In the first half, historian of Soviet and post-Soviet Russia, Stephen F. Cohen, offered commentary on current relations between the US and Russia and the emergence of a dangerous new Cold War, the actual role of Vladimir Putin, and the 'Russiagate' allegations. "I think Russiagate was cooked up by our (US) intelligence agencies," Cohen asserted, and whatever meddling the Russians did wasn't out of line with what both countries have done in the past during election cycles. In what he is calling "Intelgate" rather than Russiagate, the role that the CIA and other US intel agencies has played has come to the attention of young Russians who've always hated their own KGB, he continued, and now they are thoroughly disenchanted with America.
Cohen doesn't believe Putin is the autocrat that he's perceived to be in the West. Groups around him pressure him in different directions regarding domestic and foreign policy, and when it comes to America, there are Russian "doves and hawks," he indicated. While tensions ratchet up between the US and Iran, we may be overlooking an emerging alliance of Russia-China-Iran, he cautioned. These countries, if linked with their gigantic resources, could yield a new world order before our eyes. For more of Cohen's thoughts on US-Russian relations, view the recap from his last show appearance.
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Layne Dalfen founded the Dream Interpretation Center in Montreal in 1997. Her interest in dreams stems from her early experience in Freudian analysis, where dream work was the primary tool. In the latter half, she discussed how to uncover the solutions to our relevant issues that appear in our dreams every night. One method she shared is taking the images provided by one's dreams and unconscious outside into your waking life, which can yield new insights in problem-solving and instigating changes. Don't push away your dreams when you wake up in the morning, she advised, as many people get caught up with their day's priorities, and let their dream memories slide away.
One method for increasing dream recall, she recounted, is to look closely at every detail of the room you are sitting in. Then close your eyes and walk around the room in your mind's eye, as this exercises a part of the brain related to inner and outer locations. Also, setting an intention before going to sleep that you'll remember your dreams can be helpful. There are various points of entry for understanding or analyzing a dream, said Dalfen, and one of them is the language we hear in the dream, which may come in the form of a powerful metaphor. For more tips, check out short videos, she has posted on her Instagram feed.
News segment guests: Howard Bloom, Peter Davenport