The Chimera of Dreams.

 In the summer, my deep sleep often generates vivid, enjoyable dreams. In times of stress, in dreams I lose my handbag and all its contents or find myself in some large building, knowing there is an imperative for me to be somewhere but not being able to find my way.

Then there are the elusive dreams that leave pleasant but not retrievable thoughts behind.                                                                         

It’s the time when your body is stiff but your brain enjoys wonderful plasticity, so it’s when I practise Pilates and have another go at recalcitrant crossword clues.

There is a whole science – oneirology – dedicated to understanding why we dream and it has been established that the average person will dream for 6 years in his life-time.

Technology has helped us determine what is happening in the brain during dream. Essentially they occur during the Rapid Eye Movement phase of sleep.   

                                                    

So, why do we dream? Some explanations offered are:

Perhaps the best known Dream Theory is that of Sigmund Freud who believed they expressed our deep desires and repressed wishes. He identified two main components: the dream images and their hidden meaning.

The Activating-Synthesis Model explains that parts of the brain, the amygdala end hippocampus, are active during REM and create electrical impulses which give rise to random thoughts, images and memories. On waking, trying to make sense of them can boost creativity, promote inspiration, etc.. 

                                                                      

The Self-Orgnisation Theory sees dreams as a side-effect of brain neural activity in the frontal lobe while memories are sifted through to be consolidated or discarded. When we are awake, this area of the brain is where remembering and learning takes place.

The Emotional Regulation Theory maintains that dreams act to help us cope with emotions or trauma while safely in slumber. This is supported by the activity noted in the amygdale which deals with threatening stimuli, as well as fight-or-flight decision-making.

The overall function of dreams may be seen as reflections of your life: preparing you to deal with issues that are causing you anxiety. They help us to sort between essential and non-essential information, leading to more effective thinking, memory and emotional processing. Because the unconscious is free to wander in dream, on awakening, our attempts to make connections between disparate ideas can lead to creativity.                    

Dreams have always had significance for man. One lovely cultural item created by some Native American tribes is The Dream Catcher. This is a talisman to protect children from bad dreams. The charm - usually made of yarn, leather, feathers and beads – is hung near the child’s bed to absorb evil spirits. 

                                                       

What is frustrating is being unable to retrieve a coherent sense of a recent, pleasant dream.                My poem, The Chimera of Dreams, attempts to describe what that feels like:

Fleeting sensations of a recent dream

Fragments that feint and dip

Dusking and shivering

But never forming coherent units

Not fully making sense

Shifting  sands of subtle recollections

Tantalising tendrils of emotion and image

That remain elusive without taking form

Hints and glints of gossamer threads

That charm yet remain ethereal

Just beyond one’s grasp

Veiled whispers, delicate wisps

Of your nocturnal meandering.

                            

                                                  

Sweet Dreams!

On Acquiring Greek Nationality !

September 15th, 9am, two embryonic Greeks sit outside the local government /administrative offices where we are to swear an oath of allegiance to the Hellenic State – the final step in the entire naturalization process.

And here are the successful candidates from Albania, Armenia, China, Serbia and …. 2 Scots! We had the choice of taking a religious or civil oath. Opting for the latter, I was intrigued to see the main difference was the omission of the verb I swear, which was clearly seen to have spiritual connotations.

Three copies to sign: one for the government offices, one for the council files and one for me, which brought the ceremony to a close.

We pose with the exceedingly civil, civil servant who cheerily led us through the whole event. The human element: my friend was keen to show the lady her tot shots! Rosemary became a first-time grandmother on the day her invitation to the swearing-in ceremony arrived. These two events will be inextricably linked for her!

The neonate Greeks. This shot differs mainly from the embryonic in that there are wide-behind-the-mask beams and official documentation verifying our new status.

We always said we’d go for a posh lunch after the event but so early on your choices are limited. We plumped for coffee and spinach pies at the famous Terkenlee patisserie. And very good they were too! I also bought some of their scrumptious macaroons as a treat for our neighbours.

When family members or members of the Caledonian clan come to visit, I fly the Scottish saltire in their honour. Many’s the time I’ve raised the Greek flag on our flagstaff but this was a first – to mark a new Greek being in the house!!

The Greeks call a special day mia aspri mera – a white day. This was really an azure and white day – a clear blue sky, the flag, specially selected colour-coded outfits, even to the very masks. However, this day had an extra bonus: along with having Greek nationality conferred on me, I was automatically reinstated into the European fold – a status wrenched from me by Brexit ………

……. Zito Hellas!