Newresearchshowsdreamingaboutataskgivesyouanedgeinreallife.
It’slateintheevening:timetoclosethebookandturnoffthecomputer.You’redonefortheday.Whatyoumaynotrealize,however,isthatthelearningprocessactuallycontinues—inyourdreams.
Itmightsoundlikesciencefiction,butresearchersareincreasinglyfocusingontherelationshipbetweentheknowledgeandskillsourbrainsabsorbduringthedayandthefragmented,oftenbizarreimaginingstheygenerateatnight.Scientistshavefoundthatdreamingaboutataskwe’velearnedisassociatedwithimprovedperformanceinthatactivity(suggestingthatthere’ssometruthtothepopularnotionthatwe’re“getting”aforeignlanguageoncewebegindreaminginit).What’smore,researchersarecomingtorecognizethatdreamingisanessentialpartofunderstanding,organizingandretainingwhatwelearn—andthatdreamsmayevenholdoutthepossibilityofdirectingourlearningaswedoze.
Whilewesleep,researchindicates,thebrainreplaysthepatternsofactivityitexperiencedduringwakinghours,allowingustoenterwhatonepsychologistcallsaneuralvirtualreality.Avividexampleofsuchreenactmentcanbeseeninthisvideo,madeaspartofa2011studybyresearchersintheSleepDisordersUnitatPiti-SalptrireHospitalinParis.Theytaughtaseriesofdancemovestoagroupofpatientswithconditionslikesleepwalking,inwhichthesleeperengagesinthekindofphysicalmovementthatisnormallyinhibitedduringslumber.Theythenvideotapedthesubjectsastheyslept.Lyinginbed,eyesclosed,thewomanonthetapedoesafaithfulrenditionofthedancemovesshelearnedearlier—“thefirstdirectandunambiguousdemonstrationofovertbehavioralreplayofarecentlylearnedskillduringhumansleep,”writesleadauthorDelphineOudiette.
Ofcourse,mostofusarenotquitesoenergeticduringsleep—butourbrainsarebusynonetheless.Whileourbodiesareatrest,scientiststheorize,ourbrainsareextractingwhat’simportantfromtheinformationandeventswe’verecentlyencountered,thenintegratingthatdataintothevaststoreofwhatwealreadyknow—perhapsexplainingwhydreamsaresuchanoddmixtureoffreshexperiencesandoldmemories.Adreamaboutsomethingwe’vejustlearnedseemstobeasignthatthenewknowledgehasbeenprocessedeffectively.Ina2010studypublishedinthejournalCurrentBiology,researchersatHarvardMedicalSchoolreportedthatcollegestudentswhodreamedaboutacomputermazetasktheyhadlearnedshoweda10-foldimprovementintheirabilitytonavigatethemazecomparedtoparticipantswhodidnotdreamaboutthetask.
RobertStickgold,oneoftheHarvardresearchers,suggeststhatstudyingrightbeforebedtimeortakinganapfollowingastudysessionintheafternoonmightincreasetheoddsofdreamingaboutthematerial.Butsomescientistsarepushingthenotionofenhancinglearningthroughdreamingevenfurther,askingsleeperstomentallypracticeskillswhiletheyslumber.InapilotstudypublishedinTheSportPsychologistjournalin2010,UniversityofBernpsychologistDanielErlacherinstructedparticipantstodreamabouttossingcoinsintoacup.Thosewhosuccessfullydreamedaboutthetaskshowedsignificantimprovementintheirreal-lifecoin-tossingabilities.ExperimentslikeErlacher’sraisethepossibilitythatwecouldtrainourselvestocultivateskillswhileweslumber.Thinkaboutthatasyourheadhitsthepillowtonight.
【重点单词及短语】
slumberv.睡眠；麻木状态；静止状态v.睡眠；蛰伏；麻木
integrateinto成为一体，融入；使……并入
Questiontime:
1.Whathavescientistsfoundbetweendreamsandwhatwelearn?
2.Howdoourbrainsactwhenweareatrest?
