During the first half, clinical psychologist Edward Bruce Bynum detailed his investigations into dreaming, going as far back to how ancient civilizations like the Egyptians viewed them. Dreaming is actually a physical necessity, he noted, as people who become extremely sleep deprived, start dreaming with their eyes open. Dreams can help to solve problems from both recent and past issues, often posing solutions on a symbolic level, he cited. Recurring nightmares generally indicate an unresolved problem, he continued, whereas a less intense form of that is an "anxiety dream" like being unable to get to work or an important destination.
Precognitive dreams tend to be several weeks or several months rather than years ahead of the actual event, Bynum reported. Such dreams are similar to crisis dreams or telepathy that warn of serious or intense events happening to family members, he added. There are also "prodromal dreams," warnings or forecasts of physical illnesses that have yet to manifest. He also talked about "shared dreams" in which couples or family members can both experience the same dream images or events. The phone connection with Dr. Bynum was lost in the last half-hour, and author and dream expert Rosemary Ellen Guiley filled in to offer commentary on callers' dreams.
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In the latter half, Pulitzer prize winning New York Times reporter Matt Richtel, known for his explorations on how technology use impacts human behavior, discussed the ways in which everyday interaction with our devices is changing us. He cited the problem of distracted driving-- not only are people texting while driving, but some 10% of drivers are actually talking selfies when behind the wheel. Accidents are even occurring with people walking and texting. Because people seem to find their smart phones and devices so compelling, he's concluded that most will be agreeable to acceding control to driverless cars, when they come on the market in the years ahead.
Richtel said he rode in a Google driverless vehicle and his fears were allayed fairly quickly as he became acclimated to what felt somewhat like riding in a monorail. Driverless cars offer the hope of greatly reducing traffic fatalities and injuries, he pointed out. And yet with the increasing reliance on technology, people need to guard against being so caught up in the bells and whistles that they become catatonic and disconnected from each other, Richtel remarked. This sentiment ties in with his new novel, Dead on Arrival, a mind bending thriller with technological twists that starts off with the spread of a lethal virus.
News segment guests: Capt. Kelly Sweeney, John M. Curtis, Steve Kates
Guest Podcaster: Heidi Vandenberg, Vedic astrologer, YouTube channel