The fascination with the world around them and the quest to comprehend its complexities have long existed in human beings. Our capacity to consciously seek out and acquire knowledge about the outside world is what differentiates us from other animals. However, there are still many phenomena that science has yet to explain fully, and one of these is the mystery of dreams. Dreams can be vivid and realistic, and they can often feel like a glimpse into another world or reality.
Dreams happen during the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep, which typically starts about 90 minutes after falling asleep and repeats several times throughout the night, according to Matthew Walker in Why we sleep. The brain is very active during REM sleep, and the body is effectively paralyzed to prevent acting out dreams. One of the main functions of dreaming is to help us process and consolidate memories from our waking life.
Our brain actively replays and incorporates new experiences into our preexisting knowledge structures while we are sleeping during REM, which can help us comprehend and remember what we have learned. In our dreams, we might have more imaginative and creative thoughts because the logical and rational parts of our brain are less active during REM sleep. Dreams can also help us process and work through difficult emotions, such as fear or anxiety, by providing a safe space to confront and process these feelings.
The movie “A Mid-Day Slumber” reminds us how dreams can often leave us perplexed and searching for clarity as to why such dreams occur. The main character, James, behaves like a missing villager named Sundaram after a good afternoon nap. The situation becomes chaotic when James behaves like Sundaram after waking up from his nap and is unable to distinguish his own identity from that of Sundaram’s. This movie left the audience wondering if James had a dream of being Sundaram or if Sundaram left as James to live in a different entity.
It made me think of the Butterfly Dream Theory, where the author daydreamed about being a contented butterfly but was unsure whether he was a butterfly in the dream or otherwise. There are many interpretations of this movie, some of which explore spiritual themes.
I’ll wrap this up with a Thirukkal that stayed after watching this movie.
உறங்கு வதுபோலுஞ் சாக்காடு உறங்கி
விழிப்பது போலும் பிறப்பு. (339)Death is sinking into slumbers deep;
Birth again is waking out of sleep.
Cheers!
PS: Available on Netflix.
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