Introduction
We all dream, but how much of us understand our dreams? It’s an important question to ask yourself. Did you know that you’re much more active in your mind when you’re dreaming? Researchers have discovered this in sleep studies that track the electrical activity in the brain. The results showed that people’s minds were far more active in their dreams than during waking life. It makes sense, then, that our dreams are so incredibly vivid.
Dreams are a way for our brains to process information
As we sleep, our brains take the fragments of information that were captured throughout our day (including sights, sounds, smells, and thoughts) and link them together into one memory. The next morning, when we wake up and try to recall what happened yesterday – chances are it will feel like two separate events – one real and the other “dreamlike”. This is because the information is broken down into “chunks” and stored in different sections of the brain. With the help of dreams, we are able to piece together all of these events – so it’s as if we were seeing everything that happened at once!
People who dream in black and white are more creative
People who dream in black and white are more creative than those who dream in color. “Black” refers to any dark color, regardless of what shade it actually is (i.e., a dark blue can still be considered black). “White” should be taken to mean completely pure – an unconscious mind can see anything as white, and it doesn’t have to actually be white. An interesting bit of information, huh?
Everyone dreams – even animals!
If a cat is dreaming about chasing a mouse, he won’t be the only one. And studies have found that most cats will dream about chasing mice (and for dogs, it’s more likely to be toys). Researchers are still trying to figure out what the reason for these dreams is, but researchers have come to the conclusion that these animals are truly experiencing emotions and feelings. Humans suffering from psychological disorders such as depression or anxiety may even dream about chasing their own tails.
Dreams can be prophetic
Meaning they sometimes foretell future events. The exact mechanisms behind this phenomenon aren’t exactly understood – but it’s thought that dreams will relive unfolding events of your life over and over again. For example, if you’re having a dream about getting married soon – this might be a sign that you will end up getting married in real life!
Some people experience lucid dreaming, which is the ability to control one’s dreams. As you can see, lucid dreaming is a very fascinating subject – and it’s something that people are actively pursuing. The best way to learn about lucid dreaming is by doing research on the subject and figuring out how to achieve it yourself. This is also known as the deep sleep cycle.
Dreams can be long
Sometimes, they can last for hours! As explained by the previous example of having a dream that lasted hours, some dreams can last for that long. Some even go on forever, but this is pretty rare – they only take up a relatively short amount of time.
There are many different varieties of dreams
The most common types are nightmare and nightmare. Nightmares are usually vivid, disturbing and disturbing dreams that have to do with what is going on at the moment (often it will involve dark or demonic themes). Nightmares are caused by intense, upsetting, or fearful thoughts and emotions – and when the brain is trying to figure out what to do with these thoughts, it goes into overload and starts producing more neural responses. In this state of overload, the body releases adrenalin – which is why you wake up with a racing heart!
A lot of people tend to have nightmares at the end of their dreams – this is because the brain wants to shorten the amount of time you spend in that dream world by giving you quick jolts. This will also put you into a state of “wakefulness” where you can access your own mind and consciously send it to a new place – this might even be the beginning of your dream’s conundrum!
The brain generates new brain cells at night.
Your brain is constantly producing new cells through a process called “neurogenesis” – which means your brain is literally making itself! Neurons come and go, but this new generation of cells will create more pathways and help your mind think creatively – which will ultimately improve your dreams. Also, to get deep sleep you need to have darkness in your room because melatonin works when you are exposed to darkness.
Dreams occur in both REM and non-REM sleep.
REM is the sleep phase where vivid dreams can occur, and it is the second stage of sleep. Vivid dreams are often very bizarre and they can involve things that have happened to us in our waking lives – which we tend to remember vividly. They are usually spontaneous (i.e. they will occur spontaneously) and they also occur in non-REM sleep as well.
During REM sleep, you are still conscious, meaning you are still fully conscious and aware of what’s going on around you. But the nature of dreams is that you are moving along to different scenarios in your life – which means you can relive these scenarios over and over again. If you find yourself in a situation that has happened to you before, then the brain will create new pathways!
Conclusion
While you’re sleeping, your mind is very active. While your body rests, your mind is active. You’ll be solving problems and sorting through the information you’ve absorbed during the day. Although you might not remember what you dreamed of, your dreams are highly meaningful to your mind. They contain messages from your subconscious, which is why they’re so important. They help you learn about your surroundings and help you cope with stressful situations.
