Control.

So, apparently there is a lot more documented research regarding a person's ability to control their dreams than I had expected. I mean, of course I knew that people had explored the idea before but when I got around to actually doing a bit of research myself I was surprised. And although there is no surefire way to teach a person how to have lucid dreams or exactly how to remember them, there are some tricks that people have discovered.

One of the first thing that one would encounter when looking up information about remembering their lucid dreams is the concept of the four "R's". Remember, Record, Repeat, and Realization. Remembering is the first, and often the most challenging step in this process. Lucid dreams happen when a person is in the REM phase of sleep, so if one is capable of processing the dream and storing it in their short term memory they will most likely be able to remember their dream upon awakening. Then the next logical step to ensure that you remember what occurred in your dream would be to write it down. Simple as that.

The next "R" has to deal with making the first two "R's" a habit. According to some studies, the more you are in the practice of remembering and recording your dreams, the easier it will become to not only fall into the lucid dream state but to recall it more accurately. In time, you will be able to realize that you are dreaming while the dream is occurring, which is the fourth "R". After you have mastered all of the four "R's" you have successfully mastered the art of being able to put yourself into a state where you are capable of controlling the dream scene around you.

Whether this whole system works for sure, I don't really know. But I'm completely fascinated with the concept. Without even trying I am able to recognize when I am dreaming and remember it upon awakening, so maybe I will start to record them and practice trying to manipulate the dream scene that I am in... I'll post again to let everyone know how it works out.

Purity of Creation.

The University of Delaware was recently fortunate enough to become the new owners of a collection unpublished photographs from the late Andy Warhol. Upon the opening of the university's display of these photos, I found myself being one of a small group of students that were admitted to listen to a lecture regarding the places and events behind them. I found the speaker to be very informative while simultaneously being very enlightening.

The speaker took us around the exhibit and told us pieces of information about each of the photographs and without knowing the speaker not only taught me about the art itself, but also about art in general.

Just as a matter of personal taste, I rather dislike the work of Andy Warhol. I am in no way trying to discredit the art that he has made, but I just don’t find it all that impressive. What does impress me is the fact that Warhol was so amazingly good at conveying his vision. Warhol was an artist in the most pure and fundamental sense of the word. He was a man who possessed great talent and natural ability, but refused to ever compromise his vision in lieu of money. It is clear through the observation of Warhol’s art that at all times he had a clear path in his mind and that he remained steadfast to it regardless of what powerful figure asked him to do otherwise.

It is my belief that in the art world today that there are a great number of people with the gift of artistic abilities that call themselves artists with the sole purpose of reaping a profit from their creations. In my opinion, a true artist is someone who creates what they want to create for no other reason than the fact that they want to see their concept become a reality. Now, I am in no way saying that you have to be poor to be a real artist. I, myself, hope to one day make money from the work that I do… but I can guarantee you that I will never sacrifice my vision in order to do so.

Creation is a gift. Creation is a talent. Creation is pure.

The speaker at the University of Delaware did more than just tell me about the events that inspired a random group of photos. Between the lines of what he was saying he was teaching me the true reason why Warhol is great. Not because he was capable of making art, but because he was a true artist.