Daydreaming

Freud labeled them infantile, Plato held them in contempt, Pascal blocked them out, but daydreams, according to University of Minnesota professor Klinger, are a ``constructive self-distraction'' that continually reminds us of our personal agendas. The author argues that waking fantasies can help us rehearse social situations, get organized, dig for creative solutions to problems, gain self-insight and sharpen skills through mental practice. Free of jargon, this eye-opening self-help manual enables readers to work with daydreams instead of being sidetracked by them. Research suggests that daydreaming activity peaks every 90 minutes, like the cycle of dreaming during sleep. Erotic reveries during sex with a real-life partner are equally common among women and men, according to other studies. Klinger fits the jigsaw pieces of research into a discernibly patterned mosaic. (Aug.)