Why Do People Dream?

Dreams are considered to be normal components of your sleep. Therapists have interpreted dreams as expressions of both thoughts and feelings that take place in the unconscious mind. While this may explain what dreams are, it is also interesting to understand exactly why we have them in the first place.

Therapists and other specialists believe that dreams are a means for our subconscious mind to keep itself active. It is a venue for our feelings and thoughts we have encountered during previous days to be expressed.

Almost all dreams are interpretations of recent experiences. It is a way for our minds to reflect and to recount the way we see our everyday activities. Researchers suggest that dreams play crucial roles in the brain’s memory enhancement, although most of us do not recall our dreams when we wake up because our minds easily forget them.

Dreams strengthen the connections between areas of the brain. Dreams release chemicals and hormones in the brain to help relax and de-stress the brain. Recent dream studies have shown that dreams are characterized as neurocognitive responses and are controlled by the body’s central nervous system.

Studies also suggest that dreams play an important role in the mental and physical development of a body during its first 10 years.

Stages of Sleep

To better understand why we dream, we have to know how the different stages of sleep progresses. There are 2 stages of sleep –the NREM (Non- Rapid Eye Movement) which has 4 stages, and the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) where dreaming takes place.

• Stage 1 - You are sleeping lightly and you slowly drift into the next stage.
• Stage 2 - You are at a deeper level than the first stage. Though you will not see any visions, your subconscious mind will conjure up some images. If you are undisturbed while sleeping, you will then progress to the next stage.
• Stage 3 - Your whole body becomes relaxed while you are breathing steadily. Your blood pressure drops and your heart rate will slow down. You will then be in deep sleep and at this stage it will be difficult to wake you.
• Stage 4 - You will be in such deep sleep that it is almost impossible to wake up unless shaken and even then it would take several seconds before you were able to come back to reality. If you are woken up during this stage, your blood pressure will rise and so will your heart rate. This is because in this stage, you are already shifting into a dreaming state.
• REM stage - You are in deep sleep slumber. This is the stage where dreaming begins. The brain is completely resting during this deep sleep. This allows the brain to restore the energy that it lost during the day’s activities. During this stage, the flow of blood to the brain will be decreased while the flow of blood in the muscles will increase. This will help the person gain physical energy as it restores mental energy.

History of Dreams

Sigmund Freud once referred to a dream as "the royal road to the unconscious." The interest in dreams is as ancient as mankind.

Dreams were first recorded in 1900 BC. Even the Bible’s Old Testament accounts tell of men exhibiting a curiosity for dreams. History also reveals that the Greeks, Babylonians, and Romans would interpret dreams and omens before their battles. Ancient civilizations believed that dreams were God’s way of speaking to them. The omens that they saw in dreams helped them foretell whether their battles would be successful or not.

Importance of Dreams

Today, the interest in dreams and their interpretations is more popular than ever. Scientists now look at dreams as reflections of our daily experiences and thoughts. They also suggest that dreams are necessary elements of our humanity.

When a person is deprived from his capacity to dream, there could be significant effects on his behavior. For example, studies show that people who are unable to dream have difficulties in concentrating and at times can be restless.

If you are not dreaming it could be because of a sleep disorder which is keeping you from reaching deep REM sleep. Be sure to discuss your sleeping habits with a medical professional. Deep sleep and dreams are important for a healthy mind and body.