DrEaMs

Recently I have found myself having strange, realistic dreams that are relatable. I asked my friends if the same was happening to them and most of them agreed. We are all freshman in different colleges who are starting new experiences in new places… could this be a possible reason for my strange dreams? Or are my dreams my subconscious that’s giving me information to help shape my future decisions? What is the purpose of our dreams?

Dreams remain to be a very blurred area of study in which we do not fully understand them. Some believe dreams are non-essential while others think they are necessary for our health. The reason why we dream remains uncertain. “In one study researchers woke up a subject right as they were starting REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) and found that those who could not dream experienced anxiety, depression, and weight gain.”

In terms of the meaning of dreams, it also remains uncertain whether dreams reflect our thoughts and emotions or whether they are unrelated stories created by our mind. The meaning of dreams is often unique to the individual and should also be interpreted individually. According to an article published by NBC News, scientists suppose that our dreams come from our “declarative memory,” which is stored information such as the name of your pet, and episodic memory, such as the day your grandma died.

Based on a study of people who have amnesia, which is loss of memories such as facts, information, and experiences, it was discovered that dreams come from “implicit memories.” Implicit memories are “memories that scientists can measure even when individuals don’t know they have them.” Procedural memory is one class of implicit memory and an example would be typing on the keyboard. Another type of implicit memory is “semantic” knowledge which involves “general, abstract concepts.” All of these various memory and knowledge realms give purpose to the brain and help it to make connections.

In summary, the NBC article describes dreams “like choosing an outfit by reaching into bins labeled “shirts,” “pants” and so on. You’ll rummage up something to wear, but it won’t be a perfectly matching ensemble.” This shows that dreams come from information that we previously know but may not necessarily be aware of. These memories and information come together to form our dreams and from there it is our individual place to make connections and discover the purpose and meaning of our dream. Sometimes it may not be very purposeful and just a random mix of memory and knowledge while other times dreams will combine memory and knowledge to make connections.

Although research continues to be done and scientists have differing viewpoints, the purpose of source of dreams remains unclear. For now, it relies on the dreamer him/herself and the inter workings of their own mind. Until we discover more about dreams, here is a clip many of us are probably familiar with that may (or may not) help us better understand dreams.

dreams

One thought on “DrEaMs

  1. Johnna Nicole Hayward

    Hey Karly!

    I found your blog interesting because unfortunately I don’t have dreams. I honestly couldn’t tell you when the last time was that I dreamed something. Or maybe I do have dreams and can’t remember them when I wake up?
    An addition to your blog which I think would be interesting is the concept of dream catchers. My best friend has a dream catcher hanging above her bed and is CONVINCED that it works and is the reason why she doesn’t have dreams either. I looked into this and found out that dream catchers are part of the Native American tradition. Wonderopolis states that “the good dreams, on the other hand, get caught in the web and slide down the beads and feathers to the sleeping child below”. Now, I couldn’t tell you how reliable of a source Wonderopolis is but I think this is still an interesting concept to consider. You discussed how dreams help us to combine our memories and make connections, but maybe all dreams aren’t good. Some dreams could possibly result in us making the wrong connections.

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