What Are Daydreams?

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   ThinkSomethingposted 12 years ago

   Today I thought about daydreams. And I would like to know what they are? And what are their significance? And to help in answering my questions I gave a brief history of "The Daydream".
   
   Daydreams were first questioned back in the late 19th century by a man named Toni Nelson and he thought that daydreams were attempts by someones brain to fulfill one's wants and desires. Whether they were as simple as wanting to eat a candy bar or as complex as wanting to find the love of their life, Nelson thought daydreams assisted in easing the mind or helping these wants take the back burner for a short while when the daydream was completed. Then, in the 1950's, daydreams caught the attention of people once again. This time they were educational psychologists and (unlike Mr. Nelson) they believed that daydreams could make children become neurotic and in some cases psychotic. They felt this way because when the mind is in a state of neurosis it can go almost completely unseen to the naked eye, and that's why it is referred to as the "invisible injury". As for psychosis, well that disorder is characterized by a "loss of contact with reality" which some people may think they have experience after "awakening" from a daydream. So, basically because it is almost impossible to tell what a person is daydreaming about they labeled it as something to be avoided. But then, in 1966, two psychologists (Jerome L. Singer of Yale University and John S. Antrobus of the City College of New York) finally applied science to the questions surrounding the daydream by, ironically enough, creating a questionnaire called the Imaginal Processes Inventory (IPI). The IPI consisted of 344 multiple choice, and short answer questions and was quite helpful in the investigation of the effect daydreams have on people's psychological well being. But, it would be almost another 20 years after this breakthrough until someone would be able to produce concrete data on daydreams. The researcher responsible for this data was a man by the name of Eric Klinger, and his numbers were not too surprising. According to Klinger 75% of workers who occupied "boring jobs" used vivid daydreams to "ease the boredom" they would face while at work.
   
   So anyway, could you guys help me? What do you think a daydream is exactly? And what is the significance of daydreams? Leave your answers in the comment section below, and have a nice day.
   
   - Deep Sea

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      couturepopcafeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      All true but academics always tend to make too much of something.
      
      Daydreams can serve as an escape from the reality we are experiencing at the moment, work, school, parents. They take us to the place we really prefer to be but can't at the moment. No big psychological evaluation or academic degree necessary to figure that out, IMO.

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         Lisa HWposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I'd agree with this.  I haven't done any day-dreaming since I've been grown up; but when I was a kid I'd imagine up one scenario or another (a day-dream) involving something I wanted to do, or somewhere I'd like to be, and I'd have a great time doing it.    There was no psychosis or neurosis or anything else involved.  It was an occasional pastime, particularly when I didn't have anything all that interesting to do.  (In other words, when I was bored because I was a kid and couldn't do the stuff I wanted to do.)   My girlfriend confessed to daydreaming too, so she and I would re-enjoy our respective daydreams by sharing our own, discussing them, and imagining how wonderful things could one day be.   It was just fun for kids too young to drive and work.  When we got old enough to drive and work and date that was it for the daydreams (at least for me).  So, I think daydreams can be "heavily associated" with being a kid.  I can see how some adults may have the need/wish to engage in daydreaming.  I just haven't since I've been (again) old enough to do the stuff I was once too young to do.    Since I've been grown-up, if I've had a tedious or boring task/job to do, I'll either make a "mental game/challenge" out of getting the task done or else imagine music while I'm doing the work.

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         SomewayOuttaHereposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         that sums it up nicely..........daydreaming or as i call it "clearing my mind"....it's an escape...relaxing the mind for a moment - alpha waves comes to mind...some of us forget how to do it as we get older...kids do it quite often

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            Lisa HWposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            I think lots of times life gets in the way when we're grown-ups.  We need our brain time for thinking about stuff other than daydreams.   
            
            Hmm.  I think I'll schedule a daydream session for Monday.  (Let's see...  That's Monday, April 2, 2012)    I'm penciling it in for 3:00 p.m., but I may need to change that to 3:45 (depending...).   I'll have to also set aside some time for figuring out what I can daydream about (a pre-daydreaming session), so I'm thinking, maybe, Sunday morning at 11:30, after Meet the Press is over.   (Do daydreams have to be spontaneous, I wonder?)   (I do think I may have forgotten how to daydream...    )

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               SomewayOuttaHereposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               ...maybe you have forgotten  about the pre-daydreaming session....that's exactly why it's needed..i call it clearing my mind..because of life...gives me a rest...yeah?.....put those pearls on and see what happens  .....it's good to run into you Lisa 

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                  Lisa HWposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Good to run into you too.     (a temporary straying from the thread topic coming up for a second):    Pearls!  Guess what:  I've been shopping for mother-of-the-bride dresses.  Guess how many of them commit the crime of pearls!!!!!      I refuse to show up at my daughter's wedding looking like Barbara Bush or June Cleaver.      (returning this thread to its regularly scheduled program now....)   

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                     SomewayOuttaHereposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                       oh no!  poor you...you'll make it 

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   klarawieckposted 12 years ago

   Do you mean to tell me there are "nightdreams"?

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      viveresperandoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      yes

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         klarawieckposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I wouldn't know... I live in La-la-land.

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            viveresperandoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            that is okay i often visit  a place i call " a place where nothing is real" lol we must be neighbors... lol i am the neighbor with the pink willow trees that bloom many different colors of roses

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               klarawieckposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Oh, Yes! I recognize the tree! I know exactly where you live!

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                  viveresperandoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  hey is your house the one by the waterfall?

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                     klarawieckposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     Yeah... yeah... the pink waterfall with the toad/frog barbershop quartet!

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                        viveresperandoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        Nice, did you see that sexy cowboy that has the pet dragon?  Does he live around here?

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                           klarawieckposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                           Uh... yeah... that's my husband!

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                              viveresperandoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                              You go Girl!  Does he have a brother?

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                                 klarawieckposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                 yes... it's the pet dragon. He was transformed by Victor, a fellow hubber who happens to be a vampire as well as a clever wizard.

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                                    viveresperandoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                    ohhhhh bad dragon, bad dragon.  What did the dragon do to upset a wizardly vampire? Is there any hope for the dragon? I have a soft spot for dragons.  Is the dragon house broken? I can dragon sit any time.  I have a lizard that WAS once a dragon. Before being a dragon he once was a healer.  He had green eyes, curly hair, he seemed to do everything wrong in his attempts to get my attention.  He was quite good at doing everything wrong, let's called it a skill.  It was rather cute, he won my heart.
                                    
                                    He does not know because he pissed of a witch and she turned him to a dragon.  Then he went to the witch's house and burned her hut.  Yup, so the witch turned him into a lizard.  Do you think I could talk to your vampire wizard?  I know, I know, no one talks to a wizard without bringing gifts, jewels, wine, and coin.  Does your wizard friend like red wine or white wine? Even though my lizard hates me.  I would like to attempt to turn him back to himself. I have been saving for a while, don't worry.

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                                       klarawieckposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                       viveresperando, you're a trip! LOL I can't keep up with you!

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                                          viveresperandoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                          lol

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   Jojosiposted 12 years ago

   Daydreaming in childhood, would not that be what is called 'wishful' thinking in adulthood?  There are a lot of adults who make decisions according to what is pleasing to the imagination instead of leaning on reality or evidence.

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