History And Background Of Dreams

518 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The role of dreams

John Lennon once said, “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” Everyone has had at least one dream in their lifetime. According to Stuart Kallen, people spend 1/3 of their lives sleeping and 1/5 of that dreaming. So that means that if you are 15 years old you have spent approximately 1 year of your life dreaming. You may not remember all of your dreams but trust me they happened. Ever since the beginning of time mankind we as people have been fascinated with these things known as dreams. According to Julia and Derek Parker, who wrote The Complete Book of Dreams, the earliest cave paintings are records of dreams ancient people once had. There are many theories as to where dreams come from in the past eras, in modern times, and also theories on how to interpret and understand dreams. In the past eras there have been many theories as to where dreams come from. According to Dreams Moods: History and Background of Dreams, during the Greek and Roman eras the people believed that dreams were messages from the Gods and from the deceased. The people from this era went to their...

Show More
Related

  • Finding Dreams. Comparing the Different Functions and Meanings

    1576 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Role of Dreams in Genesis, Song of Songs, and The Oresteia

    2520 Words  | 6 Pages

    When describing the role of dreams in ancient texts, Freud wrote, “They took it for granted that dreams were related to the world of the supernatural beings in whom they believed, and that they brought inspirations from the gods and demons.  Moreover, it appeared to them that dreams must serve a special purpose in respect of the dreamer; that, as a rule, they predicted the future.”   He goes on to explain the findings of a fellow psychiatrist, Gruppe, who believed that there are two classes of dreams in ancient texts.  The first class is influenced only by the present or past and does not play a largely significant role in these texts.  The second class, however, is determinative of the future and is quite important to the understanding of the texts in which they appear.  This class contains dreams that are direct prophecies and directly show the future, dreams that are foretelling of the future and indirectly hint at what the future will be, and dreams that are symbolic and require interpretation to fully understand their explanation of the future.   The gods use all these types of dreams to play a direct role in the lives of men in Genesis, Song of Songs, and The Oresteia.

    Read More

  • Psychoanalytic Theory Of Dreams

    1124 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The History of Dreams and Dreaming

    554 Words  | 2 Pages

    The history of dreaming began in the early centuries. “Dreams were often considered prophetic” (Comptons by Britannica). That means that dreams were seen as a message from the gods. Thousands of years ago, “Greek sick people slept in temples in order to receive dreams that would heal them” (Kantrowitz, Babara; Springen Karen). Current dream science started at the end of the 19th century. Dreams were seen as a kind of “desires” (Kantrowitz; Springen) stemming from childhood. Scientists still don’t know for sure why we are dreaming and what are dreams made of; howe...

    Read More

  • Dream Theory Of Dreams

    1010 Words  | 3 Pages

    Blind, deaf or mute, every single human being dreams. People over the age of ten often dream four to six times per night. As we all know from experience dreams can take us to familiar or unfamiliar places ranging anywhere from your own home to other realms. Dream interpretations vary from person to person. Some believe dreams are meaningful while others believe they are meaningless. Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Calvin Hall, Frederick Perls, Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley were all dream theorists who proposed different ideas as to why dreams exist and how they can be interpreted.

    Read More

  • Exploringn a Neurobiological Theory of Dreaming

    487 Words  | 1 Pages

    Exploringn a Neurobiological Theory of Dreaming Neurobiological theory of dreaming focuses on the brain and the nervous system. The activation synthesis theory which is one of the theories put forward by Hobson and Mcarley (1998) said sleep is controlled by mechanism in the brainstem. When activated this inhibits activity in the skeletal muscles and increases activity in the forebrain. This theory seems dreaming as an automatic part of the sleep process that may have no significance beyond the need to organize the material into coherent forms. Hobson points out that injection of a drug that increases the action of acetylcholine both increases REM sleep and dreaming.

    Read More

  • Unraveling the Intricacies of Dreams

    1163 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dreams are series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person’s mind during sleep. Dreams occur during a certain stage of sleep known as REM. Several different psychologists, including Freud and Hobson, have studied dreams. Psychologists have provided many theories as to what dreams are and the meanings behind them.

    Read More

  • Theories About Dreams

    947 Words  | 2 Pages

    All over the world different people, scientists, and civilizations have different dream theories. For instance, the Senoi tribe in Malaysia has a fascinating tradition of dream telling. Every morning the people of the tribe begin their day by discussing and interpreting their dreams with each other. The children, as they grow older, actually learn to control their dreams by simply wishing bad dreams into positive ones. It is observed that, by paying tribute their dreams, the people of the Senoi tribe learn to have faith in themselves. Also, they have very few, if any, mental problems “could working constructively with dreams be part of the answer” to mental issues? (Peirce)

    Read More

  • The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud

    322 Words  | 1 Pages

    Freud also discusses the beliefs of early man, as dreams were connected to demons, gods and mythical deities. Dreams were perceived to be of a supernatural nature in primitive times and dreams were believed to portend the future.

    Read More

  • The Reality of Dreams

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novel, Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M Coetzee, the magistrate’s progressive, non-linear dreams are a parallel to his growing involvement with the barbarians and his growing distaste for the empire. The great psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud said, “The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious.” In every dream there is a hidden meaning and when the reader starts analyzing the magistrate’s dreams he reveals that he is oddly attracted to the barbarians and knows he should not get involved and it will be a trial to get close to them.

    Read More

  • The History Of Dreams: Informative Essay On Dreams

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Meaning Of Dreams

    1517 Words  | 4 Pages

    For thousands of years humans have experienced a phenomenon which we describe today as dreaming. It has puzzled and sparked interest to all whom experience it. For as long as people have been dreaming, there have been people trying to understand and interpret them. This research paper examines the causation and deeper meaning of dreams. It will compare and contrast the differentiating ideas on the subject by famous psychologists and also examine first-hand accounts from real individuals. The objective of paper is to shed some light on this complex and bizarre behavior.

    Read More

  • The Psychodynamic View Of Dreaming Essay

    535 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Psychodynamic view of dreaming suggests that the content in our dream is symbolic of something. Also, that the content in our dreams are based on unconscious desires as well as internal conflict.

    Read More

  • Sleeping and Dreaming

    4847 Words  | 10 Pages

    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. Sleep and dreams define eras, cultures, and individuals. Sigmund Freud’s interpretation of dreams revolutionized twentieth-century thought.

    Read More

  • Dreams Reflect Reality Essay

    982 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dreaming is very different than everyday life, yet somehow still relates to it in some way. In everyday life we have stress and happiness along with many other emotions. Yet in someway when we drift off into a deep sleep this emotions come right back. Dalai Lama once said that “sleep is the best meditation.” Sleep may be the one thing that people turn to, a place where your mind is totally set free to do what it wants and think what it wants. An idea or vision that is created in your imagination that when suddenly when you awake, feels so real.Dream reflect reality because most peoples dreams are in fact related to past, and recent experiences, or events that have happened in a person’s life. Dreams are more than just a method of entertainment, They should be taken more seriously because of the fact that with dreams imitating own reality, you can then learn more about yourself.

    Read More

More about History And Background Of Dreams

Open Document