31. Researchers have come to believe that dreams
[ A ] can be modified in their courses
[ B ] are susceptible to emotional changes
[ C ] reflect our innermost desires and fears
[ D ] are a random outcome of neural repairs
32. By referring to the limbic system , the author intends to show
[ A ] its function in our dreams
[ B ] the mechanism of REM sleep
[ C ] the relation of dreams to emotions
[ D ] its difference from the prefrontal cortex
33. The negative feelings generated during the day tend to
[ A ] aggravate in our unconscious mind
[ B ] develop into happy dreams
[ C ] persist till the time we fall asleep
[ D ] show up in dreams early at night
34. Cartwright seems to suggest that
[ A ] waking up in time is essential to the ridding of bad dreams
[ B ] visualizing bad dreams helps bring them under control
[ C ] dreams should be left to their natural progression
[ D ] dreaming may not entirely belong to the unconscious
35. What advice might Cartwright give to those who sometimes have bad dreams ?
[ A ] Lead your life as usual .
[ B ] Seek professional help .
[ C ] Exercise conscious control .
[ D ] Avoid anxiety in the daytime .
Of all the components of a good night ' s sleep , dreams seem to be least within our control . In dreams , a window opens into a world where logic is suspended and dead people speak . A century ago , Freud formulated his revolutionary theory that dreams were the disguised shadows of our unconscious desires and fears ; by the late 1970s, neurologists had switched to thinking of them as just " mental noise "- the random byproducts lof the neural - repair work that goes on during sleep . Now researchers suspect that dreams are part of the mind ' s emotional thermostat , regulating moods while the brain is " off - line ". And one leading authority says that these intensely powerful mental events can be not only harnessed but actually brought under conscious control , to help us sleep and feel better ." It ' s your dream ," says Rosalind Cartwright , chair of psychology at Chicago ' s Medical Center ." If you don ' t like it , change it ."
Evidence from brain imaging supports this view . The brain is as active during REM ( rapid eye movement ) sleep - when most vivid dreams occur - as it is when fully awake , says Dr . Eric Nofzinger at the University of Pittsburgh . But not all parts of the brain are equally involved ; the limbic system ( the " emotional brain ") is especially active , while the prefrontal cortex ( the center of intellect and reasoning ) is relatively quiet ." We wake up from dreams happy or depressed , and those feelings can stay with us all day ," says Stanford sleep researcher Dr . William Dement .
The link between dreams and emotions shows up among the patients in Cartwright ' s clinic . Most people seem to have more bad dreams early in the night , progressing toward happier ones before awakening , suggesting that they are working through negative feelings generated during the day . Because our conscious mind is occupied with daily life we don ' t always think about the emotional significance of the day ' s events - until , it appears , we begin to dream .
And this process need not be left to the unconscious . Cartwright believes one can exercise conscious control over recurring bad dreams . As soon as you awaken , identify what is upsetting about the dream . Visualize how you would like it to end instead ; the next time it occurs , try to wake up just enough to control its course . With much practice people can learn to , literally , do it in their sleep .
At the end of the day , there ' s probably little reason to pay attention to our dreams at all unless they keep us from sleeping or " we wake up in a panic ," Cartwright says . Terrorism , economic uncertainties and general feelings of insecurity have increased people ' s anxiety . Those suffering from persistent nightmares should seek help from a therapist . For the rest of us , the brain has its ways of working through bad feelings . Sleep - or rather dream - on it and you ' ll feel better in the morning .
ANSWER BDABC
