"Dreams and nightmares have long haunted the dark regions of the human mind," says the host, Leonard Nimoy. "Today, however, we are finding ways to solve the age-old riddle of our subconscious. It may not be long before we can control and plan our own dreams."
"In Search of ..." explores the mysteries of dreams and nightmares: why we have them and what they do for us. The ancients knew that dreams were significant. And now science has taken an interest in them.
"In Search of ..." introduces us to the Massachusetts Mental Health Center's Dr. Allan Hobson, who studies REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.
We meet Dr. Rosalind Cartwright of the Rush Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago. With the aid of electroencephalography, she explores the healing power of dreams and hopes they can lead to cures for depression in women.
Dr. Anthony Kales of the Sleep Research and Treatment Center at the State University in Hershey, Pennsylvania uses brainwave electrodes and low-light cameras to study "night terrors." Another therapist joins a group of women using "dream circle therapy" to ease their woes.
"The best way to remember and begin exploring dreams," says Leonard Nimoy, "is to write them down in the morning. With enough experience it's actually possible to change the outcome of dreams and nightmares. Dream experts suggest that before going to sleep we should mentally prepare ourselves to confront our dream-fears and act vigorously to make wishes come true. For those who attempt it, the voyage into full awareness of the dream world is an adventure beyond compare. Good night and pleasant dreams."
This episode can certainly cause a few nightmares with its eerie images, depicting dreams. The experts are more reputable than usual in this entertaining look into the mysteries of the mind.