I know I'm about to speak in terms of theater that others may not care about or relate to, but in the musical "Seussical the Musical," which is based off of Dr. Seuss's works, Horton sings a song called "Alone in the Universe" about how he feels alone. I was just thinking about it because it relates to our current topic so I wanted to post some of the lyrics! It's a really cute song and a neat show as well.
Not a person seems to know.
Not a person seems to care.
There is no one who believes a thing I say...
Well, I'm fairly certain
At one time or other,
Great thinkers all feel this way!
I'm alone in the universe.
So alone in the universe.
I've found magic but they don't see it
They all call me a lunatic.
Ok, call me a lunatic.
If I stand on my own, so be it.
'Cause I have wings.
Yes, I can fly
Around the moon
And far beyond the sky
And one day soon
I know there you'll be
One small voice in the universe
One true friend in the universe
Who believes in me...
I'm alone in the universe.
So alone in the universe.
My own planets and stars
Are glowing.
Alone in the universe
No one notices anything.
Not one person is listening.
They don't have any way of knowing.
Nobody knows that
I have wings
I have wings.
Yes, I can fly
I can fly
Around the moon
And far
Beyond the sky
Well someday soon
You will hear my plea
One small voice in the universe
One true friend in the universe
Please believe in me ...
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Some Thoughts and Recollections
We looked at some quotes regarding loneliness and relationships with other people in class today. The first of these two was "No man is an island."
For the most part, I agree with the above quotation by John Donne. I think that we are essentially dependent on relationships with other people, and as humans we have the need to share our thoughts and ideas. I used to be, metaphorically, an island. I never wanted to open up my mind to anyone, and at the time I was content with that. I thought in my head, and I listened to other peoples' thoughts, but I never felt the need to state my emotions to others. I viewed thoughts as affairs to stay confined to my head, never to be exposed to others. More recently, I've opened up to other people a bit more. I state my thoughts from time to time, but sometimes I still feel like if I ever say how I feel others will debate my opinion and I won't like it. I don't like being argued against, I feel cornered and attacked. Call me a wimp, but I really hate that. It is eye-opening to no longer be an island, and I now see how it is necessary to depend on other people. If we can relate to one another, we can carry each others burdens and be able to share ideas. When we share ideas, we can bounce off of each others' thoughts and create solutions to current problems. When we "build bridges" between our "islands," we can work together to solve both minor and major problems.
The second quote we discussed was "Hell is other people."
I do not necessarily agree with this perspective of life. It is very pessimistic, and those with this attitude will not be able to form relationships and be able to work with other people to accomplish a goal. I am generally not one to complain about other people, but from time to time we all have our irritable days when the behaviors of other humans can seem irksome. Sometimes I don't like what other people do, but I would never take these minor pet peeves to the extreme of developing such distaste towards other people. I believe that proximity to other members of the human race is novel. We must depend on each other for survival and advancement of society, and if we isolate ourselves from others mankind will crumple. I think it is okay to choose to be lonely from time to time, but despising other people is not right. I personally, as I have stated previously, do not feel the need to be constantly communicating with other people. This is not because I don't like them, but because I prefer listening to talking.
A quote I found myself about loneliness is as follows:
Language... has created the word "loneliness" to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word "solitude" to express the glory of being alone.
Paul Tillich
While I don't find this to be the most profound or eye-opening quote, I definitely find it to be true. The first thing I thought of when I read this was denotation versus connotation. Merriam-Webster's defines "loneliness" simply as "the state of being without company;" and "solitude" is defined as "the quality or state of being alone or removed from society." By dictionary definition, these words are interchangeable, but "loneliness" has a negative connotation while "solitude" has a positive connotation. I'm glad Paul Tillich recognizes that there are positive and negative aspects of being alone, and doesn't regard it as some sort of problem that must be avoided as often as possible. I've already discussed how I feel about loneliness, and I don't want to use unnecessary words to express these thoughts once more. Simply, I think that there is, in fact, pleasure in being alone and thinking. Loneliness has both its ups and downs, but it is not necessarily something to avoid.
A quote I found regarding happiness is this: "Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give." This statement brought me to ask myself the question, "Is there any value in happiness generated for the wrong reasons?" It's easy to answer this question with a blatant "no," but there is more to think about that that. What is the right reason to be happy? The quote directly discusses happiness from giving to others. Superficially, it is better to be satisfied with giving back to others than to only receive joy through receiving. HOwever, when we are joyful givers, is it because we sincerely enjoy giving to others or because we want others to thank us and praise us for giving? Is our happiness rooted in selfishness and the glorification of our own name? Or is it created for the right reasons? I believe that happiness is something wonderful, and the more happiness we experience in life, the better. I also believe in spreading happiness to others. However, I don't believe that whatever it takes to make a person happy should be done, because happiness should never be produced for selfish or corrupt reasons. I'm not sure if what I have to say about the roots of happiness relates directly to the quote, but it was my reaction to it, and is also something great to think about.
For the most part, I agree with the above quotation by John Donne. I think that we are essentially dependent on relationships with other people, and as humans we have the need to share our thoughts and ideas. I used to be, metaphorically, an island. I never wanted to open up my mind to anyone, and at the time I was content with that. I thought in my head, and I listened to other peoples' thoughts, but I never felt the need to state my emotions to others. I viewed thoughts as affairs to stay confined to my head, never to be exposed to others. More recently, I've opened up to other people a bit more. I state my thoughts from time to time, but sometimes I still feel like if I ever say how I feel others will debate my opinion and I won't like it. I don't like being argued against, I feel cornered and attacked. Call me a wimp, but I really hate that. It is eye-opening to no longer be an island, and I now see how it is necessary to depend on other people. If we can relate to one another, we can carry each others burdens and be able to share ideas. When we share ideas, we can bounce off of each others' thoughts and create solutions to current problems. When we "build bridges" between our "islands," we can work together to solve both minor and major problems.
The second quote we discussed was "Hell is other people."
I do not necessarily agree with this perspective of life. It is very pessimistic, and those with this attitude will not be able to form relationships and be able to work with other people to accomplish a goal. I am generally not one to complain about other people, but from time to time we all have our irritable days when the behaviors of other humans can seem irksome. Sometimes I don't like what other people do, but I would never take these minor pet peeves to the extreme of developing such distaste towards other people. I believe that proximity to other members of the human race is novel. We must depend on each other for survival and advancement of society, and if we isolate ourselves from others mankind will crumple. I think it is okay to choose to be lonely from time to time, but despising other people is not right. I personally, as I have stated previously, do not feel the need to be constantly communicating with other people. This is not because I don't like them, but because I prefer listening to talking.
A quote I found myself about loneliness is as follows:
Language... has created the word "loneliness" to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word "solitude" to express the glory of being alone.
Paul Tillich
While I don't find this to be the most profound or eye-opening quote, I definitely find it to be true. The first thing I thought of when I read this was denotation versus connotation. Merriam-Webster's defines "loneliness" simply as "the state of being without company;" and "solitude" is defined as "the quality or state of being alone or removed from society." By dictionary definition, these words are interchangeable, but "loneliness" has a negative connotation while "solitude" has a positive connotation. I'm glad Paul Tillich recognizes that there are positive and negative aspects of being alone, and doesn't regard it as some sort of problem that must be avoided as often as possible. I've already discussed how I feel about loneliness, and I don't want to use unnecessary words to express these thoughts once more. Simply, I think that there is, in fact, pleasure in being alone and thinking. Loneliness has both its ups and downs, but it is not necessarily something to avoid.
A quote I found regarding happiness is this: "Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give." This statement brought me to ask myself the question, "Is there any value in happiness generated for the wrong reasons?" It's easy to answer this question with a blatant "no," but there is more to think about that that. What is the right reason to be happy? The quote directly discusses happiness from giving to others. Superficially, it is better to be satisfied with giving back to others than to only receive joy through receiving. HOwever, when we are joyful givers, is it because we sincerely enjoy giving to others or because we want others to thank us and praise us for giving? Is our happiness rooted in selfishness and the glorification of our own name? Or is it created for the right reasons? I believe that happiness is something wonderful, and the more happiness we experience in life, the better. I also believe in spreading happiness to others. However, I don't believe that whatever it takes to make a person happy should be done, because happiness should never be produced for selfish or corrupt reasons. I'm not sure if what I have to say about the roots of happiness relates directly to the quote, but it was my reaction to it, and is also something great to think about.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Hi! In GT we've done some research on Roger Ebert, a man who lives a very different life than most human beings due to his inability to speak, eat, or drink. Ebert had to have his jaw removed because of cancer, which caused him to be mainly confined to a computer as a way of communication and a tube that feeds him. We read some articles that relate to Ebert and his story, on the topic of loneliness and being human. You can access these articles here:
Article 1
Article 2
Article 3
Being "Fully Human" Online:
I understand how people can feel more human on the internet than in "real life." On the internet, those who you interact with don't necessarily know who you are, so they can't judge you by your appearance, disabilities, or anything. People tend to feel more secure on the internet because all that is seen is their true thoughts, and no more.
All the Lonely People:
While I've never been particularly attached to the internet, I see how others see it as some sort of safe place where they can spill at all of their emotions and not be judged or treated wrongly based on first impressions. Those who are not physically capable of everything may be regarded as stupid, or incapable of deep thought, but on the internet they are not required to reveal any details about themselves and may be taken seriously. The internet may also serve as a way of "trying out" thoughts that may have remained unspoken previously. People who are lonely find safety and comfort in connecting with others via the internet. It sounds crazy, but it is the reality of modern culture and regardless of it is the right way to find comfort, it is a source of friendship and acceptance for many who otherwise would have been closed off.
A meeting of solitudes:
Ebert seems to regard loneliness as something that causes deep depression in people and as something that should be paid attention more to in society. He draws a parallel between being lonely and being an alcoholic, which is interesting, because so much attention is given to alcoholics and their problems and barely any public attention is given to the lonely. I don't think that being "lonely" is necessarily a negative thing, and one can certainly be alone but not lonely. I'm not completely sure how to put my thoughts into words on this topic, but I also want to point out that I understand why certain people can become lonely, and I don't think they should be discredited for being in that situation. It's not always easy for everyone to go out and make friends, and it is not meant for everyone's personality. Ebert seems to want to cure the loneliness epidemic that has gone on for such a long time now.
__________________________________________________________
I've definitely felt lonely before. Plenty of times, actually. While I rarely feel alone in my family, I often feel like others don't like being around me, or like they don't even notice or care when I'm not there. I'm okay with this. I'm not really a pushy, "out-there" person, and I don't like to feel so exposed to the world that everyone is watching my every move. I prefer not to broadcast everything I say and do, so that there is value to my words instead of them being something that is vomited out rather than something others can think about and hold onto. Sometimes I do come out of my shell, but I wish I didn't. I'd like to be quiet all the time. It's a terrible feeling to sit at a lunch table alone, feeling like nobody really values your presence in the cafeteria. But I've come to a point where I'm content with it. I don't need the attention to always be fixated on me, and if this means keeping to myself I'd prefer to be all by my lonesome. I don't really use the internet as a safe place to inform, socialize or communicate, but I do recognize the benefits it can hold for those who prefer this. I think the internet is actually isolating us from each other, and destroying the personal relationships we once were able to have with each other. I know that this perspective is not one I share with many people nowadays, but I would much prefer to have a conversation with someone in person than to chat with them online, and I feel like communication with other human beings is essential to the development of society. If we talk to each other, we must work together instead of each individually pouring out our own thoughts to our own personal webpage. The internet is definitely a helpful tool; I cannot deny that. But it is growing into something that is diminishing human relationships that are beneficial and necessary.
Article 1
Article 2
Article 3
Being "Fully Human" Online:
I understand how people can feel more human on the internet than in "real life." On the internet, those who you interact with don't necessarily know who you are, so they can't judge you by your appearance, disabilities, or anything. People tend to feel more secure on the internet because all that is seen is their true thoughts, and no more.
All the Lonely People:
While I've never been particularly attached to the internet, I see how others see it as some sort of safe place where they can spill at all of their emotions and not be judged or treated wrongly based on first impressions. Those who are not physically capable of everything may be regarded as stupid, or incapable of deep thought, but on the internet they are not required to reveal any details about themselves and may be taken seriously. The internet may also serve as a way of "trying out" thoughts that may have remained unspoken previously. People who are lonely find safety and comfort in connecting with others via the internet. It sounds crazy, but it is the reality of modern culture and regardless of it is the right way to find comfort, it is a source of friendship and acceptance for many who otherwise would have been closed off.
A meeting of solitudes:
Ebert seems to regard loneliness as something that causes deep depression in people and as something that should be paid attention more to in society. He draws a parallel between being lonely and being an alcoholic, which is interesting, because so much attention is given to alcoholics and their problems and barely any public attention is given to the lonely. I don't think that being "lonely" is necessarily a negative thing, and one can certainly be alone but not lonely. I'm not completely sure how to put my thoughts into words on this topic, but I also want to point out that I understand why certain people can become lonely, and I don't think they should be discredited for being in that situation. It's not always easy for everyone to go out and make friends, and it is not meant for everyone's personality. Ebert seems to want to cure the loneliness epidemic that has gone on for such a long time now.
__________________________________________________________
I've definitely felt lonely before. Plenty of times, actually. While I rarely feel alone in my family, I often feel like others don't like being around me, or like they don't even notice or care when I'm not there. I'm okay with this. I'm not really a pushy, "out-there" person, and I don't like to feel so exposed to the world that everyone is watching my every move. I prefer not to broadcast everything I say and do, so that there is value to my words instead of them being something that is vomited out rather than something others can think about and hold onto. Sometimes I do come out of my shell, but I wish I didn't. I'd like to be quiet all the time. It's a terrible feeling to sit at a lunch table alone, feeling like nobody really values your presence in the cafeteria. But I've come to a point where I'm content with it. I don't need the attention to always be fixated on me, and if this means keeping to myself I'd prefer to be all by my lonesome. I don't really use the internet as a safe place to inform, socialize or communicate, but I do recognize the benefits it can hold for those who prefer this. I think the internet is actually isolating us from each other, and destroying the personal relationships we once were able to have with each other. I know that this perspective is not one I share with many people nowadays, but I would much prefer to have a conversation with someone in person than to chat with them online, and I feel like communication with other human beings is essential to the development of society. If we talk to each other, we must work together instead of each individually pouring out our own thoughts to our own personal webpage. The internet is definitely a helpful tool; I cannot deny that. But it is growing into something that is diminishing human relationships that are beneficial and necessary.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
I kind of had to share these.
So, Kid History is really awesome but nobody knows about it...so anyone reading this should watch these! "It's Oceanography, I took a CLASS!"
Life in a Day
In class we watched a video called "Life in a Day," which was a montage of videos filmed by people all over the world, all on July 24, 2010. This video was produced with the future in mind; it was created with the intent that future generations will be able to see what it was like to be alive on July 24, 2010.
I really enjoyed seeing the various life styles that people endured on an average day, and how many different routines and cultures were taking place at the exact same time. It fascinates me to think that even today, in different parts of the world other people are probably doing some of the things that we saw taking place in the video.
I most vividly recall the scene with the Japanese man and his young son lighting the incense for the picture of the boy's deceased mom. I loved the amount of respect they still had for the mom; how they thought of her every morning and held her in high regards. It was kind of sad to think about how the little boy accepted it as something regular that every child does, ringing the bell and lighting incense for a mom who is no longer there. I remembered best the scenes with children, because I recall thinking about how they are not phased by their unfortunate situations; they accept it as everyday life.
I think I had a positive emotional reaction during the question "What do you love?" because I enjoyed seeing the shift from what we face every day, people complaining, to so many people giving different answers about blessings in their lives. It was refreshing to see people being thankful for a change, because in the world we live in we are constantly faced with people failing to acknowledge all we've been given.
I had a negative emotional reaction in the scene with the festival in Berlin; it was so terrible that one minute everyone was rejoicing and having a good time, and in an instant such a tragedy had to occur. It reminded me once more how precious life really is. It's a gift, one that we must unwrap rather than letting it lie around in our closets collecting dust. We could all have our lives taken away from us at any instant.
Prior to watching this movie, we all tried to answer the question "What does it mean to be human?" to the best of our abilities. I feel like I struggle with this question, specifically with putting my thoughts into the right words. I think that to be human means that we are unique. We are each our own person with our own thoughts, words, and situations. They are so many different ways one could possibly be human that it is difficult to answer one thing for this question. We saw such a variety of lifestyles, customs, cultures, and routines in the movie that it made me realize how different yet intricate we really are. If you're reading this post, take a minute to consider how detailed the designs of our bodies are. Our hands. Our feet. The placement of our teeth and tongue; the way we are able to speak with the vibrations of our vocal cords. While most of my classmates seemed to believe that we are merely a more highly evolved species, I disagree. We are so different and our abilities are amazing. I don't know if my idea of being human was well communicated with this paragraph, because it is something I love to think about but have trouble putting into words.
I suppose the obvious pattern of humanity lies in the question that so many different people were asked and gave different answers to. We all have emotions. We all are capable of loving other people, places, things, experiences, and ideas. No one answered "I do not know what love is," or "I do not love anything." We all have our emotions in common. We all also have fear in common. While some people did claim to be fearless, people gave so many various fears. I think it is part of being human to have fear of certain thing, and since we are all so unique we all fear different things. We are doubtful of everything, which results in fear.
There were so many juxtapositions that took place, and I can't name any exact examples. However, I noticed that almost always, the movie would switch from a resident of a highly developed country to a resident of an underdeveloped country to show the huge contrast in lifestyles. When it showed everyone getting up for breakfast, it would show some high quality, luxury food, and then show what people were eating across the world. Most of the juxtapositions involved the contrast between rich and poor, and I believe the point being made was that people who have so much more than others don't realize all that they have.
Overall, I really enjoyed the experience of watching this movie! I was baffled by the variety of different people who inhabit the earth, and I was opened up to the reality of how other people live. I think that there is a point to life, that we are not just a bunch of worthless beings. I like to think that the film reflects a positive outlook on humanity, that we are so diverse and different, but our feelings are similar. I would definitely recommend this film to others because it is so eye-opening. It's amazing to see so many different lives taking place at once, and it helped me realize what I have. It's a really interesting project, and I wish it had been done in the past so I would be able to watch it now!
Thanks for reading my blog post!
I really enjoyed seeing the various life styles that people endured on an average day, and how many different routines and cultures were taking place at the exact same time. It fascinates me to think that even today, in different parts of the world other people are probably doing some of the things that we saw taking place in the video.
I most vividly recall the scene with the Japanese man and his young son lighting the incense for the picture of the boy's deceased mom. I loved the amount of respect they still had for the mom; how they thought of her every morning and held her in high regards. It was kind of sad to think about how the little boy accepted it as something regular that every child does, ringing the bell and lighting incense for a mom who is no longer there. I remembered best the scenes with children, because I recall thinking about how they are not phased by their unfortunate situations; they accept it as everyday life.
I think I had a positive emotional reaction during the question "What do you love?" because I enjoyed seeing the shift from what we face every day, people complaining, to so many people giving different answers about blessings in their lives. It was refreshing to see people being thankful for a change, because in the world we live in we are constantly faced with people failing to acknowledge all we've been given.
I had a negative emotional reaction in the scene with the festival in Berlin; it was so terrible that one minute everyone was rejoicing and having a good time, and in an instant such a tragedy had to occur. It reminded me once more how precious life really is. It's a gift, one that we must unwrap rather than letting it lie around in our closets collecting dust. We could all have our lives taken away from us at any instant.
Prior to watching this movie, we all tried to answer the question "What does it mean to be human?" to the best of our abilities. I feel like I struggle with this question, specifically with putting my thoughts into the right words. I think that to be human means that we are unique. We are each our own person with our own thoughts, words, and situations. They are so many different ways one could possibly be human that it is difficult to answer one thing for this question. We saw such a variety of lifestyles, customs, cultures, and routines in the movie that it made me realize how different yet intricate we really are. If you're reading this post, take a minute to consider how detailed the designs of our bodies are. Our hands. Our feet. The placement of our teeth and tongue; the way we are able to speak with the vibrations of our vocal cords. While most of my classmates seemed to believe that we are merely a more highly evolved species, I disagree. We are so different and our abilities are amazing. I don't know if my idea of being human was well communicated with this paragraph, because it is something I love to think about but have trouble putting into words.
I suppose the obvious pattern of humanity lies in the question that so many different people were asked and gave different answers to. We all have emotions. We all are capable of loving other people, places, things, experiences, and ideas. No one answered "I do not know what love is," or "I do not love anything." We all have our emotions in common. We all also have fear in common. While some people did claim to be fearless, people gave so many various fears. I think it is part of being human to have fear of certain thing, and since we are all so unique we all fear different things. We are doubtful of everything, which results in fear.
There were so many juxtapositions that took place, and I can't name any exact examples. However, I noticed that almost always, the movie would switch from a resident of a highly developed country to a resident of an underdeveloped country to show the huge contrast in lifestyles. When it showed everyone getting up for breakfast, it would show some high quality, luxury food, and then show what people were eating across the world. Most of the juxtapositions involved the contrast between rich and poor, and I believe the point being made was that people who have so much more than others don't realize all that they have.
Overall, I really enjoyed the experience of watching this movie! I was baffled by the variety of different people who inhabit the earth, and I was opened up to the reality of how other people live. I think that there is a point to life, that we are not just a bunch of worthless beings. I like to think that the film reflects a positive outlook on humanity, that we are so diverse and different, but our feelings are similar. I would definitely recommend this film to others because it is so eye-opening. It's amazing to see so many different lives taking place at once, and it helped me realize what I have. It's a really interesting project, and I wish it had been done in the past so I would be able to watch it now!
Thanks for reading my blog post!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Back to Blogging!
Well, I haven't blogged in...8 months? Wow!
We've been studying dreams lately in GT2, which I find incredibly fascinating. Over Christmas break, we all recorded our dreams and shared them in class when we got back. I had some really absurd hallucinations, and it was difficult to decipher some sort of meaning from any of them. Mr. DelRusso spoke to our class on Friday, and he warned us not to read too far into dreams because most of the time they mean nothing. Ms. Mystrena said we only have to share one dream, but I want to share two that I found a bit of meaning in. But before I share my own personal dreams, here's a quick recap on the four dream theories that we studied in class!
Option One: Freud
Sigmund Freud believed that dreams exist to guard our sleep, which is actually very violent and disruptive, with seemingly meaningless symbols, as well as to fulfill our unconsious wishes. His Psycoanalyatic theory states that dreams open up our unconscious mind and express hidden desires. We gratify our sexual or aggressive urges that we don't consciously acknowledge because they seem to horrible. Freud believed that people are born evil, but cover that up in our consicous state. When we sleep, a bit of this evilness is released and our secret desires are revealed.
Option Two: Jung
Carl Jung's views on dreams were somewhat corresponding to Freud's, but he rather believed that dreams occurred to restore psychological balance. Jung also believed that recurring dreams were the ones that held important messages. If a dream happens only once, it is merely nonsense, but one that happens on a regular basis has some sort of message to it.
Option Three: Adler
Alfred Adler viewed dreams as tools used to solve the problems we all deal with in the conscious world. He stated that dreams are a gateway to finding creative solutions to life problems, and that if we are unable to find a way to escape a problem during the day, we may dream of a solution at night, which could be a potential way to solve the problem or something absurd and illogical.
Option Four: Activation-Synthesis
The Activation-Synthesis Theory is the more biological approach to dreaming. It states that dreams do not have any significance at all, are are a by-product of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) neural activity. According to this theory, the brain is overwhelmed with neural activity during REM sleep, and the cerebral component creates a story from the random activity. The absurdity of some dreams is accounted for in this theory.
Now that we have a little background on the functions of dreams, here are two real life examples of dreams with educated analysis!
December 28:
I was in Madame Kim's French class, and she was showing us videos of this little toddler that she was obsessed with. Then Joy didn't feel good and Madame Kim was making a really big deal out of that, and kept "checking on her" and singing to her. Also, Joy had way too much stuff with her--she had a really large stack of books on her desk, a really huge puffy black coat, and a huge backpack.
Then a was all of a sudden going to my Algebra class with a bunch of my cousins, but it wasn't my actual algebra class. We were looking for room 305 and we couldn't find it. I don't know why I remember the number 305 specifically. We finally got there and the door said "305 - Mrs. Schweitzer," (Mrs. Schweitzer was a teacher from elementary school) and I knew it was the right place. There was no one in there, and somehow I knew it was because there was a bus drill. So we went searching for the buses, and finally found this gym-looking place where my brother (John) was. For some reasons my cousins had disappeared at this point. I asked John what I should do, and he said "I don't know, I'm staying after because I'm Lebonese!" Also, the whole time I was thinking in the back of my mind that there was FCA and I should stay after, but I kept looking for the bus drill anyway. I ran around for a really long time and then it somehow came to me that I should go to bus 211. So I got on the bus and my cousins were in there asking me where I was. There weren't any empty seats so I spent a long time looking for a seat. Then all of a sudden all of the people disappeared, and my friend Kailee appeared. I asked her "Kailee, are you going to FCA?" but she turned into a statue. Then I woke up.
Analysis:
Throughout the whole dream there's an ongoing theme of me looking for things. It seems like every time I thought I found something, I had another "quest" to travel, and I really wasn't as successful as I thought I was. This may symbolize goals in general. I may have been coming to the realization subconsciously that whenever I feel like I've reached the top, it's really just a breaking point and there's still more to go. While this seems like a sort of depressing theme, I think it's uplifting, to think that there will always be more for me to strive towards and that I'll never come to a point where I've done all I can do.
_______________________________________________________________
January 3
We were going to the city for my birthday, and we saw Grace Doyle in the car in front of us, smushed against the window. She got out of her car and came into our car to go with us. Then she kind of ditched me and was walking around with my sisters. We all ended up in the bathroom with this lady with five kids, and three of them were adopted from Haiti. She kept talking really loudly on her phone and saying "I used to be a model." All of her kids kept running in and out of the bathroom stalls. Then she saw Grace's wallet, and tried to buy it off of her and Grace let her.
Then I was all of a sudden in homeroom, and Mrs. Tomasetti was teaching us "rainbow math," which was a new kind of math with arcs that you had to fill out arrangements of numbers in. I was really good at it, and all of a sudden we were at the Lockett's house playing games, and Mrs. Lockett said, "Let's do rainbow math!" So we did it and I was the only one who could do it. Then Mary said, "Mom, nobody likes rainbow math." So we stopped.
Analysis:
My dream had a mixture of positive and negative feelings. It began with Grace getting out of her car to join my car, which made me feel like others wanted to hang out with me. However, that thought was quickly destroyed because she decided she'd rather hang out with my older sisters than me. I'm not really sure what the part with the lady in the bathroom signified, except chaos, and the fact that the lady didn't seem to care that her children needed attention. I'm not sure what this means. The bit that took place with "rainbow math" gives the positive feeling of reassurance and self-confidence that I sometimes lack in my conscious mind,
We've been studying dreams lately in GT2, which I find incredibly fascinating. Over Christmas break, we all recorded our dreams and shared them in class when we got back. I had some really absurd hallucinations, and it was difficult to decipher some sort of meaning from any of them. Mr. DelRusso spoke to our class on Friday, and he warned us not to read too far into dreams because most of the time they mean nothing. Ms. Mystrena said we only have to share one dream, but I want to share two that I found a bit of meaning in. But before I share my own personal dreams, here's a quick recap on the four dream theories that we studied in class!
Option One: Freud
Sigmund Freud believed that dreams exist to guard our sleep, which is actually very violent and disruptive, with seemingly meaningless symbols, as well as to fulfill our unconsious wishes. His Psycoanalyatic theory states that dreams open up our unconscious mind and express hidden desires. We gratify our sexual or aggressive urges that we don't consciously acknowledge because they seem to horrible. Freud believed that people are born evil, but cover that up in our consicous state. When we sleep, a bit of this evilness is released and our secret desires are revealed.
Option Two: Jung
Carl Jung's views on dreams were somewhat corresponding to Freud's, but he rather believed that dreams occurred to restore psychological balance. Jung also believed that recurring dreams were the ones that held important messages. If a dream happens only once, it is merely nonsense, but one that happens on a regular basis has some sort of message to it.
Option Three: Adler
Alfred Adler viewed dreams as tools used to solve the problems we all deal with in the conscious world. He stated that dreams are a gateway to finding creative solutions to life problems, and that if we are unable to find a way to escape a problem during the day, we may dream of a solution at night, which could be a potential way to solve the problem or something absurd and illogical.
Option Four: Activation-Synthesis
The Activation-Synthesis Theory is the more biological approach to dreaming. It states that dreams do not have any significance at all, are are a by-product of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) neural activity. According to this theory, the brain is overwhelmed with neural activity during REM sleep, and the cerebral component creates a story from the random activity. The absurdity of some dreams is accounted for in this theory.
Now that we have a little background on the functions of dreams, here are two real life examples of dreams with educated analysis!
December 28:
I was in Madame Kim's French class, and she was showing us videos of this little toddler that she was obsessed with. Then Joy didn't feel good and Madame Kim was making a really big deal out of that, and kept "checking on her" and singing to her. Also, Joy had way too much stuff with her--she had a really large stack of books on her desk, a really huge puffy black coat, and a huge backpack.
Then a was all of a sudden going to my Algebra class with a bunch of my cousins, but it wasn't my actual algebra class. We were looking for room 305 and we couldn't find it. I don't know why I remember the number 305 specifically. We finally got there and the door said "305 - Mrs. Schweitzer," (Mrs. Schweitzer was a teacher from elementary school) and I knew it was the right place. There was no one in there, and somehow I knew it was because there was a bus drill. So we went searching for the buses, and finally found this gym-looking place where my brother (John) was. For some reasons my cousins had disappeared at this point. I asked John what I should do, and he said "I don't know, I'm staying after because I'm Lebonese!" Also, the whole time I was thinking in the back of my mind that there was FCA and I should stay after, but I kept looking for the bus drill anyway. I ran around for a really long time and then it somehow came to me that I should go to bus 211. So I got on the bus and my cousins were in there asking me where I was. There weren't any empty seats so I spent a long time looking for a seat. Then all of a sudden all of the people disappeared, and my friend Kailee appeared. I asked her "Kailee, are you going to FCA?" but she turned into a statue. Then I woke up.
Analysis:
Throughout the whole dream there's an ongoing theme of me looking for things. It seems like every time I thought I found something, I had another "quest" to travel, and I really wasn't as successful as I thought I was. This may symbolize goals in general. I may have been coming to the realization subconsciously that whenever I feel like I've reached the top, it's really just a breaking point and there's still more to go. While this seems like a sort of depressing theme, I think it's uplifting, to think that there will always be more for me to strive towards and that I'll never come to a point where I've done all I can do.
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January 3
We were going to the city for my birthday, and we saw Grace Doyle in the car in front of us, smushed against the window. She got out of her car and came into our car to go with us. Then she kind of ditched me and was walking around with my sisters. We all ended up in the bathroom with this lady with five kids, and three of them were adopted from Haiti. She kept talking really loudly on her phone and saying "I used to be a model." All of her kids kept running in and out of the bathroom stalls. Then she saw Grace's wallet, and tried to buy it off of her and Grace let her.
Then I was all of a sudden in homeroom, and Mrs. Tomasetti was teaching us "rainbow math," which was a new kind of math with arcs that you had to fill out arrangements of numbers in. I was really good at it, and all of a sudden we were at the Lockett's house playing games, and Mrs. Lockett said, "Let's do rainbow math!" So we did it and I was the only one who could do it. Then Mary said, "Mom, nobody likes rainbow math." So we stopped.
Analysis:
My dream had a mixture of positive and negative feelings. It began with Grace getting out of her car to join my car, which made me feel like others wanted to hang out with me. However, that thought was quickly destroyed because she decided she'd rather hang out with my older sisters than me. I'm not really sure what the part with the lady in the bathroom signified, except chaos, and the fact that the lady didn't seem to care that her children needed attention. I'm not sure what this means. The bit that took place with "rainbow math" gives the positive feeling of reassurance and self-confidence that I sometimes lack in my conscious mind,
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