Having that exhilarating dream, or terrifying one makes me wonder about dreams. The wonder of dreams grows by the day. I continually ask myself why do I dream; what causes me to dream? Where do our dreams originate and occur? Do my dreams have meaning? The answers to these questions are a little complex. The answers I have to give are very sophisticated and need to be thoroughly thought out.
We all dream, but why do we dream? Well, there is no proven reason why we dream. Dreams are a mystery to science. Scientists have done an abundance of experiments, however can’t prove their theories. Some make compelling arguments, yet they don’t know completely. There are many theories, however only a couple standout. The first theory is Activation-synthesis
For years, psychologists have been wondering over the mysterious field of dreams. Dreams have always been mysterious. The content of the dreams can shift instantly, featuring unexplained events or sudden terrifying images (Whitman, Ornstein & Baldridge, 1964). The fact that the content of dreams can be enthralling is what causes many psychologists to believe that there has to be some implication to dreams (Webb & Cartwright, 1978). While many theories are formed to explain the functions and meanings of dreams, there is a lack of evidence on their purpose. In fact, recent researchers such as G. William Domhoff suggested that dreams most likely serve no real purpose (Domhoff, 2001). This research essay considers the whether there are a significant functions and meanings of dreams by responding to the following questions.
A common definition of dreams according to “Patterns for College Writing” is “the symbolic representation of mental states”, but this sparse definition does not begin to encompass the complex mechanisms behind dreams and its effects on human culture around the globe. Dreams have long been the topics of folklore and urban legends. Since human beginnings, people have sought to uncover the origin of dreams. The ancient Greeks believed dreams came from the God Oneiroi. The Chinese believes that dreams happened when the hun or spirit leaves the body for the land of the dead. The Ishi Indians believed that dreams were sacred messages from the Gods. Yet even now, with the current technological and intellectual advancements, scientists and psychoanalysts have still to find the true reasons and meanings of these dreams. Some argue that dreams are the products of overactive subconscious minds while others argue that dreams are solely randomized emotions from the limbic system during sleep. Despite these contrasting theories, the truth of the matter is that the topic of dreams and the reasons behind them remain a mystery.
There is a research evidence to support the activation synthesis theory. Research was taken on cats where there is apparently random firing of cells in cat's brains during REM sleep. This then therefore produces activation in parts of the brain that are used as visual perception and the control of the motor movements and may be synthesised into a dream. Hobson also showed evidence of how internally generated signals can be misinterpreted as external signals. He said that the cortical levels of the neurotransmitters are lower during REM sleep than during NREM sleep and when we are awake.
...n and development throughout history. After the research, I learned that while most dreams are fairly coherent, patterned, which include everyday settings, people, activities, and events, they may involve relatively unusual and perhaps bizarre aspects. Altogether, these images would allow people to have the most revealing and distinctive view of who they are and what they know in daily life by telling stories in the brain. However, while I still feel that no theory can exactly interpret what dreams’ meanings really are, it is interesting to know more how human brain’s activity (dreaming) function when people sleep. Moreover, I have decided to see my dreams as a television show with different episodes at night. That way, I will be able to enjoy the dream without ruining the fun that my brain offers because I would love to see what and how my brain wants me to see.
In this paper I hope to open a window to the vast and mysterious world of dreaming. To most people, information about dreams isn’t common knowledge. In researching this subject though, I found that everybody has and reacts to dreams, which are vital to your mental health. You will also find how you can affect your dreams and how they affect you.
Activation Synthesis Hypothesis is a theory revolving around the basis that there is a part of the brainstem that controls REM sleep, this is known as pons. The pons sends signals to a higher part of the brain (thalamus) in a chaotic and random manner. The thalamus then sends these random signals to the correct sensory areas of the cortex. Lastly, the cortex then activates the correct cortical cells and makes up a dream. This hypothesis believes that dreams are more physiological than psychological.
Theories are difficult, because they haven’t, yet, been proven, or disproven, making a definitive answer implausible. For now there is no answer for “Why we Dream”, but we can continue our search for a correct theory, in hopes that we do indeed find one.
Drenched in sweat and jolted to an upright position, a dream has awaken someone in the dead of night. Everyone dreams, whether they remember what they dreamt of or not. A dream is a series of images, thoughts, and sensations occurring in a person’s mind during sleep. Daydreaming is another state in which the mind is elsewhere. The only difference is that daydreaming occurs while awake and dreaming happens during a deep sleep. Surprisingly, dreams were first recorded clear back to the ancient days. From the Romans, to the Greeks, and all the way back to the Egyptians, dreams fascinated many. “They believed that dreams were caused by real things unable to be interpreted or controlled by the conscious mind” (“Dreams in Ancient Culture”). The ancients believed that dreams had a purpose behind them and were a message sent from god.. Behind every dream there is a meaning; philosophers study to find the reasonings as to why humans dream.
A dream is a progression of images, sounds, and emotions that the mind creates and experiences during sleep. The content, purpose and meaning of dreams is not fully understood even though the topic has been one of interest and greatly speculated for quite some time. (Sleep Care, 2002)
IV. (Preview Main Points) Although we have experienced countless dreams in our lifetime, do we ever stop to think: how dreams occur? How dreams affect our lives? Do dreams even mean anything? Today in my informative speech about dreams, I hope to enlighten you about dreams forming in our minds, the importance of dreams, and lastly the interpretations of dreams.
Where do dreams come from? What actually are dreams? Do they mean something that is related in our real lives? All these questions can be answered by learning about the history of dreams in various cultures throughout time.
According to Hannah Nichols, “Dreams are stories and images that our minds create while we sleep” (Nichols). The cause for dreaming is not known exactly, but there are many theories. It could be messages from the brain or an analysis of the day. I once had a very interesting dream; it was just a few days ago.
What is a dream? Why do we have dreams? Do dreams have deeper meaning in our lives? The answers to these questions have eluded and intrigued many psychologists throughout history and have sparked my interest as well. As an avid and vivid dreamer I have often found myself wondering what the true meanings to my dreams were. So what are dreams? “Strictly speaking, dreams are images and imagery, thoughts, sounds and voices, and subjective sensations experienced when we sleep.”1 Even after thousands of years of research, psychologists have still not come to an agreed answer on why we dream. There are as many opinions out there as there are individual dreams. Some psychologists believe dreaming is simply the minds way of distracting itself from outside information during sleep to allow people to get deep rest. Others such as Dr. Eric Hartman suggest dreams serve almost as a psychotherapy in which the brain can make connections between different emotions and thoughts in a safe protected environment. Do dreams have any direct correlation to everyday events and experiences? Are they meant to aid individuals in understanding and interpreting their world around them?
During prescientific days, dreams were interpreted as ‘manifestations’ of a ‘higher power’. Since the introduction of psychology, dreams have had 4 distinct interpretations. The first interprets dreams as a “liberation of the spirit from the pressure of external nature”. The second interprets dreams as “accidental disturbances from ‘internal organs’. The third interprets dreams as a foretelling of the future. The last interpretation is Freud’s. He interprets dream as an expression of subconscious desires.
Despite the large amount of time we spend asleep, surprisingly little is actually known about sleeping and dreaming. Much has been imagined, however. Over history, sleep has been conceived as the space of the soul, as a state of absence akin to death, as a virtual or alternate reality, and more recently, as a form of (sub)consciousness in which memories are built and erased. The significance attributed to dreams has varied widely as well. The Ancient Greeks had surprise dream encounters with their gods. Native Americans turned to their dreams for guidance in life. Shamans dreamed in order to gather information from the spirits.