dreams analysis

The causes of dreams has remained a philosophical debate since the Hellenistic Period (which is the period between Ancient Greek and Mediterranean history). Dreams were thought at that time to be god-sent, which meant serving to warn the dreamer of the future. From this concept Aristotle developed the theory, “Dreaming is a function of the imagination”. Aristotle believed dreams are images of past experiences, which his idea is still currently believed. Aristotle stresses dream activity as part of psychology, but not nature nor theology. His idea significantly impact the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Modern Times, and etc., which every period has developed, added, and revised his thoughts relating to the subject of dreams. My objective is to address the empirical research question: “How does one’s surroundings affect one’s dream?” After all, “Dreams can also refer to one’s goals and fantasies, which can be beyond one’s grasp and that may be fearful.” The purpose of this literature review is to analyze and identify any causal factors pertaining to dreams and provide further insight into the causes.

Biological Theories:

There are two major schools of thought in the existing literature: biological theories (age) and social theories (gender). Biological explanations have sought to find more concrete reasons to the body changes and personal growth in children, adolescents, and adults. In a psychoanalysis study, it has been acknowledged that dreams change according to age. Due to this, children’s dreams have been found to be realistic representations of their lives. Children’s dreams reflect on their interactions and surroundings, creating an egotistic drive. This presents different stages of growth, which their dreams pres...

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...heir lives.

This research on adult dreams has questioned the historical works on the Freudian theoretical framework for understanding gender differences in dream content. Older research on explanations for differences in manifestations of dream continue to be used, but more recent investigations began to challenge earlier findings. Increasingly researchers find empirical evidence to support viewing gender as a social content in dreams rather than biological. Matlin’s 1996 comprehensive review is an example of a constructionist model that has supported understandings for individual’s differences in psychological adjustments, thinking abilities, and personality characteristics. Matlin’s comprehensive review showed that adult men and women who share similar waking roles are likely to experience overlap in terms of their unconscious issues, conflicts, and concerns.