Thursday, April 23, 2020

Catch me if you can



I have had more dreams lately. In this new lock-down life I am not alone in this experience it seems. One scientific explanation being put forward is that we dream more in REM sleep and, as a good proportion of the world are now less active (furloughed etc), we are getting more of this because we are not being woken up by alarm clocks but instead sleeping longer and waking more naturally. I briefly gave myself a pat on the back when I read that because I had been thinking about this the other day and had come to the same conclusion..... BUT I have been retired almost a year now so my sleep pattern, in lock-down, has essentially not changed (I'm an owl, I go to bed late and wake up when I wake up! Much to Mrs Darce's exasperation as she is a lark). So, why am I experiencing more dreams?

Also, since our lives have been restricted, I have noticed, in my wakeful state,  tiny fragments of memories are now being triggered by trivial actions on a much more regular basisFor instance tonight I was filling a watering can and as I watched the water swilling around the brim in a particular way a memory was triggered of a snatch of music. In fact more often than not it is music that pops into my mind in these instances.

I suppose this lock-down life is quieter, even for a retiree, and maybe my mind is just filling in the gaps.

So this is the perfect springboard for a series of posts I hear you think! Unfortunately it isn't because, for me, it is the same with these little memorettes as it is with dreams – in the very moment I become aware of them I am there trying to hang on to them, but in another moment they are gone.


Fragments .....


Fragments - Andrew Hill 1970
You Stepped Out Of A Dream - Joe Pass 1963
Where Have I Known You Before - Return To Forever feat. Chick Corea 1974

2 comments:

Raggedy said...

Wow! A lot of “deep” music. Definitely great tunes that create a contemplative mood — just as some dreams do.
I’ve been a heavy dreamer all my life and am a firm believer in C. G. Jung’s teachings. Getting acquainted with one’s dreams and their meaning (or lack thereof) is an amazing experience.

Ravel said...

I thank you for your memorettes :-) I know what you mean.
For me, my brain is not conditioned by days of work so it makes a huge difference.
Let's say that being confined, changing our routines in a few (or many) ways, is good for our brain ? The change is rubbing on different cells and bringing different memories.
Thanks for your constant posts.