(十八)
History is full of cases where dreams have been a pathway to creativity and discovery. A striking example is provided by Dr. Otto Loewi, a pharmacologist (药理学家) and winner of a Nobel Prize. Loewi had spent years studying the chemical transmission of nerve impulses (脉搏). A tremendous breakthrough in his research came when he dreamed of an experiment three nights in a row. The first two nights he woke up and wrote down the experiment quickly and untidily on paper. But the next morning, he couldn’t tell what the notes meant. On the third night, he got up after having the dream. This time, instead of making notes he went straight to his laboratory and performed the important experiment. Loewi later said that if the experiment had occurred to him while awake he would have rejected it.
Loewi’s experiment gives some insight into using dreams to produce creative solutions. Nervous feelings are reduced during dreaming, which may be especially useful in solving problems that require a fresh point of view.
Being able to take advantage of dreams for solving is improved if you “set” yourself before retiring. Before you go to bed, try to think intently about a problem you wish to solve. Bury yourself in the problem by stating it clearly and reviewing all relevant information. Then use the suggestions listed in the previous section to catch your dreams. Although this method is not guaranteed to produce a novel solution or a new insight, it is certain to be an adventure. About half of a group of college students using the method for a week recalled a dream that helped them solve a personal problem.
44. The main idea of this passage is that _________.
A. very little is really known about the meaning of dreams
B. it is possible to “catch” one’s dreams by planning before going to sleep
C. dreams can be useful in producing creative solutions to one’s problems
D. Loewi’s experiment helped in the study of transmission o