Calpurnia And Activation Synthesis Theory In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
In the play, Calpurnia has a nightmare about Caesar's body spurting out blood like a fountain. “She dreamt tonight she saw my statue, which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts, did run pure blood; and many lusty Romans came smiling and did bathe their hands in it” (II.ii.81-84) Calpurnia’s ominous nightmare causes her to beg Caesar to stay home. Which Caesar almost does so, only for Decius to convince him otherwise. “This dream is all amiss interpreted. It was a vision fair and fortunate. Your statue spouting blood in any pipes, in which so many smiling Romans bathed, signifies that from you great Rome shall suck Reviving blood, and that great men shall press for tinctures, stains, relics, and cognizance. This by Calpurnia's dream is signified....Besides,
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Activation Synthesis theory simply states that dreaming is simply the brain’s way of processing those said impulses. Humans and even animals experience this random stimulus as dreams. “Dreaming may be our most creative conscious state, one in which the chaotic, spontaneous recombination of cognitive elements produces novel configurations of information: new ideas. While many or even most of these ideas may be nonsensical, if even a few of its fanciful products are truly useful, our dream time will not have been wasted” (Hobson, 1999) Activation Synthesis theory was first proposed by John Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley, in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
In the context of Activation Synthesis theory, Calpurnia and Brutus’ dreams have no meaning to it. The dreams are simply random impulses of them dealing with their emotions of the current situations. In Calpurnia's case, she’s dealing with her gut-feeling and her displeasure of ceremonies. “Caesar I never stood for ceremonies, yet now they frighten me.” (II.ii. 13-14). With Brutus he’s dealing with the emotional charge of the mobs, and the war, along with his moral dilemma of whether killing Caesar was the right thing to
Activation Synthesis theory simply states that dreaming is simply the brain’s way of processing those said impulses. Humans and even animals experience this random stimulus as dreams. “Dreaming may be our most creative conscious state, one in which the chaotic, spontaneous recombination of cognitive elements produces novel configurations of information: new ideas. While many or even most of these ideas may be nonsensical, if even a few of its fanciful products are truly useful, our dream time will not have been wasted” (Hobson, 1999) Activation Synthesis theory was first proposed by John Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley, in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
In the context of Activation Synthesis theory, Calpurnia and Brutus’ dreams have no meaning to it. The dreams are simply random impulses of them dealing with their emotions of the current situations. In Calpurnia's case, she’s dealing with her gut-feeling and her displeasure of ceremonies. “Caesar I never stood for ceremonies, yet now they frighten me.” (II.ii. 13-14). With Brutus he’s dealing with the emotional charge of the mobs, and the war, along with his moral dilemma of whether killing Caesar was the right thing to