What Your Dreams Mean

Everyone experiences the visions, scenes and other simulated sensory information that occurs during sleep. What we call dreams occur mostly in the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of our sleep. Some can be extremely intense and vivid, whilst others can be ambiguous, hard to remember and puzzling. There are many ideas on what purposes dreams serve, the roles they play and the possible meanings behind the phenomena.

Theories and Ideas on Purposes of Dreaming

The beliefs of why we dream and the purposes they hold vary greatly among different people. Some suggest religious connotations, whilst others trust they are purely a natural, physiological occurrence. Sigmund Freud famously proposed that our dreams highlight our subconscious longings, revealing our underlying desires and wishes.

Another theory is the information-processing concept, which suggests that dreams occur to help us assemble and digest the information that was gathered during the waking day. Some experts believe that dreaming is an operating function of this process, where our minds subconsciously create an array of scenes that help administer the information in our minds.

Dreams and Nightmares

Dreams have been described to strongly benefit individuals for a number of reasons. These include their power in strengthening fight-or-flight reactions, which is affected by the amygdala. This part of the brain is linked to survival behaviours, and it’s highly stimulated during dreaming. Other roles might include dreams’ ability to inspire creative and imaginative qualities. It’s also thought dreams play a pivotal role in memory consolidation and recall, disposing of insignificant memories and sifting through complex emotions as you sleep.

Nightmares are dreams which can be frightening and sometimes terrifying to the dreamer. They can result from anxiety and pressure one might be experiencing or, they can even be a side-effect to certain medications. Reoccurring nightmares can be especially distressful for people and can cause lack of sleep, especially as they frequently persist and disturb a calm sleep cycle. In some severe cases, this might be considered a sleeping condition. If so, it should be attended to by a healthcare professional.

Common Types of Dreams and Meanings

Intriguingly, similar dream experiences are shared by many people across different backgrounds and cultures. Some common types of dreams include:

·         Falling: This dream supposedly signifies potential nervousness that the individual might be facing. It’s often said to represent a lost sense of control.

·         Teeth falling out: It’s thought that dreams which involve teeth falling out manifest as a loss of self-confidence and insecurity, especially worry concerning appearance.

·         Being chased: Dreams of being followed or chased have been linked with the potential longing to break free from personal fears. They seem to be common in people experiencing inertia or dissatisfaction with their current circumstances.

Although we are able to recognise stronger correlations between specific dreams and psychological causes, there is still much we don’t understand about dreams. If you are experiencing reoccurring nightmares or strange sleeping patterns hinders the quality of your sleep, consult with a pharmacist.