Dreams— the unexplainable scenarios in our mind when we fall asleep.
The concept of dreams and why they happen have been studied for centuries.
Do they actually have any significance, or are they just a string of meaningless thoughts?
what exactly are dreams?
In simple terms, a dream is a combination of vivid stories and pictures that our mind comes up with while we’re asleep. They can consist of past memories, current emotions, or something completely random. If you can think it, you can dream it.
Some can be so intense that people have claimed to physically feel pain or pleasure as it happens in the dream.
The study of dreams, also known as Oneirology, is the scientific and psychological research of what causes dreams and what they mean, if they mean anything at all.
Even though we may not remember most of them, humans are said to dream at least 4-6 times a night.
The many interpretations of dreams
In the Roman and Greek periods, dreams were interpreted as messages from the deceased that could potentially predict the future. They believed it was a way that the gods could share their wills with humans.
At the start of Greek literature, it is also believed that dreams could represent an entirely different universe, one that mankind was unaware of.
In Biblical times, it is said that God used dreams to communicate with certain people that he wanted to send a message to. Some were symbolic, while others included specific instructions directly given by God Himself.
Some of the dreams recorded in the Bible include warnings, visions, and a specific task given to the dreamer.
Famous neurologist Sigmund Freud claimed that dreams represent “unconscious desires, thoughts, wish fulfillment, and motivations.” Basically, he said that dreams are formed from our repressed emotions, such as anger, excitement, or anxiety.
Freud believed in something called latent and manifest dreaming, which has everything to do with how you interpret it. The manifest part of the dream is the actual content you absorb, while the latent is the meaning that hides behind that content.
Everything in our unconscious mind is represented in the latent dream, which Freud said was much more important than just the surface level dream itself.
What science says
Now that we’ve gone over the literal definition of a dream and some of the interpretations from the past, let’s see what scientists have to say about it.
First, let’s introduce something called the activation synthesis model.
The activation synthesis model is a hypothesis that, in short, states that dreams don’t mean anything at all. They’re just random memories and thought patterns pulled from our brain while we’re asleep.
It makes sense, right?
That’s not exactly all, though.
Even though dreams may not have the ability to predict the future or reveal different universes, scientists still say that dreams can be caused by certain emotions.
You may have read that a dream of your teeth falling out may symbolize anxiety, or that falling in a dream may mean you feel out of control, or lack self confidence.
While your teeth may not literally fall out in real life, there must be a reason why many people around the world collectively have the same types of dreams and emotions associated with it.
Although we may have not experienced everything that we’ve dreamed, the emotions behind them are 100% real.
So, do our dreams mean anything or not?
Honestly, even with dreams being heavily researched, no one has an exact yes or no answer.
Maybe one day we’ll get the answer, or maybe we won’t.
Our brains are constantly at work; We won’t always understand it completely.
Dreams are one of the most interesting parts of living, and it all comes to how you choose to interpret them.
One thing for sure: emotions can definitely influence your dreams.
On the other hand, if you experience an uncomfortable amount of bad dreams or nightmares, it’s always best to check with a doctor or therapist and see if there’s something else going on.
While dreams can be uncontrollable, it’s important that they don’t heavily interfere with your daily life, especially in a negative sense.
Other than that, dream on, folks.