The brain amazes me! The things it does when we aren’t paying attention . . .
It’s 4 am, right, and I go straight from total sleep to complete awake, and somewhere in the space between my brain has designed a toothpaste commercial. Ha ha! Why in the world is my brain stuck on toothpaste? Who knows?! But check this.
The commercial airs in the evening, a little before typical adult bedtime (so the commercial is fresh on the mind when they brush their teeth for bedtime and also because emotions are more raw late at night when we are tired). It travels through different phases of life, two kids smiling at each other while playing/sharing something together; a teenage girl opening her locker to find a sweet note from an admirer. She looks down the hall and they smile at each other; Husband and wife on their wedding day, or having first child – all smiles, elderly couple holding hands, one helping the other walk or something along those lines etc.
Then in closing, the gentle, but emotional music playing in the background softens and fades out and a scene of a young dad (because this tugs at both dads and moms emotionally) at bedtime, in his flannel pajama bottoms, shirtless, of course, because, let’s be honest – who doesn’t want to see that? and his daughter (3 or 4 years old, I’m seeing brunette loose, floppy curls) also in pajamas, leans in and whispers, but it is a loud whisper, because kids this age haven’t yet really learned to whisper, so they breathy speak into your ear. She breathy speaks to him, “Daddy, can I share you a secret?” and they laugh and he playfully tickles her.
The phrase, “Share you a secret” is used because it’s slightly different, so it catches your attention. Adults would say “tell you a secret,” but kids say the most interesting things and would be likely to say “share” instead of tell.
The tag, ‘Smiles Share Secrets’ and then the toothpaste image/brand is viewed.
Normally, with my “awake” brain, I would say the toothpaste needs to be the first thing seen, but my “asleep” brain created it this way – with it at the end. I don’t know why.
Why did my brain create that commercial? I don’t know. I’m not in advertising or toothpaste. I can’t recall seeing anything before I went to bed to trigger something along those lines – I rarely even watch TV, so how is that possible? And why? Those are the questions that baffle and excite me.
I’ve done some research in an effort to answer those questions. It turns out that our brains are actually quite busy during the sleep process. According ‘Science Focus’, “The whole brain is active during dreams.” Different regions of the brain are active at different levels during our sleep cycles. The systems dealing with emotion tend to be more active than those managing our critical thinking, hence some of the irrational crazy that goes on in our dreams.
This, however, still doesn’t explain where my dream came from. It was rational and well thought out. I know that dream research and theory levels uncertain explanations, theories only, and that real explanation is anyone’s guess. Explaining my dream isn’t what this is about, though, recognizing the endless abilities of our brains, is. We are creatures with explosive potential! So many of us untapped. In the words of a leading brain and learning expert, Jim Kwik, “We don’t know what we don’t know.” And I love it!
Oh, the JOYS!!!