What exactly is a dream? A scientific analysis.

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Sigmund Freud believed that dreams are a window into our unconscious, with recent studies into psychology and neurology proving that the renowned scientist may have been onto something. From a scientific stand point, dreams are the by-product of our brain processing random stimuli from our subconscious whilst we are in R.E.M (Random Eye Movement) sleep, or our deepest form of rest.

There are many other theories, as researchers and scientists continue to peg down the definitive cause of dreaming. That being said, most agree that our dreams are caused by brain activity while we sleep, as it tries to interpret stimuli or attempts to process our day or various memories. This would help explain the sometimes random nature of dreams, the ever changing scenarios or backgrounds and the lack of sense we perceive while dreaming.

Dreams; what are they? — *What do you dream about?*

More often than not, your dreams will take experiences you’ve lived through recently, or memorable moments you were reliving prior to sleep, mashing them up in one weird motion picture for your eyes only. Did you watch Jurassic Park last night before going to bed? Had you recently visited your grandparents? Were you and your cousins reminiscing about that time you went to the fair? That could be the reason why your dream last night was you trying to escape an aged care home in a bumper car as you were being chased by velociraptors.

You might wake up confused the following morning trying to decipher your dream, but odds are you will forget it within an hour of being up. Part of the reason for this is your brain was merely interpreting what stimuli your subconscious was firing off, and therefore not committing any of it to memory. It is for that reason that many scientists try and dismiss the idea of reading into dreams and their meanings, as they can often serve as a vicious circle of confirmation bias.

One thing however is for sure, our brain is a complex machine that still has a lot of mysteries and hidden corners that don’t give up their processes easily. Whilst we have made many scientific advances as to how are brain works since Freud’s day and age, there still remains a lot we do not know. That being said, scientists and researchers are far from being off the right path with the consensus on the matter having been previously explained: your dreams are just a direct result of your brain reliving your day.

Below is an interesting short story audio book that talks about Dreaming…