Final Draft - Dreams

Laura Marie

Dr. Kerr                                                                                   

EN 101-5

15 September 2010

Dreams

Dreams are a mysterious, puzzling aspect of the human life.  In an average lifetime, the amount of time people spend dreaming is equivalent to approximately six years (“Dream Moods: Quick Dream Facts and Tidbits” 1).  Dreaming is a confusing concept to grasp, but various explanations exist as to why humans dream while sleeping.  Understanding the characteristics of dreams is complicated, but it is necessary in order to analyze and interpret them.  Although reasons for dreaming are not certain, theories concerning why humans dream are developed through research, and the characteristics that appear in dreams assist in dream analysis and interpretation. 

Numerous theories attempt to explain why humans dream.  One of the most common is Sigmund Freud’s theory on dreams.  Freud believed that dreams express humans’ unconscious thoughts and desires, and dreaming is the mind’s way of “censoring” them (Wilson 1).  Research suggests that dreams are the result of random impulses in the brain or the brain’s attempt to become organized, solve problems, or cope with trauma (“Why Do We Dream? Modern Theories of Dreaming” 2-3).  Some scientists believe that dreams are meaningless because they occur as the brain is trying to make sense of electrical signals (“Why Do We Dream? Modern Theories of Dreaming” 2).  Others suggest that dreaming is the brain’s method of sorting out the abundance of information humans absorb every day.  People may also dream in an attempt to resolve problems.  One scientist made the claim that dreams emphasize the day’s unnoticeable hints that are important in solving a problem.  Lastly, dreams can be associated with trauma.  Traumatic events bring about intense emotions, making them more likely to appear in a dream (“Why Do We Dream? Modern Theories of Dreaming” 3).  It is uncertain exactly why humans dream, but research may one day find the answer by taking a look at some of the characteristics involved in dreams.

            It is a challenge to understand the variety of characteristics dreams possess.  Dreams are sometimes very vague, but occasionally, they seem to be quite vivid (“Why Do We Dream – Theories of Why We Dream” 1).  Dreams are often disorganized, unclear, and involve strong emotions such as anxiety, fear, and surprise.  One main characteristic of dreams is the frequent occurrence of unrealistic events (“Dream Characteristics – Characteristics of Dreams” 1).  One of the most common types of dreams involves the sensation of falling, which causes the dreamer to awaken (Walsh 140).  Another “bizarre sensation” that is experienced while dreaming is the inability to control body movements (“Characteristics” 1).  Uncontrollable sensations can be startling to the dreamer.  Lastly, one of the most frustrating characteristics of dreams is that they often times cannot be remembered.  After humans awaken, ninety-five percent of their dreams have elapsed from their memory (“Characteristics” 1).  Dreams can be remembered in more detail if the dreamer awakens immediately after REM sleep, which is the stage of sleep where most dreaming occurs (“Dream Moods: Quick Dream Facts and Tidbits” 2).  Of the dreams that are remembered, half of the subject matter is forgotten after five minutes, and ninety percent of the dream is forgotten after about ten minutes (“Dream Moods: Quick Dream Facts and Tidbits” 1-2).  If one is able to recall his or her dreams, a message may be revealed by discovering the underlying meaning through dream analysis.

            Analyzing dreams is complicated since it is unknown whether or not dreams are actually meaningful.  Sometimes, emotions influence dreams and can tell people about a part of their “inner lives” (“Temple of Dreams – Programs” 1).  The emotions felt while dreaming may even be responses to real feelings that are unacknowledged when awake.  Dream analysis may vary depending on location since different cultures interpret dreams in various ways.  Some cultures use dreams to diagnose illness while others use them to make predictions about the future (“Why Do We Dream? Modern Theories of Dreaming” 3).  According to some dream analysts, dreams are always true; it is just complicated to discover the actual meaning because the symbolism that appears in dreams can be easily misinterpreted (“Dreams and Their Interpretation in Clinical Psychology” 4).  Although it seems strange, it is actually common to have recurring dreams, which are mainly caused by some current life situation or issue (“Dream Moods: Recurring Dreams” 1).  Recurring dreams could also result from misunderstanding the dream’s message.  The dream continues to repeat itself until the message is understood (“Dreams and Their Interpretation in Clinical Psychology” 6).  Although analyzing and interpreting dreams is not simple, it is exciting to be able to understand them and discover their deeper meaning.

            While it is true that dreams are often unexplainable, researchers still attempt to describe the reasons for dreaming by analyzing and interpreting them based on their characteristics.  Many theories provide explanations for why humans dream.  Research suggests that dreams are caused by random impulses in the brain or they could be the brain’s attempt to become organized, solve problems, or cope with trauma (“Why Do We Dream? Modern Theories of Dreaming” 2-3).  Some aspects of dreams include disorganization, unclear information, strong emotions, and unrealistic events (“Characteristics” 1).  It is unknown whether or not dreams possess any real meaning, but knowing the characteristics of dreams helps researchers study and analyze them.  Although many aspects of dreams remain unknown to humans, perhaps one day the mystery of dreaming will be solved.