Medically, a dream means a mental
phenomenon occurring during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep
in which images, emotions, and thoughts are experienced with
a sense of reality.
First
scientific study on dreams
The "Interpretation of Dreams" is a book
by the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
that revolutionized the study of dreams. He attaches importance
to the subconscious mind. He said repressed urges and impulses
come to surface in disguised forms and dreams are one of them.
The study of dreams is called Oneirology
Who
Can Dream?
Every one of us except toddlers and snorers! Toddlers do not
dream until the age of 3 or 4. Snorers cannot snore and dream
at the same time. May be you don’t remember your dreams,
but you are dreaming around 4 dreams each night. We spend
approximately 6 years of our life dreaming!
Vision is not the only associate of dream; dreams also contain
sounds, sights, smells and touch sensations. So, the not-at-birth
blind people do dream some images. Dogs and cats also dream;
you can see their paws moving like running etc.
Character of Dreams
Studies say, Men dream about other men whereas women dream
equally about men and women. Children dream mostly nightmares.
A lucid dream is one in
which you are aware that it is a dream and a natural experience
where you know no harm can occur to you.
A vivid dream is more
real and more than a dream. They have hidden meanings and
they can be interpreted from a “dream dictionary”
Most people dream in color,
but colors are overlooked because they are a common experience
to us in our daily lives.
Recurrent dreams occurring
to some of us are because of some trauma in life or an unsolved
crisis.
Negative dreams are manifestation
of our negative happenings during the day and are remembered
more because they are more vivid and we end-up with an unrested,
disturbed feeling even after 6 to 8 hours of sleep.
Quitting smokers tend to have intense
dreams.
What
affects the dream?
Dreams are affected by the factors that can affect the neurotransmitters
in your brain; so a dream can be lucid or vivid accordingly.
It can be stress, medication, disease condition, alcohol,
drugs etc. Some medication or its withdrawal can cause a vivid
dream. Psychiatric conditions like bipolar disorder where
the brain chemicals are disturbed can give raise to vivid
dreams.
If you repress some feelings or thoughts during the day, they
can appear as dreams in the night. If you had wanted to scold
someone during the day, but couldn’t do it, then you
end-up scolding the person or at least a similar-looking person
in your dream.
Dreams
and good health
For our good health, we need to feel rested and fresh after
a good night’s sleep. For a good sleep we need to get
rid of negative dreams or we should not give negative thoughts
to the “alpha level of mind” (stage just before
sleep). So, practice the following before going to sleep.
1. Avoid arguments and controversies
with family members before sleep.
2. Do listen to soothing music or read inspirational stuff.
3. Never think of events that bring tears or anxiety.
4. Don’t watch TV before you go to bed.
5. Smell influences the mind, so smell good perfume for a
calm sleep.
6. List the positives of the day and avoid negative things
before you sleep.
7. Visualize pleasant things in your mind with closed eyes.
Power
of dreams
It is told that Roman senators in the ancient world often
engaged dream interpreters before making important political
and social decisions.
You can solve a problem in your
dream. If you wake up without an alarm, then you are more
likely to clearly remember the dream-solution for the problem,
which you were mentally working out just before sleeping and
that which your subconscious mind had continued to work on
and given the solution.
Good ideas or an interesting poem
can occur after you first wake up in the morning, note them
down.
They say you can start “working
with your dreams” by practicing lucid dreaming, but
you need to master the remembering and understanding of dreams.
Dreams (ambitious thoughts) do
turn into Vision: This is quite happening with great dreamers
around the world. As Dr. Abdul Kalam says, “You
have to dream before your dreams can come true.”
So start dreaming!
Watch the Video: The power of an idea and belief!
Have you ever wondered what
made Wright brothers to believe that they can make a machine
which can fly? Watch this video!
Are we more intelligent, wiser and capable
in a sleep?
We are not only less reasonable in our dreams... we are also
more intelligent, wiser and capable of better judgment when
we are asleep than when we are awake.
~Erich Fromm
Disclaimer: The above content is provided
for information and awareness purpose only. It is not prescriptive
or suggestive or meant to replaces your qualified physician's
advice or consultation.