Hey All,

I just thought of something pretty radical while watching National Geographic's documentary on solitary confinement and its effects on prisoners. I instantly wondered what prisoners would do for their 23 hours of confinement and if dreaming was one of them. There was a mention in the documentary about one of the inmates having horrible nightmares and I wouldn't be surprised if this was a common phenomena.

I did a little research online and I could find nothing conclusive or exploratory about inmates and their dreaming habits. Part of me wonders if a course in lucid dreaming would be beneficial to these men. Most are put in solitary confinement, not for their crimes, but for their actions in prison. Most are already mentally unstable and throwing them in a tiny box for months or years on end only aggravates their condition and makes it likely for them to commit crimes again (sorry I don't have sources - this is just what I gather from the documentary).

I don't condone crimes or have any particular pity for those that commit them, but many placed in solitary are for very petty and inconsequential offenses. If these men (or women, depending) are going to wallow away in "the hole," shouldn't they be presented with the option to free their minds? To use that 1/3 of their lives for something better? I think lucid dreaming would be very beneficial and maybe a good way to relief stress, anger and fear.

I'm seriously so excited about this I'm already looking at getting back in school for psychology or psychiatry. Now tell me I'm crazy. Ha.