Murphy's ideas remind us of the importance of nurturing positive thoughts and being aware of our mental well-being.
“Look upon your mind as a garden. You are the gardener, and you are the plant’s seeds (thoughts) in your subconscious mind all day long, based on your habit of thinking. As you sow on your subconscious mind, so shall you reap in your body and environment.” – Joseph Murphy
Developing mental strength has been a key journey for me. It's taken years of engaging in activities like reading, meditation, writing, spending time alone, and therapy. These practices have been crucial in helping me find patience, resilience, and mental clarity, especially in the last three for the past 12 years.
Many artists, scientists, poets, singers, writers and inventors deeply understand the “mechanics” of the conscious and subconscious mind. Mastering the workings of the mind can have significant benefits in your life; in other words, it can help you with ideas and solve problems - it has helped me overcome limiting beliefs and traumas, visualize creative direction for a specific work, or hear a word that can become the name of a project that I was trying to figure it out. Your mind will work towards the intention you put it.
Salvador Dalí, the famous Spanish painter, is a great example. Inspired by Sigmund Freud's theories on dreams, Dalí created surreal art, like his well-known painting "The Persistence of Memory."
Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology, had a unique and influential perspective on dreams. Jung viewed dreams as a crucial way for the subconscious mind to communicate with the conscious mind. He believed that dreams were not just random images or a way to fulfill unmet desires (as Freud had suggested), but instead, they were meaningful and could provide deep insights into a person's inner life.
So, how can we access the power of dreaming and our subconscious mind? It’s by doing what you will probably do for around 26 years of your life: sleep. But not just sleeping. Good sleeping.
Getting enough rest is essential for our brains to function well, particularly in being creative. For adults, 7-9 hours of sleep per night is ideal. I need 8 hours, or I will set myself up for failure in a short amount of time. Sleep helps our brain process information, leading to creative thoughts and solutions. If you're interested in learning more about rest, check out a podcast episode featuring sleep expert Matthew Walker, author of "Why We Sleep” (he even says that you’re a morning or a night owl by DNA definition; that’s why some people struggle with being part of the "5 am club” culture.
And if you’re a nerd like me, you can dive even deeper into the theme of sleep and check Huberman Lab’s podcast episode through the lens of biology here.
New year, new ideas? I'm starting a dream journal to understand my subconscious mind better. By writing down my dreams, I hope to unlock new creative ideas and insights about myself.
