Three Dream Theories

Experts still do not completely understand why we dream or the causes behind dreams. There are several hypotheses and concepts as to why we dream. Are dreams just part of the sleep cycle or do they serve some other purpose? One possible explanation for why we dream could be that we want to represent unconscious desires and wishes. Others say, we dream because we interpret random signals from the brain and body during sleep. I personally believe, that dreams represent desires and wishes. As with many things concerning the brain and unconscious thought, there is so much that remains unknown about dreaming. Dreams are difficult to study in a laboratory. As technology and new research techniques are developed, the understanding of dreams will continue to

We spend six years of our lives in sleep and many of us do not think about what occurs while asleep. Everyone has experienced more than a few dreams while asleep, that is because, whether you know it or not, everyone dreams while asleep. Based off the Activation Information Mode Model theory, dreams are random neurological firings that have no particular meaning. The reason dreams feel so real and personal is because they are based from recent memories located in the brainstem. Although dreams are meaningless, our brain tries to make connections. Through the Activation Information Mode model people are able to analysis personal 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.

Both Freud and Jung provided important and interesting theories on dreams; encompassing their functions, their roots, and their meanings. Freud looked at dreams as a result of repressed memories, particularly repressed sexual memories from our childhood. Jung however, believed that dreams delved beyond sexual repression during younger years, to other problems, be it trauma, anxiety etc. Jung also believed dreams changed predominately through middle adult years, while Freud believed the opposite. There is little empirical evidence to reinforce either Freud or Jung’s theories, however, their contributions to the study of dreams in psychology cannot be lessened or denied.

As we lay ourselves down every night to put our bodies to rest, our brains begin doing something extraordinary. It begins piecing together images, creating scenarios, simulating sensory perception, and adding in emotions and fears. They can make us wake up with a smile on our face or in a cold sweat. Dreaming is such a strange and often inexplicable phenomenon, but something we all do just about every night. People have theorized the process and the utility of dreams for centuries. However, much of the accepted knowledge we have a bout dreams today is still only theory. In fact, hardly anything about the dreaming experience is concrete because it is an experience

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

When I was doing my research it was a little hard to find good sources that are centered on the science behind dreams. A lot of the information seemed to be pretty old and outdated. That was when I found the dreaming brain by J. Allan Hobson. This author takes a look at the

On the other hand, there is not an exact or one percent proved explanation in scientific terms on why or how dreams occur; however, many erudite have developed theories on why they might happen. Many of them include an area of our brain that activates the dream imagery while sleeping. Allan Hobson, Harvard Medical School professor, stated in his activation-synthesis model that as soon as the dreamer enters REM sleep, which is the state where dreams are said to occur the most, a signal of electrochemical pulse changes is sent out from the brainstem and activates the dreamer’s visual perception. After this signal is sent out, the forebrain responds by putting significant effort in creating a gibberish story in the dreamer’s mind.

Dreams come in all shapes and forms. Every dream experience falls into one of the following categories: Prophetic Dreams, Release Dreams, Wish Dreams, Informative and Problem solving dreams, and Astral Visits. So many people take dreams for granted or think they do not mean anything, but they do. Dreams are incredible when you learn what they are, mean and why we dream at all.

Normally, dreams occur in the REM stage of sleep, but they can occur in the fourth stage of sleep. Although little is truly known about dreams, because we can only rely on the dreamer, there are three main theories that try to explain dreams. These theories are Freud’s psycho dynamic theory, the cognitive theory, and the activation-stimulation theory.

Freud This view of dreams come from a more psychoanalytical perspective and it shows a probable theory with actual proof and science to support his claim. Wish fulfillment is a big part of most every dreams. Wish fulfillment is the unconscious mind trying to resolve an internal conflict, for example a problem that the dreamer has encountered sometime recent or something from their past. During sleep the unconscious can have disturbing and random thoughts that the dreamer has no control over and sometimes these images can be vivid and life like.

Personally, I have always found dreams to be fascinating and the article, “Dream on, Freud” by Sue Goetinck discusses the advances made in neuroscience regarding dreams. Dr. Edward Nersessian is a psychoanalyst who discusses what the scientific community has learned about dreams since Freud’s time. Freud assumed that people dream simply because their thoughts would keep them awake at night. Dr. Edward Nersessian agrees with some of Freud’s theories but quickly argues that how we interpret dreams is different then Freud had originally thought. During the time of Freud he was the only one who would interpret the dreams while today not only are the doctors and psychoanalyst interpreting but the patients as well. Today, the scientific community

The above mentioned theories all have valid scientific approaches to understanding dreams and the meaning behind them. Dream interpreting has been around for millions of years, in different cultures and societies some ignore the meaning, while others believe they are messages. However in the 21st century we have come to understand that dreams are not messages from a high power, rather it is something different. The theory that I believe is most useful in interpreting my dream is the Psychodynamic Approach which was theorized by Sigmund Freud. I believe that the dream I mentioned was a deeper under lying meaning, furthermore it was an attempting for me to understand the aspects of my reality. I believe this due to the fact that I was unwilling

Peoples’ views on dreaming today are similar yet different in a way, from what people believed back then. Sigmund Freud’s beliefs and theories were believed by many people, including one of his theories called day residue. There are several facts and information on the scientific background behind dreaming, such as the sleeping and dreaming structure, rapid eye movement sleep, and non-rapid eye movement sleep. There is also a lot of information on the content of dreams and the interpretations of them. What

Traveling has always been an expensive leisure, still it is craved so much that people from everywhere are willing to spend good money for just one enjoyable new experience. Unknowingly traveling is experienced in a different way almost every day and free of cost through dreaming. Dreams are like a fictional realm where one can get to role play their own life, with different rules and no limits. In formal words a dream is a series of images, emotions and sensations that happen, usually involuntarily, in one 's mind during certain stages of sleep. "The emphasis on dream and beliefs about them differ considerably across cultures." (Kracke, page 1). It is fairly simple to state that different cultures interpret dreams in a different manner, but do dreams change in different cultures? When one is placed in a different culture from his/her own not only do their interpretation of dreams change, but so does their dreams.