Why do people dream?

Question

and why do we dream such outlandish things. I think my dog drreams; I sometimes see him smiling while he is sleeping.

Answer 1

A dream is an experience of a sequence of images, sounds, ideas, emotions, or other sensations usually during sleep, especially REM sleep.

The events of dreams are often impossible, or unlikely to occur, in physical reality: they are also outside the control of the dreamer. The exception to this is known as lucid dreaming, in which dreamers realize that they are dreaming, and are sometimes capable of changing their dream environment and controlling various aspects of the dream. The dream environment is often much more realistic in a lucid dream, and the senses heightened.

Neurology of dreams

There is no universally agreed-upon biological definition of dreaming. Dreaming can sometimes seem so realistic lucid dreamers often do not know if they are indeed dreaming. General observation shows that dreams are strongly associated with Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, during which an electroencephalogram shows brain activity to be most like wakefulness. Participant-remembered dreams during non-REM sleep are normally more mundane in comparison.[1] During a typical lifespan, a human spends a total of about six years dreaming[2] (which is about 2 hours each night[3]). It is unknown where in the brain dreams originate, if there is a single origin for dreams or if multiple portions of the brain are involved, or the purpose of dreaming for the body or mind.

[edit] Stages of sleep

When the body decides that it is time to sleep, neurons near the eyes begin to send signals throughout the body. Dr. Hobson explains that these neurons are located in such close proximity to neurons that control eyelid muscles that the eyelids begin to grow heavy.[4] Glands begin to secrete a hormone that helps induce sleep and neurons send signals to the spinal cord which cause the body to relax.

During sleep the body passes through four different stages each differing in length and degree of sleep. REM (rapid-eye-movement) sleep is when the majority of dreams takes place. Dreams tend to last for the entire REM cycle ranging from about ten to twenty-five minutes. Dreams usually occur during these regular sleep cycles, but they may also occur at other times, such as when one falls asleep or begins to awaken.[5] The other three stages are called NREM (non-rapid-eye-movement) sleep. These four stages repeat throughout sleep but in different lengths of time. Infants have about twice as much REM sleep as adults.[6]

Dreams and memory

Eugen Tarnow suggests that dreams are ever-present excitations of long-term memory, even during waking life. The strangeness of dreams is due to the format of long-term memory, reminiscent of Penfield & Rasmussen’s findings that electrical excitations of the cortex give rise to experiences similar to dreams. During waking life an executive function interprets long term memory consistent with reality checking. Tarnow's theory is a reworking of Freud's theory of dreams in which Freud's unconscious is replaced with the long-term memory system and Freud's “Dream Work” describes the structure of long-term memory.[13]
Location of hippocampus
Location of hippocampus

[edit] Hippocampus and memory

A 2001 study showed evidence that illogical locations, characters, and dream flow may help the brain strengthen the linking and consolidation of semantic memories. These conditions may occur because, during REM sleep, the flow of information between the hippocampus and neocortex is reduced.[14] Increasing levels of the stress hormone Cortisol late in sleep (often during REM sleep) cause this decreased communication. One stage of memory consolidation is the linking of distant but related memories. Payne and Nadel hypothesize that these memories are then consolidated into a smooth narrative, similar to a process that happens when memories are created under stress.[15]

[edit] Functions of dreams

There are many hypotheses about the function of dreams. Freud proposed that one function of dreams is to protect our sleep. He believed that it was the purpose of dreams to hold one’s attention so as not to awaken from any outside stimuli.[16] During the night there may be many external stimuli bombarding the senses but the mind interprets the stimulus and makes it a part of a dream in order to ensure continued sleep.[17] The mind will, however, awaken an individual if they are in danger or if trained to respond to certain sounds, such as a baby crying. Dreams may also allow the repressed parts of the mind to be satisfied through fantasy while keeping the conscious mind from thoughts that would suddenly cause one to awaken from shock.[18] Freud suggested that bad dreams let the brain learn to gain control over emotions resulting from distressing experiences. [16] Dreams also let the mind express things that would normally be suppressed in the waking world, thus keeping itself in harmony. Dreams may also offer a view at how future events might proceed; this is similar to running future events through the mind, for instance: a work presentation, a job interview, or a first date.

Jung suggested that dreams may compensate for one-sided attitudes held in waking consciousness.[19] Ferenczi[20] proposed that the dream, when told, may communicate something that is not being said outright. There have also been analogies made with the cleaning-up operations of computers when they are off-line. Dreams may remove parasitic nodes and other "junk" from the mind during sleep. [21] [22] Dreams may also create new ideas through the generation of random thought mutations. Some of these may be rejected by the mind as useless, while others may be seen as valuable and retained. Blechner[23] calls this the theory of "Oneiric Darwinism." Dreams may also regulate mood. [24] Hartmann [25] says dreams may function like psychotherapy, by "making connections in a safe place" and allowing the dreamer to integrate thoughts that may be dissociated during waking life.

Answer 2

Why People Dream

Answer 3

Yes.. I had a dream before in which I had deja vu about the same dream. In the dream I suddenly felt like I had dreamed it before and then I became aware I was dreaming which was even more insane! I still went through the dream but I knew everything that was going to happen before it did because I could remember dreaming it before.. then I thought I woke up but I wasn't awake really I was still sleeping, I just stopped being aware.. and I dreamed that I was thinking about my dream deja vu, and dreams within dreams and what I would do when I woke up.. then I really woke up and I was confused... lol

Answer 4

People needs to dream because a dream is a place where people can run into a way from the bad things in actual life also they can achieve things in it where they cant in actual life ,a dream some times a place where people can relieve themselves in it and help them to build a great hopes,wishing to you happy dreams always .

Answer 5

No one actually knows why people dream. Doctors have theories though. One theory that doctors have is: When you are at school, home, or somewhere, there are so many things that are going on that you don't think about during the day, night, etc. When you sleep, in other words dream, you think about all of the things that have happened. Also, during the day or night, if you are worried or upset, or feeling something about someone, something, etc., it all comes out. You think/ dream about it when asleep.


Dreaming helps our brains grow, by exciting our neurons. Did you know that newborn babies dream about 8 hours per day? All warm-blooded creatures have REM (rapid eye movement) sleep—cats dogs, horses—even birds and dolphins!

Answer 6

From the depths of old working autism.

If this autism theory holds water it will prove humans are deep down picture thinkers and dreams are a natural part of us and in fact the core base thoughts of man.

Autistic like me have discovered our primary thought process (known in modern autism, as lack of eye contact) is picture thoughts and we convert those thoughts to normal thoughts like you use. Normal thoughts we have discovered are simply streamlined picture thoughts, thus your connection to dreams. Autistic thoughts are simply the slow motion step by step thought process all humans do and once we learn those invisible thoughts that are very similar to your dreams and day dreams we can do normal thoughts just like you do. If we really learn to use those deep picture thoughts and water them down we can become Einstein.

It will be1000s of years before our never in print human thought process makes it to a psychology book but when it does dreams will be seen as a very normal cool thing and a way to deep think- indeed your Dog Dreams too!

Rich Shull

Answer 7

Its an emotional processing device. Not sure entirely about it scientifically but its a way of your brain creating links to unfinished thoughts and experiences you had in order to move past them and file them away. Dogs definetly dream!

Answer 8

By my understanding, that is because some parts of our brain don't go to sleep while some do. It is these parts in sleep state that make our dreams always incoherent and illogical, or just as you said, outlandish.

Answer 9

Because its their inner thinking and feeling.

Answer 10

Because they/it wanna dream

Answer 11

i am no expert, i think it is our subconscious dealing with the things we are not ready to deal with consciously yet.