The identification of the dream state as a source of inspiration is wi

Question

The identification of the dream state as a source of inspiration is widely documented. Friedrich Nietzsche called dreams "the origin of all metaphysics." The German chemist August Kekule interpreted a dream of snakes with their tails in their mouths to identify the circular structure of the benzene molecule. Composers from Beethoven to Billy Joel claim to have "heard" lyrics and/or musical arrangements while dreaming. But are these simply random "flashes" of creative insight, or is it possible to develop and control the ability to use the dream state to our own advantage?

The concept of dream incubation holds out the tantalizing prospect that the very problems that may be keeping us awake at night could actually be solved while we're sleeping, and its disciples believe that the ability can be developed. A study at Harvard Medical School showed that, when students consciously focused on a specific problem immediately prior to sleep, two-thirds experienced dreams that addressed the problem, and one-third succeeded in "dreaming" a solution. Post-hypnotic suggestion has also been used to induce directed, or lucid, dreaming. Although no distinctive physiological states have yet been linked to lucid dreaming, making it difficult for researchers to determine when subjects are experiencing it, empirical evidence associates these dreams with changes in breathing, heart rate, and skin response. Lucid dreams also seem to occur during intervals of high cortical arousal.

The advantage of dream-based problem solving is that it is not controlled by conscious thought, so the dreamer is not constrained by what he or she knows, or believes, to be true. (Since other organic compounds have linear structures, Kekule never considered any other molecular configuration for benzene prior to his snake dream.) Lucid dreams are also not limited by physical reality, making it possible for the dreamer to "refine the impossible," paving the way for discoveries and inventions that transcend what are currently viewed as inviolable boundaries.    1 
 1. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with presenting

A. a critique of the methods currently used to validate dream incubation
B. proof that directed dreamers can be identified through physiological changes
C. an account of incidents supporting the validity of dream incubation
D. an overview of the phenomenon of dream incubation
E. a chronicle of the development of dream incubation theory

2 
 2. According to the passage, which of the following is (are) true of lucid dreaming?

I. No physiological changes are notable in the dreamer.
II. It is directly related to post-hypnotic suggestion.
III. It allows dreamers not to rely solely on what they believe to be true.

A. I Only
B. III Only
C. I and III Only
D. II and III Only
E. I, II, and III

3 
 3. Which of the following statements would be most likely to follow the last sentence of the passage?

A. It would appear, then, that those who believe that dream solutions occur randomly are incorrect.
B. Consequently, dreams appear able to inspire a wide variety of technical and creative ideas.
C. Refining the physiological signals of lucid dreaming is the next step in developing a methodology for its direction.
D. This type of "outside the box" thinking that often occurs during dreams is crucial to true innovation.
E. Empirical evidence notwithstanding, lucid dreams remain difficult to identify and study.

RC Butler 2023  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 271 Date: 09 Aug-2023
 This question is part of RC Butler 2023 .  Click here for Details

sayakgoswami01 · Answer

Post-hypnotic suggestion has also been used to induce directed, or lucid, dreaming. Although no distinctive physiological states have yet been linked to lucid dreaming, making it difficult for researchers to determine when subjects are experiencing it, thus, the option 1 and 2 can also be linked for the question 2.... 
 and i am unable to connect the answer for question 3 , as the passage has enumerated that the drams are beyond regular boundaries the how we are supposed to eliminate options B and select D instead ??

Palpable · Answer

Sajjad1994  please share explanation for q2 and q3

Posted from my mobile device

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. According to the passage, which of the following is (are) true of lucid dreaming?

Difficulty Level:   Hard

Explanation

This question asks us to identify which answer choices make true statements about lucid dreaming which is defined as the mechanism that brings about dream incubation. Since the entire passage concerns this subject, it will be hard to make a prediction. Therefore, we should assess each answer choice, using clues from each statement to guide our research.

Choice (I)  concerns physiological changes, which are discussed in the second paragraph. However, the answer choice distorts the following statement from  Paragraph 2: "Although no distinctive physiological states have yet been linked to lucid dreaming...empirical evidence associates these dreams with changes in breathing, heart rate, and skin response."  Although physiological states have yet to be linked, this sentence describes several physiological changes that have been documented. Therefore,  (I)  is incorrect.

Choice (II)  is another Distortion.  Paragraph 2  states that  "Posthypnotic suggestion has also been used to induce directed, or lucid, dreaming,"  but this does not mean that all lucid dreaming involves post-hypnotic suggestion, so  (II)  is incorrect.

This leaves only  choice (III) , which must be correct since the first two choices are wrong. Indeed,  Paragraph 3  states that  “dream-based problem solving is...not controlled by conscious thought, so the dreamer is not constrained by what he or she knows, or believes, to be true.” Choice (III)  is a good paraphrase of this statement, so it is the only correct answer

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

3. Which of the following statements would be most likely to follow the last sentence of the passage?

Difficulty Level:   Hard

Explanation

This is an Inference question, since we're required to get into the author's mind to determine how the paragraph would most logically end.

Paragraph 3  concerns the advantages of dream-based problem solving, so we can eliminate  Choices (C)  and  (E) , which concern information discussed in  Paragraph 2 , and  Choice (B) , which would make more sense in  Paragraph 1.

Choice (A)  is Extreme; just because the author believes dream incubation is possible does not rule out the possibility of dream solutions also occurring randomly. The best choice here is  (D); "'outside the box' thinking"  refers to problem solving that is  "not controlled by conscious thought"  and  "not limited by physical reality,"  and  "true innovation"  refers to  "discoveries and inventions that transcend what are currently viewed as inviolable boundaries."

Answer: D

DmitryFarber · Answer

For Q2, watch the difference between "states" and "changes." The passage says that lucid dreaming isn't link to DISTINCTIVE STATES: in other words, it doesn't seem to be a special state of being that is clearly different from other states, such as REM sleep or a coma. However, in that same sentence, the author goes on to say that it IS associated with physiological changes (breathing, etc.), so (I) is directly contradicted. As for (II), the idea of "directly related" is just too strong. If SOME people have gotten sick after eating carrots, can we say "Carrots are directly related to illness"? That's just not supported.

For Q3, B is too general. We aren't looking for something that sums up the findings of the entire passage. We want something that connects directly to the author's train of thought at the very end of the passage. Because B starts with "consequently," in fact, it should describe something that is a direct consequence of what was just said, and that isn't what we get. They author ends by saying that dreams can help us go past current ideas of what's possible. But that in itself doesn't say anything about the wide range or applicability of dreams. Those are things we've seen in the earlier paragraphs, in which dreams helped with everything from benzene to Billy Joel songs. Answer D, on the other hand, builds on the specific idea of thinking past current boundaries to stress the importance of this last point.

The identification of the dream state as a source of inspiration is wi

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The identification of the dream state as a source of inspiration is wi

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615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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