| The Australian Aborigines are the descendants of the | | | | 1894) composed many of his most famous stories, |
| original inhabitants of Australia. For uncounted | | | | such as Treasure Island and Kidnapped, from images |
| thousands of years, they followed a nomadic | | | | that came to him in dreams. |
| hunter-gatherer lifestyle, although most are settled | | | | Although dreams cannot be influenced, there are some |
| today. The Aborigines adapted remarkably well to the | | | | people who are able to play a role in controlling their |
| huge area of the Australian continent. Without maps to | | | | dreams. Instead of non-participative bystander, such |
| help them navigate through the land, and without pen | | | | people can control dreams and thought connections. |
| and paper to help them record their harsh environment | | | | According to psychologists, this kind of dreaming can |
| and landscape, the Aborigines did remarkably well to | | | | be learnt through a structured training process. Those |
| navigate this vast continent and survived and thrived. | | | | who dream clearly can remember their nocturnal |
| Their sense of geography was not only highly | | | | messages later on and can store useful notes in their |
| accurate but also highly sophisticated. How did they do | | | | personal creative database. |
| it? The Aborigines passed geographical information on | | | | What can happen if, in your thoughts, you were to |
| by means of stories similar to myths, which were also | | | | combine with the object at the center of a problem? |
| recorded in artistic ornaments. | | | | You could then start spinning ideas from this viewpoint. |
| These stories speak of particular features of the land | | | | Let's take for example you are a banker and you ask |
| like a kind of road map. | | | | yourself how it would feel to be a dollar note or a |
| Also, these stories have been immortalised in striking | | | | coin? Or if you were an architect, how it would feel or |
| fashion by many Aborigine artists. By telling and | | | | how would the world around look like if you were a |
| retelling these stories, the Aborigines created an aid for | | | | building or a bridge? If this technique does not help you, |
| their memory of the exact orientation of the land, while | | | | you can try "bundling" your thoughts. This technique, |
| at the same time passing on their knowledge of the | | | | used for stimulating intuition, has been developed by |
| landscape. Generally, stories or fairy tales, dances or | | | | psychologists. Write down on a blank piece of paper, |
| songs are ideal ways for creating images that we will | | | | the keyword from which you want ideas to spin off. |
| remember as long as we live. You too can use this | | | | For example, seemingly unrelated words and |
| tool for your memory. But instead of using songs to | | | | sentences are grouped around a central keyword, it is |
| remember a route, why not use a route that you are | | | | surprising what patterns and structures will emerge. |
| familiar with, like a bus or car route to work or school | | | | You can then suddenly discover where the real |
| to help you remember everyday things, like shopping | | | | problem lies. |
| list or to-do list? Images form not only the basis of a | | | | With the keyword in the centre of the paper and in a |
| good memory but also serve to inspire us to greater | | | | circle, let things evolve and flow and allow your |
| things. People have been using vivid imagery and | | | | thoughts to just move you along. Write things down |
| imagination successfully as memory techniques or | | | | quickly, giving each idea its own circle until, from the |
| memory training. In addition creative use of such | | | | centre, lines points out in all directions. Connect each |
| imagery can be used to enhanced a student's learning | | | | word or phrase with a line to the circle before it. If the |
| and study skills. | | | | connection is broken when something new cannot be |
| Not many of us can make sense of our dreams and | | | | connected to the idea or term you thought of last, then |
| often there is no need to. Dreams serve as a kind | | | | start again with the core word. Allow the other |
| brain dump when neurons fire off in random fashion to | | | | thoughts to emerge until your associations are |
| help us dissipate the sheer weight of information that | | | | exhausted. Drawing comparisons is a key to creativity. |
| our senses perceived each day. But that is not to say | | | | This is a great way for you to recognise new relations, |
| there is nothing of value in dreams. Many writers and | | | | structures and openings that can give you fresh |
| artists have been inspired through dreams. The | | | | revelations, solutions or ideas. |
| Scottish writer Robert Louise Stevenson (1850 to | | | | |