Can a dream save your life? Actor Mark Ruffalo believes it can. In 2001, Ruffalo woke up at 3 a.m. from an unusual dream. The dream gave him a clear message about a brain tumor. He said it was not a voice but pure knowledge.
At the time, Ruffalo had no symptoms at all. He only had a minor ear infection the night before. Still, he felt a strong sense of doom after the dream. He told an on-set doctor, who ordered a scan that same day. The scan revealed a golf ball-sized mass behind his left ear.
The tumor was diagnosed as a benign acoustic neuroma. It was not cancerous, but it was pressing against his facial nerve. Surgery carried serious risks, including hearing loss and facial paralysis. Ruffalo asked his doctors to save his face so he could be a father. After the operation, he lost hearing in his left ear permanently.
Ruffalo's facial paralysis resolved within about a year of surgery. He eventually returned to acting and became a major Hollywood star. His story highlights the importance of listening to your intuition. If he had ignored his dream, the outcome could have been much worse. Many people now see his experience as proof of the mind-body connection.
