Walsh (Part V); Hughes (Ch. 4); Pearce (Ch. 4)

Again we are bombarded with an amazing amount of reading and an equally amazing amount of information. At first I was unable to connect the three readings but after quite some thought, I am able to speak my mind. I chose to read the Hughes chapter first (not for any reason in particular) and it definitely was a good choice. I am a big fan of the dream world and it's awesome to have an almost scientific background supporting my love. Not only did Hughes give us a framework for dreams, but he chose some awesome imagery to help us focus in on something that simply can not be focused on. I especially enjoyed the painting "The Nightmare" which I have seen in a previous humanities course. The painting definitely conveys its title. Not only did Hughes cover dreams but also some dreamlike states such as out of body experiences and near death experiences. These ideas tied in at the end of the Walsh reading very nicely. Walsh presented us with a lot of information as well. He took us straight into the spirit world and the world of the shaman and he showed us how we as humans have been using these ideas and traits for thousands upon thousands of years. A shaman is going to use the dreams to his advantage. It is in these dreams that we can find answers and solutions if we choose to look in the right way. It took me awhile to tie good 'ole' Pearce into the equation. I think what Pearce was trying to say is that we must have extreme focus if we are to advance as a person and as a group of people such as a society. He used a lot of quotes which confused me but he would occasionally throw in an amazing idea of his own. I think Pearce would like us to go to this dream/unconscious like state to obtain new ideas - to crack the "egg". Walsh and Hughes are giving us the direction and guidance while Pearce is telling us what to do when we get there.