The Mystery Behind Dreams

Where do our dreams come from? Do they have a meaning? Can we use our dreams? 

Throughout human history there have always been big ideas about the origins of dreams. Dreams have been responsible for 2 Nobel Prizes, for the invention of a couple of mayor drugs, other scientific discoveries, huge works of art, several important political events, inspiration to novels and films,etc. 

Scientists have found out that while you sleep your brain goes through different stages. Your most vivid dreams appear in the stage called REM (rapid eye movement).

REM sleep disorder: is when you act out the dreams that you have during the REM stage. It could be dangerous for the partner as well as the dreamer. This is caused by a gradual destruction of a part of the brain stem. Usually during REM your muscles are paralyzed, but this disorder is when your brain does not paralyze your muscles and you act out your dream.

Scientists believe that dreams are made in the Parietal Lobe, that is why people with brain damage in that lobe stop dreaming.People that don't dream usually wake up in the middle of REM so scientists have suggested that dreaming is a way of keeping us asleep. 

Do our dreams mean anything? 

People intuitively know that something about their dreams is meaningful, this belief is essential to many cultures. Some people say that sharing dreams is like medicine to them. Many people thought that dreams were a symbol of the unconscious mind that needed to be interpreted. Some scientists think that dreams are the brains way to prepare us for the future day, it also helps sort out your emotions, and it can tell you much about the person.

Can you train your dreams?

There is a clear link to dreams and memory. A theory is that when you dream you are learning what you did in the day and processing the information so that you won’t make the same mistakes s before.

Some people are lucid dreamers which are that they control what happens in their dreams; they can extend control of their consciousness in their dreams. This is an ability that you have to train your brain to do.

Why do we have bad dreams?

The theory is that they prepare you for any bad situations. When you are conscious you do not think about you r mother’s death or being chased by wolves, so when you are dreaming the brain is preparing itself to withstand any harmful situations. They are a good thing because they force us to be prepared for the next day. Without the bad dreams human kind would not be here.