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Brooke Royal

Professor Nadine Gordon

UWRT 1103

April 15, 2019

Dreams; Their Meaning and Purpose

Close your eyes and try to remember the last dream you had? Was your dream very vivid

and easy to recall, or have you already forgotten what had happened? Dreaming is a universal

phenomenon that all humans, and even certain types of living organisms, such as certain species

of animals, experience across the globe on a daily basis. Most of us often ponder on the same

questions; why do we dream, what do these dreams mean, and what is the science behind it?

Dreams can vary from different locations, having different people from our past or our present

make an appearance, and can also be either a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare, according to

Beyonce. Exploring the mystery behind dreaming can be intriguing when viewing studies that

scientists have discovered and also considering the “old wives tales” throughout different

cultures across the globe.

What is Dreaming?

According to the American Sleep Association, dreaming can be defined and explained as

a succession of sensations, emotions, ideas, and images that occur involuntarily in a person’s

mind during certain stages of sleep. Dreams can vary from short, forgettable visions to

unforgettable, long-lasting fantasies. Most dreaming occurs during a stage of sleep known as

rapid eye movement, or REM abbreviated. During this stage of sleep, brain activity is at it’s

highest which resembles being awake, which causes us to see images and use our imagination
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(American Sleep Association). Although most of our dreaming occurs during REM, “it can occur

during other stages of sleep, but these tend to be less vivid and less memorable” (American Sleep

Association). Dreams cannot be contained into one box considering there are different types of

dreams and different way of reaching full REM.

Types of Dreams

The most common types of dreams that people can recall at the top of their head is

simply a regular dream or a nightmare. One type of dreaming that some know about, but most

people are in the dark about is a sensation called lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming can be defined

as awareness while dreaming even though you are asleep. “This specific state of consciousness is

very interesting because skilled lucid dreamers can fly through the air, practice complex

activities, or cope with nightmare situations” (Schredl, Michael). Lucid dreaming, like most

things, take practice considering it takes breathing control and concentration. Although lucid

dreaming sounds like something you might want to try, it also comes with potential problems.

“Persons with lucid dreams reported poorer sleep quality because they also experienced

nightmares more often…possible effects on daytime behavior, for example, tiredness (Schredl,

Michael). So besides the fact that we can control lucid dreaming, why do natural occurring

dreams happen?

Why We Dream According To Science?

Most of us often what causes this natural occurrence in our lives, but don’t really

understand the science behind the reason. Dreaming all stems back to our brain and how our

brain functions while we are sleeping. The brain being the most complex organ in the human

body, there is still such mystery behind it. Due to the brain being extremely complex, there is no

real answer as to why we dream, but there is a great deal of evidence that has been found in
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several different theories that could possibly lead to a sole answer, or that could be conjoined

with another that is the real reason (Breus, Michael). According to Psychology Today, “Theories

of dreaming span scientific disciplines, from psychiatry and psychology to neurobiology.” These

theories include components such as your brain acting and processing memories throughout your

day, the brain responding to biochemical changes and electric pulses, processing information

from your past, present, and future, and even can be an extension of waking consciousness

(Breus, Michael). It is very likely that all of these factors contribute in some shape or form to the

product that our brain displays to us while we are asleep. One famous theory is the Freudian

Theory, and according to the American Sleep Association, “most people generally endorse the

Freudian theory of dreams, and that is that dreams reveal hidden emotions and desires.”

Although these theories are just theories, there are also several studies and newfound evidence

that shows how certain factors can affect our dreaming and the way our brain processes while we

dream.

Factors that Affect our Dreams

Many factors can come into play when we think about dreaming. Some widely known

factors include the obvious alcohol and drugs, sleeping conditions, and even diseases. Although
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people know that these can affect not only their overall health, but the way their brain operates,

many don’t understand how it can truly affect your dreaming even when your brain is “asleep”.

Alcohol and drugs do affect dreaming by “disrupting the normal, healthy sleep cycle and leads to

fragmented sleep…consuming too close to bedtime may alter and diminish time spent in REM

sleep” (Breus, Michael). Certain sleeping disorders, the most commonly known being insomnia,

can also affect the way we dream. Insomnia has been widely known to be linked with depression

and anxiety which can also have an effect. According to Psychology Today, “Depression and

anxiety often are accompanied bu nightmares…more likely to have stressful, disturbing, or

frightening dreams, sometimes in the form of recurring dreams”. A type of mental disorder that

is more common than most think, is post-traumatic stress order, or PTSD. Many who have

experienced a frightening situations such as soldiers who have fought in active combat or

individuals who have experienced sexual or emotional abuse, tend to develop this disorder. Due

to this disorder becoming more talked about and frequent within soldiers, scientists have actually

proposed the creation of a new sleeping disorder called Trauma Associated Sleep Disorder

(Breus, Michael). Now that we have discussed the science behind dreaming, we need to explore

cultural beliefs about dreams and their purposes.

Folklore about Dreams

While most people in our society tend to rely on scientific explantation for unexplainable

phenomenons that occur in our world today, many cultures still have beliefs about dreams and

why they occur due to spirituality and other cultural beliefs. For example, many early

civilizations believed “dreams acted as a medium between our earthly world and that of the gods

(Linden, Sander van der) and “the Greeks and Romans were convinced that dreams could predict

the future” (Atherton, Sam). There are many pieces of evidence that have allowed scientists and
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researchers to draw these conclusions from these historical societies. Many artifacts have been

found that support each societies belief on dreaming such “As early as 5,000 B.C.,

Mesopotamians made a habit of recording their dreams on clay tablets” (Handley, Andrew).

Many legends have also been discovered that were told as stories to each tribe or civilization

based on each culture’s gods/goddesses or nature. “In some legends, dreams are sent from the

gods; in others, terrifying monsters lurk at the fringes of consciousness, waiting for their chance

to creep into the shadows of our minds” (Handley, Andrew). One of the most widely known

symbol/legend is the Native American belief of dreamcatchers. Dreamcatchers are composed

mostly of string woven in certain patterns around a ring. Attached at the bottom typically are

feathers and beads. Dreamcatchers are placed above your bed where you lay your head at night

and are thought to catch the bad spirits that could cause nightmares. Unlike the beneficial story

of the dreamcatcher, there are also legends throughout other cultures such as Germanic folklore,

that have evil influence. In Germanic folklore there is a creature called a Mara, "a mara is an evil

spirit that sits on your chest while you sleep, constricting your air supply and turning your

dreams into nightmares…the mara takes the form of a beautiful woman at night. She visits men

in their sleep to torture them and slowly suck away their life force over the course of decades”

(Handley, Andrew). Although there are many different legends, symbols, and stories among

many different cultures, each person has their own beliefs on these different tales and if they

mean anything to them.

Conclusion

Dreams are a very mysterious and complex part of our everyday lives that we tend to

overlook and not think too much about. There are many scientific theories and research still

happening today that is unfolding more information as to why we dream and the meaning of our

dreams. It is interesting to also consider folklore and legends from across the globe from

different civilizations and cultures and the spiritual meaning behind them. Dreaming is so

complex because of our brain being the most complex organ in the human body. Although there

is no set reason as to why we dream, it is a very riveting and thoughtful topic to discuss.
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References

• Atherton, Sam. “Do People Actually Believe Dreams Mean Something To Us?” The Sleep
Matters Club, The Sleep Matters Club, 13 Mar. 2017, www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-
club/do-people-actually-believe-dreams-mean-something-to-us/.

• Breus, Michael J. “Why Do We Dream?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers,

• Handley, Andrew. “10 Ancient Legends About Dreams.” Listverse, 20 June 2014,
listverse.com/2014/01/21/10-ancient-legends-about-dreams/.

• Linden, Sander van der. “The Science Behind Dreaming.” Scientific American, 26 July 2011,
www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-science-behind-dreaming/

• Schredl, Michael, et al. “Measuring Attitude toward Lucid Dreams: A Six-Item

• “Dreams - What They Mean and Psychology behind Them – American Sleep
Association.” American Sleep Association, www.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/dreams/.