Dreams: The Mental Pictures

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Recommended: revision of the theory of dreams

The average person spends over one-third of their life sleeping, and over this period of time he or she can have over 1,825 dreams (Wicklinski). By definition, dreams are mental images, thoughts, or emotions that are experienced while sleeping. In the beginning, dreams were thought to be messages sent from the gods or spirit world. Researchers now have many theories explaining why people dream. Many of these theories explain that dreams can resemble an individual’s sensory experiences or even secret wishes. All people dream, but only 42% of people can recall their dreams from the night before (“Dreams”). The study of dreams is a topic that is constantly being debated by researchers for many reasons. Dreaming is important because it can impact people’s health, provide insight into what they are feeling, and reveal information about their behavior. It is very important that people dream if they want to remain in good health. Sleepers can cycle through five stages of sleep continuously throughout the night, one of the most important being Rapid Eye Movement (REM). REM sleep can last for up to five minutes at a time, and is entered multiple times throughout sleep. On the other hand, the brain stem, which controls a person’s emotions, memory, and desires, is very active during sleep. However, the “reasoning brain” is shut down. A person’s brain also cuts off all signals from the senses and blocks messages sent to the muscles, which prevents someone from acting out his or her dreams (Andre-Clark). Dreams occur during the REM phase, the most restful time of sleep. For this reason, scientists have concluded that dreaming is beneficial to an individual’s health. Robert J. Hoss, author of Dream Language, states, “dreaming is... ... middle of paper ... ... said, “Dreams are the touchstones of our characters.” Works Cited Andre-Clark, Alice. "Why Do We Dream?" Sirs Discoverer. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. "Dreams." Student Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Student Resource Center - Junior. Gale. Central Dauphin Senior High School. 13 Mar. 2014. "Greater Good." The Influence of Dreams. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. Kettelkamp, Larry. Dreams. New York: W. Morrow, 1968. Print. "Oneirology: Understanding the How, the Why and the What | DreamDoze." DreamDoze Oneirology Understanding the How the Why and the What Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. "Scientific Study of Dreams: Sample Chapter." The Scientific Study of Dreams: Sample Chapter. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. "Sigmund Freud." Theories. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. Wichlinski, Lawrence J. "Dream." World Book Student. World Book, 2014. Web. 13 Mar. 2014

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