The science of dreams!

Dreams are a common experience. Some are scary, some are funny. Recent research into how the brain works help us understand why we dream. Strange combinations of ideas in our dreams may make us more creative and give us ideas that help us to solve problems. Or, when memories from the day are repeated in the brain during sleep, memories may get stronger. Dreams may also improve our moods. Together, these studies show that dreams and sleep are important for performing well when we are awake. For centuries people have pondered the meaning of dreams. ... One prominent neurobiological theory of dreaming is the “activation-synthesis hypothesis,” which states that dreams don't mean anything: they are merely electrical brain impulses that pull random thoughts and imagery from our memories. Dreams are stories and images that our minds create while we sleep. They can be entertaining, fun, romantic, disturbing, frightening, and sometimes bizarre.

What is a nightmare?

Nightmares are distressing dreams that cause the dreamer to feel several disturbing emotions. Common reactions to a nightmare include fear and anxiety. Causes: It could be anything. The most common causes are sleep deprivation, trauma, stress, medications, or even scary books and movies.

Daydreams

Daydreaming is the stream of consciousness that detaches from current external tasks when attention drifts to a more personal and internal direction. This phenomenon is common in people's daily life shown by a large-scale study in which participants spend 47% of their waking time on average on daydreaming. Daydreaming can be an indication that someone is suffering from concentration difficulty, which is seen in many mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,” says Lauren Cook, a therapist, and author based in San Diego.

Lucid dreams

A lucid dream is a type of dream where the dreamer becomes aware that they are dreaming. During a lucid dream, the dreamer may gain some amount of control over the dream characters, narrative, and environment; however, this is not necessary for a dream to be described as lucid. An estimated 55 percent of people have had one or more lucid dreams in their lifetime. During a lucid dream, you're aware of your consciousness.

Characters that appear in dreams.

Dream characters can be surrogates for people you know. Surrogates don't necessarily look like those people, but something will connect them symbolically. Such as when a dog — “man's best friend” — is used to represent your best friend. Or a nun — a “sister” — represents your sister or a sister-like relationship.

Contribution of the left and right hemispheres in dreaming.

The right and left hemispheres of the brain seem to contribute in different ways to dream formation. Researchers of one study concluded that the left hemisphere seems to provide dream origin while the right hemisphere provides dream vividness, figurativeness, and affective activation level.

Pearl Sara Abraham

First year-BCJ