Vocabulary:

occasional solitude - усамітнення час від часу

the state of mind - стан розуму (духу)

quiet thinking - спокійні роздуми

at times - часом

to grow introspective - заглибитися у себе

to run without oil - їздити без заправки

instead of - замість того, щоб

Questions:

1. Why is it difficult to continue living and working without moments of solitude?

2. Why are people sometimes afraid of having time to think?

3. Have you ever thought that you do not have enough solitude?

4. How is creative work connected with solitude?

5. Do you think that moments of solitude may be necessary only for creative workers?

6. What kind of society would you like to be in when you feel happy (unhappy or discontented)?

7. Are there times when it is very difficult for you to stay alone?

8. What does the art of living among other people consist in?

9. Does self-analysis always bring knowledge of ourselves?

Text 4 dreams

The fascination of dreams has been felt by all people at every stage of human history. In primitive societies it is sometimes believed that the soul takes leave of the body during sleep and actually visits the scenes of the dream. In general, however, the view that dreams are illusory experiences is universally accepted.

To the psychologist, the dream is a form of natural expression which occurs only when the activity of the brain is depressed by sleep or by the influence of anesthetics or drugs. It has much in common with the fantasies and day-dreams of waking life, and differs from them mainly in being expressed in a dramatic form in which the dreamer himself appears to play a part. When dreaming, moreover, one tends to believe in the "reality" of the dream world, however inconsistent or illogical it may be. It is only when one awakes that happening of the dream dissolving into a half-forgotten fantasy.

The sense of time is often said to be greatly altered in dreams. There is some evidence that dream happenings which seem to occupy a very considerable time occur, in fact, within a few seconds.

People differ very much in the frequency of their dreams. Some claim to dream every night, others but very occasionally. Although it is probable that there exist real individual differences in the capability to dream, it must be borne in mind that some people appear to forget* their dreams much more rapidly than others and are therefore apt to claim that they seldom dream.

Many superstitions and occult practices have been built round the supposed power of dreams to foretell the future. Instances of dreams which have later turned out to be "prophetic" have often been recorded.

Do animals dream? Unfortunately we cannot be sure of the answer. Everyone knows that a sleeping dog often behaves as though he were dreaming, but it is impossible to tell whether it is really dreaming. By analogy with human experience, however, it is reasonable to suppose that at least the higher animals are capable of dreaming.

Note:

*some people appear to forget - деякі люди, певно, забувають