What Is a Dream Scientist Called?
What is a dream scientist called?
A dream scientist, formally known as a Oneirologist, is a multidisciplinary expert who delves into the intricate realm of dreams. Employing an amalgamation of neuroscience, psychology, and sleep research, the Oneirologist scrutinizes the enigmatic processes underlying dreams' creation, content, and interpretation. By harnessing cutting-edge technologies like functional neuroimaging and advanced data analytics, they unravel the profound neural mechanisms that orchestrate the ethereal theater of dreams.
Oneirologists play a pivotal role in deciphering the profound connections between dreams, memory consolidation, emotional processing, and cognitive function. Their pursuits extend beyond theoretical exploration, encompassing practical applications in clinical therapy, aiding individuals plagued by recurring nightmares or sleep disorders. Through their scholarly investigations, Oneirologists illuminate the cryptic juncture where consciousness and subconsciousness converge, unravelling the mesmerizing tapestry of human imagination that unfurls nightly in the theater of slumber.
Main Text.
From the year 1896 onwards, I have engaged in the systematic examination of my personal dream experiences, meticulously documenting the most intriguing instances within a dedicated journal. Subsequently, in 1898, I initiated the practice of maintaining a distinct record for a specific category of dreams that I deemed exceptionally significant. This specialized record-keeping has persisted uninterrupted to the present time. In total, my endeavors have yielded a repository of approximately 500 dreams, among which 352 pertain to the aforementioned distinctive category. I envision that this collected data may potentially serve as the foundational groundwork for a scientifically valuable framework, contingent upon the availability of sufficient time and intellectual vigor to meticulously assemble and develop said structure.
Meanwhile, harboring a forgivable apprehension that these concepts might not be adequately conveyed in a timely manner, I distilled them into a work of artistic creation—a novel titled "The Bride of Dreams." This fictive medium afforded me the liberty to handle intricate subjects with flexibility and possessed the added advantage of presenting unconventional ideas in a more subdued manner—akin to conveying them in an esoteric fashion. However, I also aim to articulate these notions in a format that directly engages the scientific intellect.
In this pursuit, I am confident that no audience could be better suited for this purpose than the esteemed members of the Society for Psychical Research. They possess the accustomed open-mindedness and discerning critique necessary for grappling with extraordinary investigations and concepts.
This document serves as a preliminary outline, a brief prelude to a more extensive endeavor that I anticipate completing in the subsequent years. I shall endeavor to minimize speculative content and confine myself to factual observations.
Nevertheless, the observations I have made lead me to a resolute conviction, in a broad sense, that the existing theories regarding the realm of dream-life, as they stand within my knowledge up to the present day, fall short of accounting for the entirety of the phenomena encountered.
Allow me to present to you my endeavor to classify various dream forms, drawn from my personal experiences and observations spanning a sixteen-year period. Within this timeframe, I have identified nine distinct categories of dreams, each exhibiting a well-defined profile. Naturally, there exist intermediate variations and amalgamations, but the discrete classifications remain discernible amidst their interweaving.
The inaugural category of dreams I refer to as "initial dreams." This particular dream type is quite uncommon; I have encountered it merely a handful of times in my own experiences, and its presence in the works of other authors is scant. Nevertheless, it possesses distinct attributes that set it apart and render it easily recognizable. Such dreams exclusively manifest at the onset of sleep, when the body is in a state of typical health but considerable fatigue.
The transition from wakefulness to sleep occurs almost seamlessly, without what is commonly referred to as unconsciousness. Instead, I would describe it as a discontinuity of memory. This state shouldn't be confused with Maury's hypnagogic hallucination, a phenomenon I am well-acquainted with from personal experience, but one that I don't classify as part of the realm of dreams.
In hypnagogic hallucinations, there are visions, accompanied by a heightened awareness of the body. In the initial type of dream I'm referring to, I experience sight and sensation much like any other dream, but with a near-complete recollection of my waking life. I'm aware that I'm asleep and where I'm sleeping, yet all perceptions of my physical body—both internal and external, from visceral to peripheral—are entirely absent.
=Often, I have the sensation of floating or flying, and I am acutely aware that the usual feelings of fatigue and bodily strain have disappeared. I feel revitalized and full of energy, able to move and glide in various directions. However, I am simultaneously aware that my physical body is profoundly fatigued and sound asleep
Based on thorough observations, I maintain my belief that, in general, the physical state of the sleeper does not significantly influence the nature of dreams. There are a few exceptions to this, which occur rarely and are typically limited to moments just before waking up or in what I've categorized as pathological dreams—instances where factors like fever, indigestion, or toxins come into play. However, these cases form a small minority.
Speaking from my role as the observer, I can affirm that I have consistently enjoyed good health throughout the period of observation. I didn't experience any significant nervous or internal issues. My sleep and digestion have typically been satisfactory. Nevertheless, I've encountered profoundly distressing nightmares while being in my usual state of health, and I've also had wonderfully peaceful dreams while aboard a stormy ship or in a sleeping car on a moving train.
Therefore, I aim to define authentic dreams as a state in which bodily sensations—whether they originate internally, peripherally, or within the organs—cannot directly infiltrate the mind. Instead, they manifest in a physical, non-spatial manner, taking the shape of symbols or images.