Dream Psychology

I don’t know about where you are, but it’s getting a little cold over here, and the last thing I want to do is get out of bed in the morning. Anyway, have you ever wondered why you dream, or what your dreams mean? Well, if you haven’t, you’re about to find out some interesting facts about dreaming!

So, we all know the rough idea of what dreaming is. It’s when you go to sleep and have vivid images or scenes play out in your head. Sometimes, we remember them when we wake up, but most often, those dreams vanish from our memories. So, why is that?

Let’s start by taking a look at the science behind dreams.

As mentioned before, dreams include images, thoughts, and senses perceived during sleep. These dreams can be vivid and intense, while they can also be vague and fleeting (1). Dreams have a wide range of emotions, and while some make sense, others do not. There are still many unknowns as to why we dream, but one thing for certain is that we dream for about a total of 2 hours while we sleep, whether we remember it or not (1). Our most vivid dreams occur during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which also make these dreams the ones we most likely remember (1). REM sleep is one of the 4 stages during our sleep cycle where we go through muscle relaxation, eye movement, faster respiration, and increased brain activity (2).

Now, let’s talk about some theories as to why we dream.

1. Dreams Provide Unconscious Expression:

According to Sigmund Freud, dreams could represent unconscious desires, thoughts, wishes, and motivation. The theory believes that our dreams are a representation of repressed feelings, and through our dreams, we’re able to confront and reconcile with these feelings.

2. Dreams Spur Creativity:

This theory believes that dreams help us solve problems, and allow our minds to wander in limitless potential. Research also shows that dreaming can promote creative thinking.

3. Dreams Help Process Emotions:

This is perhaps one of the most common theories, which is that dreams help us cope with our emotions or trauma while we are safe asleep. According to research, the amygdala - which is involved in processing emotions - is active during vivid and intense dreaming. It is also suggested that there is a connection between the amount of REM sleep we get and our ability to process emotions.

(1)

These are just a few theories, so if you would like to learn more, check this article out.

We’ve already talked about the science behind dreams and some theories as to why we dream. Now, let’s get into some fun and talk about some interesting facts.

• Everybody Dreams: Babies and adults both dream for around 2 hours each night, with each dream lasting from 15 - 20 minutes.

• You Forget Most Of Your Dreams: 95% of dreams are forgotten the minute we wake up. According to one theory, our brains don’t have the capacity to support memory formation.

• Not All Dreams Are In Color: There is actually a small percentage of people who dream in only black and white, though the majority tend to see pastel colors in their dreams.

• You Can Control Your Dreams: Ever heard of a lucid dream? This type of dream happens while you are aware and alert, but you’re still sleeping. Have you ever had a lucid dream?

• You Are Paralyzed During Your Dreams: Do you ever have the feeling that you need to do something during your dreams? Or feel like you’re watching everything happen without any control over it? This is because during REM, our voluntary muscles are paralyzed, which is why we can’t move during our dreams.

(3).

Well, that’s it for this week’s blog. If you stayed until now, I hope you learned something new or found something interesting!

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Works Cited

(1) Cherry, Kendra. "Why Do We Dream?" Verywell Mind, Dotdash, 16 June 2020,

www.verywellmind.com/

why-do-we-dream-top-dream-theories-2795931##what-is-a-dream. Accessed 31

Oct. 2020.

(2) Stibich, Mark. "What Is REM Sleep?" Verywell Mind, Dotdash, 5 July 2020,

www.verywellmind.com/understanding-dreams-2224258. Accessed 31 Oct. 2020.

(3) Cherry, Kendra. "10 Interesting Facts About Dreams." Verywell Mind, Dotdash, 7

Oct. 2019, www.verywellmind.com/facts-about-dreams-2795938. Accessed 31

Oct. 2020.