Some people choose to ignore dreams and others pay close attention to them; believe that dreams are the desperate cry of what is not said when we are awake. The truth is that there are several theories and research related to dreams and that is why there are many hypotheses about what happens in our minds while we sleep.
Why do we dream, what do our dreams mean?The answers are not simple and for some of them have not yet been found scientifically proven answers, in this article we talk about answers tested by researchers.
- We will not talk here about the sleep phases we go through when we close our eyes to rest.
- But about what is going on in our minds in relation to these images that appear.
- Often without meaning or explanation.
Some studies suggest that everything we do during the day accumulates in a specific area of the brain and?When we sleep, in a confusing, symbolic and incoherent way. It can be a story we read, a walk with friends, an argument with a couple, a movie or a building that caught our attention while we were going to work, etc.
Images, sounds, memories and experiences come together to form a dream, as if it were a summary of everything that has already happened. But it is not only made up of current situations; are memories of the past, events that happened some time ago or people we just met.
We all dream, but we don’t always remember dreams. When we try to tell or write about a dream, pieces are missing to assemble a puzzle that makes sense or approaches reality, no one can describe them in detail and accurately; you don’t remember everything when you wake up.
According to Allan Hobson, the mental activity we maintain while dreaming is very similar to what would happen if we acted this way in real life, although there are certain elements that are impossible in the state of wakefulness (for example, seeing a deceased relative flying like a bird or seeing us as children, even as adults).
When you dream, not only does the brain come into play, but also the sensations and muscles. Fear, happiness, and uncertainty govern us; you can wake up with tachycardia, bathed in sweat and breathe hard, but most of the time, dreams happen?and they disappear silently when we wake up and open our eyes.
Because? It all depends on the stage of sleep in which we find ourselves, if we are in the REM phase the images and experiences are very clear, extensive and perceptive, many times we cannot distinguish the dream from reality, on the other hand, in the NREM phase, there will be fewer images and more scenes typical of everyday life (at work, in the kitchen , in the park, etc. ).
If we refer to the physiological level, the main purpose of rest is to repair the body to keep it healthy, dreams have to do with the psychological part because they are often loaded with emotion.
Some studies have shown that dreams strengthen memory and help recover memories effectively; some theories claim that dreams provide the brain stimulation needed to wake up from deep sleep and activate the ‘brain circuits’ associated with emotions.
According to Sigmund Freud’s studies, convinced that dreams are a cover for repressed desires, “a lot of water flowed under the bridge,” as they say. In the twentieth century new theories emerge that confirm or refute the assumptions of the so-called “father of psychoanalysis”.
One is from Harvard psychologist Deirdre Barrett, who says dreams help us solve problems while we sleep. This means that human beings have evolved to the point of solving all kinds of problems while we sleep. How nice it would be if it really happened!
The truth is that dreams are very visual, but they don’t make much sense, so that they really help us solve the problems we would have to analyze them in more depth, so far everything well, but remember that we only remember According to this theory, sleep is another way of thinking and could give us a?Basic plan to solve our problems.
In addition, psychiatrist Zhang Jie offered another idea about dreams and their functions: according to this professional, the brain stores memories all the time, whether asleep or awake.
It means that dreams are the same as thoughts or memories that come to mind when our eyes are open. Have you ever been surprised? Something similar happens when you go to bed, but in this case it could be an unconscious activity that we can’t control.