Dreams are a phenomenon that are experienced by people of all ages, and even other species of animals. It is hard to categorize a dream under any type of mental process, because it’s more like its own unique realm of thinking. What is interesting about dreams is that, if analyzed, they can inform an individual about things that they know that they were not previously aware of about themselves. This concept is described by the word “subconscious.” Dream analysis can be a very useful tool to help someone maintain an inner peace with themselves.
The significance of dreams is a topic that has been up for some debate since it became a relevant psychological conversation. Some people believe that dreams are the product of random neuron firing in the brain that occurs while we sleep to create stimuli that we experience while in the REM stage of sleep. This is a theory that, to me, is completely useless and misguided. An alternative theory suggests that dreams are somewhat of a recap of that day’s events that are encoded into stronger memories overnight by the means of dreaming about them. This is a relatable theory, as it is not uncommon to dream about things that occurred in life throughout the preceding day. I believe that chalking up dreams to random brain activity is a way to seriously overlook an incredible mental process. Dreams can often give us insight on what motivates us and what our brains prioritize without us being aware of it. Dreams are the night time version of the sequence of events that play out in your head when you’re lost in a day dream; day dreams are usually highly focused on a particular motivation or goal.
(A brain during the normal phase of sleep is shown on the left contrasted with a brain in the REM stage of sleep on the right.)An interesting concept about dreams is that people have been known to report similar dreams that can be interpreted to mean relatable feelings shared by many people. Common dreams include dreams about drowning, teeth falling out, getting bitten by a snake, or appearing naked in a crowded public place. These are some very odd dreams, and it is worth looking into why these dreams are reported by such a large number of people. Dreams that involve something happening to the human body are subject to interpretation because of the subliminal ideas that our unconscious minds associate certain body parts with. Teeth, for example, are a sign of aggression, power, and masculinity. A dream about the teeth falling out may represent events in someone’s life that have left them to feel powerless. A dream about getting bitten by a snake has been thought to resemble the need for change, or a “wake up call” in someone’s life. A dream about suddenly being naked in public can represent a feeling of being exposed or vulnerable in the person’s real life. Since we usually forget dreams shortly after waking up (that is, if we end up remembering them at all), it can be helpful to record the events and feelings associated with a dream in a journal immediately upon waking up, whether it be in the morning or in the middle of the night.
Dream analysis has been around since the beginning of modern psychology and is something that we still do not know very much about. The complexity and capacity for us to dream is something that I believe should not be overlooked. Dreams can play a key role in helping someone figure themselves out. Dreams bring out the most suppressed and subconscious feelings of people and should be regarded with the respect that they deserve.
I have always found dreams to be interesting, particularly recurring dreams that stay with you for years. Something I learned recently and found kind of odd is that scientists don’t even have a solid answer as to why humans need sleep. I find that so odd especially considering the fact that it’s something everyone does and experiences. Studying dreams sounds like an extremely difficult task because the dreamer isn’t able to tell you what’s going on. I like this post and it raises many of the questions researchers face.
Maybe it’s just me, but dreams have always scared me in a way. I mean, our brain is almost completely shut down as we sleep, yet it somehow manages to show us things that we didn’t know about ourselves. As a kid, my mom told me that dreams were like a movie night for my brain, allowing it to showcase films of comedy, horror, adventure, and discovery all at once. I’ve always appreciated that interpretation because I can’t understand my brain and dreams give me some sort of clue as to what is really going on. I get excited when I have a dream, even if it’s a nightmare, because it means my brain is working and showing me things that I don’t already know. Dream analysis is a fascinating field of study, and even though we may never know what every single dream means, I agree with you that it is important to study patterns/recurring themes.