Saelyx Finna could spend a lot of time talking about dreaming.
The filmmaker is a “lifelong vivid dreamer,” meaning she often remembers her dreams when she wakes. But it isn’t just a hobby for Finna, who uses she/they pronouns. It’s a subject she cares deeply about, and one she approaches with a researcher’s curiosity and an artist’s imagination.
In June, Finna launched the Akron Dream Hotline as a way to collect dreams from people in the community. Finna is also an artist-in-residence at Akron Soul Train. A short film they created called “Dreams Travel Wondrous Wires” will be on view at the downtown gallery in November. Finna has also frequently written about and presented on the study of dreams.
With the hotline — which can be reached by calling 330-249-1114 or by filling out an online dream report — Finna hopes to answer a central question: What would happen if people started paying attention to their dreams?
“For the majority of human history, civilizations and cultures of all eras and all over the world have understood that dreaming is this universal experience that connects all of us,” Finna said, “and that we dream many of the same kinds of dreams, even if we make different meanings of them.”
The Akron Dream Hotline is part of a larger project. Finna is currently filming “Under the Dream,” a documentary-meets-narrative film looking at the latest advancements in dream technology. She received funding for the film from the Knight Foundation through its Knight New Work grant.
Finna started working on the film several years ago, reading research about dream technology and speaking with experts. They’re particularly interested in dream engineering, which uses technology to understand and influence dreams. They pointed to new research that could help treat people with post-traumatic stress disorder who suffer from recurring nightmares.
“Our dreams are the most private, personal part of ourselves that are mysterious even to us,” Finna said. “It represents the inner sanctum of the psyche. So what does it mean to bring technology into that space?”
Although the Akron Dream Hotline is in its early days, some trends have already started to emerge, Finna said. She’s received a few dozen submissions. Many reported dreaming about personal situations or dealing with difficult emotions.
“Anxiety and apprehension are two of the most commonly experienced emotions in dreams. There’s also a lot of research that shows that if you dream about a situation, it helps alleviate the intensity of the emotion in waking life,” they said. “Dreaming is almost like a release valve that lets you let off some emotional steam and prepares you to deal with the situation in [real life] head-on a little bit more.”
Finna will have a table at Civic Saturday Akron on Aug. 9 where she will share information about the Akron Dream Hotline. People can share their dreams and take home a signature dream tea blend to encourage sweet dreams. At previous events Finna attended, responses to dreaming varied. Some people were entirely dismissive of dreaming, she said. Others shared profound experiences — like a woman who said she dreamt her mother had cancer a month before she was diagnosed.
“It’s so fascinating to see how people feel about their own dreams, what sense people make of dreams,” Finna said. “As much as anything, I think the hotline is also just an excuse for me to get to have those conversations, because otherwise we don’t have a lot of occasions to be like, ‘Yeah, so what did you dream last night? How was that?’”