Tag Archives: Psychology

Controlling Your Dreams: You Can Do It!

Did you see the movie Inception a few years ago? This amazing movie is all about controlling and entering a person’s dreams. In fact, controlling dreams is real. The psychology term for a controlled dream is called “Lucid Dream“.  Specifically, a lucid dream is a dream during sleep in which you become aware that you are dreaming. In addition, people can control their dreams by using some techniques.

The movie: Inception, source: wallpapervortex.com

The scientific proof of lucid dream was just done in 1975 by Dr. Keith Hearne. However, only a few people know about this interesting psychological phenomenon nowadays.  A brief reason why people can have lucid dreams is that we almost always lose our consciousness when we fall asleep; but in some situations, people may gain consciousness without waking up. Once one’s consciousness take over his/her dream, the whole dream world will be down that person’s control.

During lucid dreaming, people feels like they are in the real world. However, there are many differences between the real world and the dream world. First, it is safe, because it is just a dream. Second, people can do anything(like flying) in a lucid dream world. Third, when someone want to quit, it is simple to wake up at anytime. In addition, there are two types of lucid dreams; in other words, dreamers have two ways to gain a lucid dream. Here are some details.

The World of Lucid Dreaming, source: newbuddhist.com

The first type is called “Dream Initiated Lucid Dream”(DILD). Another type is called “Wake Initiated Lucid Dream”(WILD). In brief, DILD means that a person aware that he/she is dreaming when he/she is asleep, while WILD means that a person directly enter a controlled dream from awake. In most cases, DILD is a easy way to gain a lucid dream for a beginner.

DILD or WILD? source: youtube.com

DILD is a good starting point for new lucid dreamers. You may had this experience before: when you were asleep, you suddenly found that you were dreaming. You woke up after you found that fact. If you could calm down and keep you mind clear, you would have a DILD. In addition to that, using these skills below will also help you to gain a DILD as well:

  • Always asking: Am I Dreaming?  source: bsnscb.com

    Using a notebook to record the recent dreams. You may find it easy to remember your dream just after you wake up.

  • Keep asking “am I dreaming?” during the daytime, This makes a person ask the same question when he/she is dreaming.
  • This means You Are Dreaming source: independent.co.uk

    Using a method to prove that your are dreaming. An easy way is to bite your fingers. If a person is dreaming, biting fingers is painless. This makes one realize that he/she is dreaming.

  • If a lucid dream starts, staying calm is important.

 

 

Techniques for WILD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q8awiCSObA

In conclusion, It is hoped that more people can know about this fascinating psychological phenomenon.

 

By: Max Ma

Critical Period for Language Acquisition

Imagine being isolated, deprived of basic rights, and abused for accidentally making a slight noise. In 1970, the theory of a critical period for language acquisition was tested when a social worker found Genie, a 13-year-old girl, isolated, abused, and underdeveloped. A critical period is a window of time in development for an organism to learn an ability. It is said that after this period, the chances of acquiring the ability are very low if any and after a certain age the ability stays at the same level.

The best time to learn a certain ability is called a critical period.

For language acquisition, this critical period is estimated to be from the age of two to puberty. Well if everyone reaches puberty at different times then isn’t it possible for this critical period to be different in everyone if it does exist at all? Genie, also known as the Wild Child, emerged from isolation after puberty with no linguistic performance and was said to have the mental capabilities of a one year old. So doctors and psychologists had to work with her to improve her mobility, and cognitive function.

The first publicly released picture of Genie at the age of 13.

With their help, Genie learned how to form short sentences of three to four words having the communication abilities of a toddler by the age of 16. This shows that Genie counteracts the theory of the critical period for language acquisition. Meaning that learning language skills is still possible after reaching puberty. From other research, it is also clear that at a younger age learning a language is easier but there is no evidence of strict boundaries for the critical period. The critical period for learning language should either be revised to have new boundaries or dismissed all together.

Some researchers actually prefer calling it a ‘sensitive’ instead of a ‘critical’ period. This might be more accurate as a sensitive period is defined as an extended period after which learning is still possible. I think having a sensitive period for language acquisition would be more appropriate in Genie’s case as she still learned language skills after puberty.

The theory of a critical period for language acquisition still influences much of the research based in developmental and behavioural psychology that occurs today. It is especially prominent in neurological research for the development of the brain and for cognitive mapping. So, if the critical period theory still influences some research today and it is clearly unreliable in Genie’s case then shouldn’t this theory be tested and researched to a much greater extent?

By: Sukhvir Toor