Essay on The Science of Dreams

Why do we dream? What do our dreams mean? Dreams are a sequence of images, ideas, and feelings that involuntarily occur most commonly during the REM stage of sleep. They come in a wide variety of types, from the peculiar to the downright terrifying; the dreamer has no control over what they experience in their dreams. Though neurologists have been studying the human brain for decades, we still don’t fully know why we dream or what their significance is. Some psychologists theorize that dreams are closely linked to our subconscious mind, expressing our deepest fears or desires, allowing us to be what we cannot be. Others believe that dreams serve no function at all and are simply our imaginations running wild. In the words of Sigmund Freud, the founding father of psychoanalysis, “The dream is the liberation of the spirit from the pressure of external nature, a detachment of the soul from the fetters of matter.” (The Interpretation of Dreams)

To many people, dreams are the thoughts that occur while sleeping, having almost mystic qualities. For millennia the significance of dreams has escaped even the brightest of philosophers and intellectuals. Many people have speculated about why people dream and what meanings the dreams have but in recent times two theories have gained credibility in answering those questions. The first theory is Sigmund Freuds and the other is known as the cognitive theory of dreams also known as biological determinism.

While experiencing good sleep, I will unconsciously pass through five stages: 1, 2, 3, 4 and REM sleep (citation). According to the PL100 text, these stages progress cyclically from 1 through REM then begin again with stage 1, and usually,

There are many theories about why we dream, some say dreams have no meaning or purpose, others say dreams are required for emotional, physical and mental health. According to the activation- synthesis model of dreaming theory circuits in the brain become activated during the REM cycle, which causes areas in the limbic system involved in memories, emotions and sensations become activated (verywell.com/why-do-we-dream-top-dream-theories-2795931). Sigmund Freud’s theory on dreams suggested that dreams represented unconscious desires, thoughts and motivations (verywell.com/Freudian-theory-2795845). Though these thoughts are not consciously expressed, Freud suggested they make their way into awareness via dreams.

know". This idea of why we dream says that dreams are a way for our brain to review what

These stages are characterized by bursts of electrical activity on electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings. EEG readings monitor electrical activity representing neuronal activity in specific neurophysiological regions. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is characterized by desynchronized, saw-toothed theta rhythm waves and heightened cognitive activity. Comparatively, high amplitude, synchronous delta waves, and sharp hippocampal waves characterize slow wave sleep (SWS) sleep (stages 3-4 of non-REM sleep) (Tucker et al. 2006).

Thesis Statement: Dreams are successions of images, emotions, and sensations that occur subconsciously during sleep.

Growing up everyone has experienced dreams, but in this exploratory essay I am going to break down dreams on many different levels to form a better understanding of why it is we have them. Throughout my years of dreaming I have always wondered why do I have dreams, why do I dream about certain people, and why do I have dreams some nights while other nights I don’t have any along with many other questions. How is it that our brains can make these very realistic depictions of our real life, and transfer them into a memory as we wake up? Another very peculiar aspect of dreaming is seeing people or places that do not look familiar to us at all. Throughout my research I have discovered the answers to these questions, and many other aspects of dreams. While I was searching for answers to my questions I found that there is a lot more to learn than I originally thought. I developed even more questions to feed my research along the way.

While awake, beta waves are active in the brain. The first stage is known as REM. This is where rapid eye movement occurs. As well, dreams typically occur here. As you begin to fall asleep these beta waves become less prevalent and theta waves start to develop. This occurs in the early stages of sleep. Furthermore, this stage is known as N1 which is a light sleep that usually occurs for about five minutes. During this time body temperature drops and shallow, irregular breathing occurs. The next stage is known as N2. An EEG would show sleep spindles at this point. As time goes on the brain will begin to produce delta waves. These waves are long and slow. They occur in the deepest stages of sleep known as N3. This stage is also responsible for growth hormones being released in the pituitary gland. After N3 the body will begin to wake up on its own. The body will return to it's REM stage where body temperature increases and eyes have movement.

According to Merriam-Webster, a dream can be defined as a series of thoughts, images or emotions occurring during sleep. Form many people, sleep can be a disturbing time, but for others it can be a peaceful, longing time of the day. For me, I LOVE my sleep, as well as any dreams that may accompany my slumber.

Dreams have been around as long as the first civilization came to be and have been a normal part of human existence. One third of your life is spent sleeping, and of that third, on average you will have spent a total of about six years of it dreaming. Most people dream on average two hours every night, but you can have anywhere from four to seven dreams in one night. According to research, the most common setting for a dream is in your own house. In our dreams we can do anything we want and be whoever we want to be. Our dreams are an escape from reality. While we dream we are unable to control our actions and choose our surroundings. We let our minds take over. Sometimes dreams can be understood in the context of repressed thoughts. Dreaming serves as an outlet for those thoughts and impulses we repress during the day. When we go to sleep at night and slip into our dream state, we feel liberated and behave in a manner that we do not allow ourselves to in our everyday life. Visions and ides can come from your dreams. Often, authors, screenwriters, and even poets turn to their dreams for inspiration. The think quest oracle library goes on to tell about the most well-known of the modern dream

    Everybody dreams during his lifetime. It is a part of human nature that we experience almost everyday. Dreams can be lost memories, past events and even fantasies that we relive during our unconscious hours of the day. As we sleep at night, a new world shifts into focus that seems to erase the physical and moral reality of our own. It is an individual's free mind that is privately exposed, allowing a person to roam freely in his own universe. As we dream, it seems that we cannot distinguish right from wrong or normal from abnormal and, therefore, commit acts that we would not have done in a realistic society. Perhaps Lewis Carroll, author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,

The brains electrical activity is able to be measured with an electroencephalograph (EEG). The EEG measures your brain activity or brain waves. When you are awake and alert you exhibit beta waves which are small and fast, but immediately before sleep and when you are relaxed and allowing your mind to wander you exhibit alpha waves, and during deep sleep there are large slow waves called delta waves (2). It resulted in major leap in what was known about sleeping. The first phase of modern sleep research is roughly considered to be 1928 through 1953 (1). A lot of new information about sleeping was gained during this time period.

 There are five stages of sleep, REM and NREM stages 1, 2, 3, & 4.

Dreaming is something that all humans do. It is a wonderfully mysterious part of our life. No one knows for sure why we dream, but there are many theories as to why we do it. The conventional view on what dreams are, is that they are experiences in our brains during REM, (rapid eye movement) sleep that are seen as real by the dreamer (Weiten & McCann, 2016). These images are often bizarre in nature and include extremely vivid imagery that can be jarring to the dreamer in question, many scientific professionals have questioned this view (Weiten & McCann, 2016). This paper will address three of the most prominent theories as to why we dream, Sigmund Freud’s theory of wish fulfillment, the theory that dreams are simply our brains consolidating memories, and Rosalind Cartwright’s theory that dreams are our subconscious working through issues we are currently experiencing in our lives (Weitan & McCann, 2016). Dreaming is a heavily personal thing and is different for everybody. These theories above are simply trying to understand the subconscious and make sense of it. All three of these theories are heavily debated and have been for decades.