Psychology: Dreams And Dreaming
opinionated Essay
3098 words
Psychology: Dreams and Dreaming
Dreams, a nightly gift and a part of the natural process of being alive,
are being rediscovered by our publisher. The meaning and value of your dreams
will vary according to what you and your society decide. Our society is
changing. We used to only value dreams in the context of psychotherapy. There
are also a few assumptions about dreams. One is that you are always the final
authority on what the dream means. Others can offer insight, suggestions and
techniques for exploration and expression, but no one knows what the final
meaning and value of the dreams will be for you, except you. Another assumption
is that dreams come in the service of wholeness and health. If you find an
interpretation that does not fit this, perhaps you need to change methods of
interpretation. Dream interpretations that lead you toward self-criticism,
depression or despair are simply wrong and if these conditions persist you may
wish to seek help from others. Finally, there is no such thing as a dream with
one meaning. If you feel stuck on one meaning or feel another person is pushing
one meaning, it is time to reconsider your methods and approach. (Lemley p. 17).
Clinical dream work is done within the context of psychotherapy and
clinical and sleep research have different approaches and goals than peer dream
work. (Koch-Sheras p.16).
A dream is a period of spontaneous brain activity usually lasting from
about 5-40 minutes that occurs during sleep several times a night usually about
90 minute intervals (Barret p.8).
There are also certain types of dreams. There are fantasy, daydream and
waking dreams. There are also lucid dreams, nightmares and night terrors.
There are also certain stages in the dream cycle. In the first stage, your body
temperature drops, your eyes close and your brain waves begin regular alpha
rhythms, indicating a relaxed state. Muscles lose their tension, breathing
becomes more even and your heart rate slows. Second, random images begin to
float through your mind mimicking the dream state. Jolting or involuntary
movements will take place at this time. Third, muscles lose all tightness,
breathing becomes slower, heart rate decreases and blood pressure falls. At
this point, it will take a loud noise or disturbance to wake you up. You are
now fully asleep. Finally, you are in a deep sleep. This is the most
physically rested period of sleep and longest in duration. (Time-Life Books p.
97).
Jubera 2
Whether awake or asleep, one of the brain's most critical functions is
the construction of the model of the environment that we perceive as our
In this essay, the author
- Explains that there are a few assumptions about dreams. one is that you are always the final.
- Opines that dreams come in the service of wholeness and health.
- Explains that there are certain stages in the dream cycle.
- Opines that it will take a loud noise or disturbance to wake you up.
- Opines that a minority of lucid dreams are the result of returning to reality.
- Explains that rem sleep occurs in the second half of the night.
- Explains that most muscles of the body are paralyzed in rem sleep to prevent us from sleeping.
- Analyzes how the eeg shows spiky rapid alpha waves in the first stage of sleep.
- Explains that the theta waves gradually decrease and are mixed on eeg tracing.
- Explains that after 90 minutes or so of sleep, most of it spent in stage 3-4, the rest of the time was spent sleeping.
- Explains that slackening of the muscle under the chin is a reliable signal.
- Narrates how one wakes up sweaty, short of breath, and with a frightening feeling.
- Opines that some experts say, when a child is indeed powerless, he is at the mercy of the world.
- Explains that sleepers may rouse with a bloody slumber of stage 3-4.
- Explains that he may also walk or talk in his sleep.
- Explains that night terrors are short, lasting only a minute or 2.
- Opines that a message dream will come in the form of an e-mail.
- Opines that some people dream only a few times per year, or not at all.
- Opines that animals do not eat animals.
- Explains that becoming blind after the age of 7 sees in dreams even after an interval of 20-30
- Opines that a person who cannot hear often has visions in their dreams.
- Opines that we have nothing to lose in developing our theory.
- Opines that there is no such thing as a dream with one meaning.
- Opines that low level lucidity makes one aware that they are dreaming, but not enough to realize that the people are asleep.
- Explains that in dreams, you might commit acts you would never do in your waking life, and it is natural to put those acts into the back of your mind rather than confront them.
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- Dream Interpretation of Sigmund Freudexplanatory essayEveryone in the world has had at least one dream in their lifetime. Most people don’t think much about the dreams they have, unless they are recurring. Most people today wake up from a dream or nightmare saying, “thank heaven that was a dream,” or “too bad that was just a dream.” Many times these dreams or nightmares have more meaning than we think.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that everyone in the world has had at least one dream in their lifetime. most people don't think much about the dreams they have, unless they are recurring.
- Explains freud's idea that understanding our dreams can help us understand ourselves, and live a much happier and fulfilled life.
- Explains that freud used three different sources to study dreams, namely the dreams and thoughts of his patients, and the concepts of philosophers and psychologists who had studied dreams throughout time.
- Explains freud's concerns about the complication of the dream-processes of patients undergoing psychoanalytical treatment. he worried that his patients would leave out parts of their dreams if they found them embarrassing or private.
- Analyzes how freud felt that he had to rely upon his own dreams because of the difficulties of studying other people's dreams.
- Explains freud's ability to disprove his own ideas by studying the ideas of aristotle, hildebrandt, and strumpell.
- Explains freud's belief that everything in dreams were things that had been previously seen or experienced in waking life.
- Explains that external stimuli are anything outside of the body which can affect the sleeper's senses.
- Explains that many dreams are based on events that bother or stress the individual; exaggerating or magnifying insignificant problems or incidences. if people took more time to consider the meaning behind the dreams they have, dream interpretation could help resolve issues in our awaken lives.
862 wordsRead More - Attempting to Explain the Origing of Dreams through Theoriesexplanatory essayAttempting to Explain the Origing of Dreams through Theories Theories attempting to explain the origin of dreams range from providing stimulation for the development of the brain to enhancing storage and reorganization. Contrary to popular belief, dreaming is not caused by eating certain foods before bedtime, nor by environmental stimuli during sleeping. Dreaming is caused by internal biological processes. Now, as in the past, the most significant controversy centers on the question of whether dreams have intentional or actual personal meaning. Many psychotherapists maintain that while the neurological impulses from the brain stem may activate the dreaming process, the content or meaningful representations in dreams are caused by nonconscious needs, wishes, desires, and everyday concerns of the dreamer.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that theories attempting to explain the origin of dreams range from providing stimulation for brain development to enhancing storage and reorganization.
- Explains that the most recent method was developed for use with adult populations. the survey included sub-samples ranging from 25 to 250 dreams from hall and van de castle's normative sample of 500 dreams.
- Explains the methods used for the survey kept the students in a natural environment allowing them to feel comfortable and at ease.
- Explains that only 57% of girls and boys interviewed could not or would not recall a recent dream. the gender similarities and differences found in the present study support the usefulness of most recent dreams from teenagers in scientific investigations.
- Explains that cognitive psychologists are concerned with logic and thought processing during dreaming, and how they are different from mental processes during the waking state.
- Explains the use of personal documents in psychological science.
691 wordsRead More - Dreams and Dreamingexplanatory essayThroughout history, numerous people have studied the human body and its many functions. One area of the body that causes much confusion and controversy is the mind. Many parts of the brain baffle scientists, but a specific aspect of the mind that is fascinating and puzzling is dreams and their functions. It is surprising that an average person dreams for at least six years of their life, but scientists still do not know the role of dreaming (Shaw). Several theories have been presented to provide a reason for dreaming, and attempt to explain what most do not understand. Although dream research has been prominent lately, no agreement has been reached on which theory is correct on the purpose of dreams. Some believe that dreams are only simulations created by the sleeping mind with no actual purpose, but others believe that dreams are psychologically important.
In this essay, the author
- Explains sigmund freud's theory that dreams are representations of unconscious desires, based on sexual longing and unrevealed psychological meaning.
- Explains that many people have studied the human body and its many functions, but a specific aspect of the mind is fascinating and puzzling.
- Explains how carl jung and freud's views on dreams differed. jung believed that dreams were a way for the unconscious mind to connect with the conscious mind.
- Describes the four conceptual uses of dreams in psychotherapy.
1028 wordsRead More - Unconcious Dreamingexplanatory essayWhat are dreams? Are they simply random brain activity, or are they our mind trying to tell us something? Dreams represent many different areas of one’s life in physical, emotional, and mental ways. “When we sleep we do much more than just rest our weary bones; we tap into our subconscious mind (Ullman and Zimmerman 1979). The subconscious has much to offer about oneself. “The average human being spends one third of their life in sleep and during each sleep approximately two hours is spent dreaming“(Ullman and Zimmerman 1979). These dreams are important because they are the voice of our subconscious. Dreams can relay to people facts about their lives that they are not even aware of. There are also many ways that dreams can help cure different physical, emotional, and mental problems in one’s life. I will look at dreams, their meanings, and possible ways of interpreting them using such methods as hypnotherapy and psychoanalysis.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that dreams are a conscious series of images that occur during sleep. they reflect every part of who the dreamer is.
- Explains that dream interpretation is the royal road to the knowledge of the unconscious in mental life.
- Explains that dreams represent different areas of one's life that deal with one’s physical, mental, and emotional being. they can offer an escape to individuals who need relief from their everyday problems.
- Explains that hypnotherapy cannot be given during this state of mind because the person is fully aware of what is going on around them.
- Describes psychoanalytic therapy as a treatment that psychologists use for helping people overcome mental, physical and emotional torment.
- Describes hypnotherapy as a form of therapy that uses the subconscious and dreaming to understand and analyze what the patient's problem could be.
- Analyzes how a therapist could mislead patients into believing that there is hidden meaning to an event or thought.
- Explains that hypnosis has slipped quietly and discreetly into the clinical mainstream since world war ii. it can help the patient live a more fulfilling life with new confidence about themselves and the world.
- Explains freud, s., the interpretations of dreams, new york: random house.
- Explains jung, c. on the nature of dreams. jungian psychology articles web site.
- Explains loftus, e.f., and zanni, g. eyewitness testimony: the influence of the wording of a question.
- Explains that the unconscious is a storage area for information that is not being used. dreams can relay to people facts about their lives that they are not even aware of.
- Explains that dreams have both metaphysical and physical existence. thoughts are not physical in nature, but the brain must go through chemical and hormonal changes.
- Explains that people have a certain fear about dreams because they are part of the unconscious and out of their control.
- States that rosalind cartwright calls dreaming one's "internal therapist." dreams can represent many different areas of people’s lives, and can relay things to a person that he or she is not even aware of.
- States cartwright, j., and lamberg, l. crisis dreaming: using your dreams to solve your problems.
3036 wordsRead More - Dreams Essaycomparative essayDreams can be bizarre, one moment the dreamer is being chased by a killer in the jungle, when suddenly the dreamer is in Paris sitting with friends having a cup of coffee. Most people dream every night while they are sleeping, yet they have no idea why they are dreaming what they dream. Dreams are a fascinating and puzzling topic, since the ancient times people have analyzed and researched dreams. Although an extensive amount of research has been collected, no one has found enough concrete evidence for a definite reason people dream what they dream and in fact why people dream at all. A major reason being that only the dreamer can experience and retell the dream. There are many theories, most scientists agree with. Dreams are visual images that occur usually during sleep, moreover; there are many theories on why people dream and types of dreams, ranging from thoughts of the day, to fear, to the desires and emotions of a person mixed without rational thoughts.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that dreams are a fascinating and puzzling topic, since the ancient times people have analyzed and researched dreams.
- Explains that dreams are events that play in people's minds that occur during sleep. they range in characters, the impossible can happen, and sometimes are in black and white.
- Explains freud's theory that dreams are unconscious fantasies and urges that people would normally avoid. neuropsychologist mark solms agrees.
- Explains that freud's theories are widely known, but there are many theories that go against his beliefs. the most popular theory is that dreams are thoughts of the day.
- Explains that nakabi normu, a tibetan master and professor, incorporates this theory with his own.
- Explains that all the visions that we see in our lifetime are like a big dream. if we examine them well, there is no difference between them.
- Explains that several dream researchers and psychoanalysts agree that dreams are a reflection of the dreamer's personality.
- Explains that the problem-solving theory, which views dreams as a way to solve everyday problems, has been debunked.
- Concludes that many scientists believe that dreaming is a biological process, and nothing more than the brain creating "images with feelings."
- Explains that there are many types of dreams that people have, such as normal dreams, nightmares, daydreams and lucid dreams.
- Concludes dreams are visual images with sensory perception and emotions that occur during the rem stage of sleep. freud theorized that dreams were unconscious wishes and urges, but it was debunked later on.
1519 wordsRead More - dream theoryexplanatory essayAccording to my very own dream theory, I believe every dream serves as an answer to every conflict we face, whether it is a present conflict, or just an ...
In this essay, the author
- Explains the psychoanalytic theory and the activation synthesis model of dreaming.
- Explains freud's theory that emotion drives everything. fear, anger, lust, love, and happiness can all be present in our dreams.
- Explains that dreams serve as an answer to every conflict we face, whether it is a present conflict, or just an unanswered conflict. their theory corresponds with that of sigmund freud but enhances his reasoning.
- Opines that dreams are only present to show us how much we want something, whether it's the uncontrollable fear or in their case the girl they deeply desire.
822 wordsRead More - Critical Analysis Of Freud And Freud's Interpretation Of Dreamsanalytical essayDuring 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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that dreams were interpreted as'manifestations' of a higher power during prescientific days. since the introduction of psychology, dreams have had 4 distinct interpretations.
- Analyzes how freud compares dreams to psychopathological conditions since both refer to thoughts on a subconscious level, and decides to break down dreams through the process of psychotherapy.
- Analyzes freud's dream, which seems bizarre since he only distantly knows mrs. e.l. and feels no desire to strengthen their connection.
- Analyzes how freud questions the significance of replacing his wife with mrs. e.l., and realizes that she is the daughter of a man she owes money to, which ties the 1st memory from the table d'hôte to the other memories.
- Analyzes how the child is reminded of his mother serving him spinach as a child whose ‘beautiful eyes are really deserving of praise, refused to eat spinach.
- Explains freud introduces three new concepts: manifest, latent, process of dream work, and work of analysis.
- Explains that dream work is the first known example of transformation of ‘psychical stuff’ from ‘one mode of expression into another.
- Explains freud's dream fits into the second and third classes of dreams, which are self-coherent and have distinct meaning, but appear strange because their meaning seems irreconcilable with our ‘mental life’.
- Explains freud introduces more concepts, starting with condensation. condensation states that an element of the manifest content can draw more than one latent thought. realization of desire usually takes place through the condensation of two contradictory latent thoughts.
- Analyzes how freud connects the thought 'i would like to have something for nothing' to the table d'hôte by rephrasing it.
- Explains the concept of dream displacement, which describes the transfer of psychical energy between manifest and latent content at varying degrees per dream.
- Explains the concept of dream dramatization, which is the expression of latent content from the manifest content through figurative language (like allegories and metaphors) and symbolic visual scenes.
- Analyzes how freud uses repression and compromise in his dream analysis. repression is the concept of obscurity due to the dreamer’s conscious concealment of thought.
- Explains that repression and compromise are indicators of erotic desires in adults.
- Explains that dreams can be classified into three classes based on the realization of desire. the first class is of dreams that are not repressed or concealed.
1269 wordsRead More - The Meaning of Our Dreamsopinionated essayThroughout our lives we have experienced the activity of dreaming, but have we ever wondered if there was a hidden meaning behind it? We go to sleep, than dream, than wake up and not even remembering the slightest parts of our dreams. After a while we just seem to accept it as a normal thing and not look deeper into it any further. Dreams can be mysterious even frightening because it can change suddenly with unusual elements, but understanding the meaning of our dreams can be very insightful. Like the famous psychologist, Sigmund Freud stated that dreams are a representation of unconscious desires, thoughts, emotions, actions and motivations. I believe that dreams are a road to the unconscious mind and are a way of discovering oneself. Not only do we dream for wish fulfillment, but also to solve problems more effectively in our daily lives.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that dreams are a representation of unconscious desires, thoughts, emotions, actions, and motivations.
- Compares freud's belief that dreams revealed the unconscious and symbolic objects represented attitudes that are repressed by the conscious mind. jung believed that by interpreting dreams we can discover a great amount about the individual dreamer.
- Explains that dreams are part of a cognitive process in which dreams serve as conceptions of elements of our personal lives.
- Explains that dreams are a theater in which we solve problems more effectively than when we are awake, partly because the dreaming mind makes connections more quickly than the waking mind does.
- Quotes j. allan hobson's idea of activation-synthesis theory, which states that dreams are caused by neurons randomly firing within the brain for example random electrical impulses and neurochemicals.
- Opines that dreams are not random occurrences, but have meanings and there are reasons why we dream.
- Cites kendra kerry's "dream interpretation: what do dreams mean?" about.com psychology, n.d. web. 01 dec. 2013.
- Describes the 10 theories that explain why we dream. dream moods: the importance of dreaming.
796 wordsRead More - Psychoanalytic Theory Of Dreamsargumentative essayDrying out our Dirty Dreams 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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that dreams are the symbolic representation of mental states, but this sparse definition does not encompass the complex mechanisms behind them and its effects on human culture around the globe.
- Explains freud's psychoanalytic theory of dreams, which credits dreams to humans' deepest subconscious desires and primitive instincts due to the repression of the superegos.
- Explains freud's psychoanalytic theory that dreams are a combination of portions of the psyche presented into two parts: manifested content and latent content.
- Explains freud's theory of "dream suppression" where the brain purposefully represses portions of dreams that are considered unacceptable to maintain emotional stability.
- Explains freud's psychoanalytic theory and hobson and mccarley’s activation-synthesis hypothesis, which credits dreams to the random firing of signals from the hindbrain and limbic system.
- Explains that the evolutionary theory of sleep contains the threat simulation theory and oneiric darwinism.
- Compares crick and mitchinson's "reverse learning theory" with oneiric darwinism. the reverse learning model proposes that dreams are a way for the brain to discard irrelevant or miscellaneous information by forgetting this information while retaining necessary information.
- Argues that despite the rampant research and discourse on the concept behind dreaming, these theories are merely speculations.
1124 wordsRead More - Common Questions About Dreamsexplanatory essayHave you ever wondered why you dream and how you can sometimes direct it? Maybe you have wondered if your dream has any true meaning to it. You are not the only person who has these questions. These questions come up a lot when psychologists discuss the topic of dreaming. The topic of dreams and lucid dreaming has been around for hundreds of years. There have been many books and journals solely devoted to dreams and how they affect people today. The goal for this paper is to answer and explain the questions (Why do you dream? Can you direct your dreams? And do dreams have meanings?) using journals, books, and other resources written by widely known psychologists such as Sigmund Freud.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that sigmund freud believed that dreams have a deeper meaning and sometimes that meaning has to do with the repression of one's thoughts.
- Explains that the goal of this paper was to answer and explain the questions (why do you dream, can you direct your dreams, and do dreams have meanings).
- Explains that the topic of dreams and lucid dreaming has been around for hundreds of years.
- Describes laberge, stephen, matalon, nadav, and young, emma.
812 wordsRead More