...Analysis of Dreams Our Lady of Lourdes Written by Sarah Galante Abstract This paper contains multiple theories of why we dream and the dream theory I have created. It also describes one full week of dreams as well as an analysis of what one of my dreams mean. When describing the dream it will include the manifest and latent content. The Theories of Dreaming Throughout time, multiple theories of dreaming have been created as time has gone on. Some have been created by less known psychologists and one was created by Sigmund Freud. The five theories of dreaming are: wish fulfillment, information processing, physiological function, activation synthesis, and cognitive development. Information Processing and Physiological Function The information processing and physiological function theories are not commonly used when describing why we dream. Information processing is the idea that our dreams help us sort out the day's events and consolidate our memories. In addition, this is a cognitive form of dreaming. Information processing may occur when after a stressful day and these dreams could include some kind of anxiety(Psychology in Action, 180). An example of this type of dream would be getting lost on your way to class as this is common amongst college students. Another theory of dreaming is physiological function. This theory sates that regular brain stimulation from REM sleep may help develop and preserve neural pathways. This shows that the brain is always...
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...Theory #1 The Evolutionary Theory: We Dream to Practice Responses to Threatening Situations Ever notice that most dreams have a blood-surging urgency to them? In dreams, we often find ourselves naked in public, or being chased, or fighting an enemy, or sinking in quicksand. Antti Revonsuo, a Finnish cognitive scientist, has shown that our amygdala (the fight-or-flight piece of the brain) fires more than normal when we're in REM sleep (the time in sleep when we dream). In REM sleep, the brain fires in similar ways as it does when it's specifically threatened for survival. In addition to that, the part of the brain that practices motor activity (running, punching) fires increasingly during REM sleep, even though the limbs are still. In other words, Revonsuo and other evolutionary theorists argue that in dreams, we are actually rehearsing fight-and-flight responses, even though the legs and arms are not actually moving. They say that dreams are an evolutionary adaptation: We dream in order to rehearse behaviors of self-defense in the safety of nighttime isolation. In turn, get better at fight-or-flight in the real world. Theory #2 Dreams Create Wisdom If we remembered every image of our waking lives, it would clog our brains. So, dreams sort through memories, to determine which ones to retain and which to lose. Matt Wilson, at MIT's Center for Learning and Memory, largely defends this view. He put rats in mazes during the day, and recorded what neurons fired in what...
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...“Analysis dreaming according to the dream activation synthesis theory” The activation-synthesis theory explains us that the messages of dreams are not a meaning. They are only processing of brain system when we sleep. The chemicals in the brain transmit message from one nerve cell to another. This electrical energy randomly stimulates memories found in various area of the brain. Also, we have a need to make sense of our world and even while asleep. The brain takes these chaotic memories and creates a logical story line. This theory best explains my dream which I will describe as follows. In my dream, I met giant cockroaches which were taller than I was. I felt very scared because they were very big and they tried to attack me. I ran fast but I could not escape since there were many of them. Then I woke up with a start. On another day, I dreamed that I was driving on the road skillfully and quickly. While I drove past many cars from left to right and right to left, I felt very proud of my driving skill. Therefore, I will show the relation between real life and dream. In the first case, I had seen a cockroach while taking a shower before going to bed. It ran to my leg, and I very do not like them. That represents my concerns about cockroaches and I clearly remember according to the activation synthesis theory. The second dream happened when I was young. I wanted to be a sports car driver in that time because I thought it was very smart. Also at that time, I think about them...
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...“Dreams are the touchstones of our characters”. -Henry David Thoreau Dreams have fascinated philosophers for thousands of years. You have often found yourself puzzling over mysterious content of a dream. Firstly let’s start by answering a basic question- What is a dream? A dream can include any of the images, thoughts and emotions that are experienced during sleep. Dreams can be filled with joyful emotions or frightening imagery, focused and understandable or unclear and confusing. Why do we dream? What purpose do dreams serve? While many theories have been proposed, no single consensus has emerged. Ernest Hoffman, suggests that, a possible (though certainly not proven) function of a dream to be weaving new material into the memory system in a way that both reduces emotional arousal and is adaptive in helping us cope with further trauma or stressful events. Psychoanalytic theory of dreams: Sigmund Freud’s theory of dreams suggested that dreams were representation of unconscious desires, thoughts and motivations. Dreams allows us to be what we cannot be, and say what we cannot say in our daily life. According to Freud’s psychoanalytic view of personality, people are driven by aggressive and sexual instincts that are repressed from conscious awareness. While these thoughts are not consciously expressed. He suggests that they find their way into our awareness via dreams. In his famous book ‘The Interpretation of Dreams’ Freud wrote that dreams are disguised...
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...Dreams Dreams have been objects of boundless fascination and mystery for humankind since the beginning of time. These nocturnal vivid images seem to arise from some source other than our ordinary conscious mind. They contain a mixture of elements from our own personal identity, which we recognize as familiar along with a quality of `others' in the dream images that carries a sense of the strange and eerie. The bizarre and nonsensical characters and plots in dreams point to deeper meanings and contain rational and insightful comments on our waking situations and emotional experiences. The ancients thought that dreams were messages from the gods. The cornerstone of Sigmund Freud's infamous psychoanalysis is the interpretation of dreams. Freud called dream-interpretation the via reggia, or the royal road to the unconscious, and it is his theory of dreams that has best stood the test of time over a period of more than seventy years (Many of Freud's other theories have been disputed in recent years). Freud reportedly admired Aristotle's assertion that dreaming is the activity of the mind during sleep (Fine, 1973). It was perhaps the use of the term activity that Freud most appreciated in this brief definition for, as his understanding of the dynamics of dreaming increased, so did the impression of ceaseless mental activity differing in quality from that of ordinary waking life (Fine, 1973). In fact, the quality of mental activity during sleep differed so radically from what we take...
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...of today. Dream Dreams are something we all experience every night, whether we remember them or not. 1/3 of your life is spent sleeping, and in an average life time you would have spent about 5 years of it dreaming and in that time, you all will experience thousands of dreams. In the next five or so minutes I'm going to tell you the most I can about dreams. . There are numerous theories about dreams, but whomever you are, where ever you live, you will dream. Whether it's a good dream or a nightmare is up to your mind, but there must be some reasoning behind dreams, right? Everyone may know the main idea of a dream, but few may know that the explanations behind dreams are far more intricate than it just being a simple random thought in your mind. Can you remember the last dream you had? Maybe you could fly or were falling down an endless dark tunnel. Perhaps you were awakened by a horrific dream in the middle of the night Sigmund Freud’s Theory 1 - Finding an unused room What it means: The rooms in a house represent different aspects of your character, so finding an unused room suggests that you’re discovering a talent that you were previously unaware of 2 - Out-of-control vehicle The vehicle represents your ability to make consistent progress toward a specific objective, so in waking life, you may feel that you don’t have enough control over your road to success. 3- Falling What it means: Feeling yourself falling in a dream indicates that...
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...Dreams can be fascinating, exciting, terrifying or just plain weird. Dreams have fascinated philosophers for thousands of years, but only recently have dreams been subjected to empirical research and concentrated scientific study. Chances are that you’ve often found yourself puzzling over the mysterious content of a dream, or perhaps you’ve wondered why you dream at all. Dreams can be mysterious, but understanding the meaning of our dreams can be downright baffling. The content of our dreams can shift suddenly, feature bizarre elements or frighten us with terrifying imagery. The fact that dreams can be so rich and compelling is what causes many to believe that there must be some meaning to our dreams. Why do we dream? Some researchers suggest that dreams serve no real purpose, while others believe that dreaming is essential to mental, emotional and physical well-being. Although there is not much agreement on why we dream there are some interesting theories around. One possibility is that our minds are running us through the worst-case scenario during sleep. Disaster preparation you could say. For example if a new mother was to dream of losing her baby she is rehearsing what it would feel like for that to actually happen. So our dreams are just fire drills? Another possibility is that dreaming is actually aiding learning. Some researchers have found that performance on physical tasks is actually enhanced by dreaming about it. Whatever the reason for why...
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...Why do we Dream? --http://psychology.about.com/od/statesofconsciousness/p/dream-theories.htm Many different theories have emerged to help explain the mystery of why we dream. "Dreams are the touchstones of our characters." - Henry David Thoreau Dreams have fascinated philosophers for thousands of years, but only recently have dreams been subjected to empirical research and concentrated scientific study. Chances are that you’ve often found yourself puzzling over the mysterious content of a dream, or perhaps you’ve wondered why you dream at all. First, let’s start by answering a basic question – What is a dream? A dream can include any of the images, thoughts and emotions that are experienced during sleep. Dreams can be extraordinarily vivid or very vague; filled with joyful emotions or frightening imagery; focused and understandable or unclear and confusing. Ads Do You Have Sleep Apnea? sleepapnea.com It's a very common sleep disorder. Are you at risk? Answer 9 questions "Shocking" 2014 Horoscope astrologyanswers.com/Zodiac Enter Your Zodiac Sign to Find Out Your Future. So accurate it’s Scary! Silva Mind Control www.silvalifesystem.com Learn How To Control Your Mind Get The Famous Silva Guide... Free * Psychology Psychotherapy * Sleep Disorders * Sleep Apnea Sleep Study * Sleep Center * Study Psychology So why do we dream? What purpose do dreams serve? While many theories have been proposed, no single consensus has emerged. Considering the...
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...mile a minute. Five minutes after this dream about half of its content is forgotten and in 10 minutes 90% of it is gone. According to the New York time study done on October 20, 2013 by Gary Matter you spend about 6 years of your life dreaming. That’s more then 2100 days spent in a different realm. So today, lets look at how dreams really do occur, the part of your sleep cycle that dreams occur in and lastly different types of dreams. Transition: So where do dreams really start? Body I. REM Sleep A. Rapid eye movement sleep, the part of your sleep cycle charactized by rapid and random eye movement B. Occurs in the cycle for about 90-120 minutes throughout the night 1. REM sleep dominates the latter half of the sleep cycle 2. Five minutes after you wake up half of your dream is forgotten and 10 minutes 90% of it is gone. C. The eye movements may relate to internal visual images of the dreams that occurs during this stage of sleep 3. Associated with the brain wave spikes in the regions of the brain that is involved with vision 4. Studies have shown that your brain waves are more active when you are dreaming than when we are awake. D. Majority of dreams happen in the REM Sleep 5. the most memorable and vivid dreams 6. muscular atonia that accompanies the protection of us from self-damage which could occur while physically acting out these vivid dreams E. Stage 5 - REM - breathing...
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...Liao English 104 – 33 12 March 2013 Research Proposal: The Psychology of Dreams For my research project, I am investigating the abstract world of dreams and the theories behind those dreams. Why we dream what we dream, and how, and where dreams come from. There have been many different theories on where dreams come from and how to interpret the dreams of different people. I will be exploring the similarities and differences of those theories along with speculating which theories are the most accurate, taking into consideration recent research on the psychology of dreams and dream interpretation. My main focus will be the world-renowned psychologist, Sigmund Freud. His theories on dreams and the interpretation of dreams are the most widely known and socially accepted theories, but are those theories the most accurate? That is what my research paper will be discussing and examining. This paper will be objective, simply providing the facts about dreams and the different theories regarding dreams and the interpretation of them. I will go in depth with why we dream what we dream, some of the most common dreams that people have, and what the most popular theories are behind the psychology of dreams. My purpose of this paper is to inform my audience of the theories behind dreams and where they come from. I will provide information on the different interpretations of common dreams, the history of dreams, and the basics of the sleeping cycle. My readers are my class peers as well...
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...Dreams: What are dreams and what do they mean? Shanice Monteith The University of West Florida Abstract Dreams that take place while we sleep are one of the most fascinating aspects of human consciousness and are common among all of us. We all ask the same question, what is a dream? A researcher by the name of Sigmund Freud’s theory of dreams gives us a good insight about dreams. His theory is one of the best-known models of dream interpretation. There are also other types of theories that suggest to us what a dream is. Some say that dreams are simply random firing of memory neurons. Others say differently. I will try to show both sides of this controversy. This paper will examine what a dream is and what people interpret a dream to mean. It should also give you a broader perspective of dreams, go into detail of different theories regarding dreams and give you more insight of such a fascinating but complicated topic. There is also the case of nightmares which will be discussed briefly and why they occur when we dream. What are dreams and what do they mean There have numerous studies on what is a dream. A lot of controversy has happened because of this. Some people say it could be just simply random firing of memory neurons as stated earlier but not everyone thinks the same way. Others say there is a lot of detail that could go into finding out more about this topic so they begin to do more research to come up with different ideas about such a debating issue...
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...what are dreams * a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep. * source:www.howstuffworks.com * date: February 13 2013 * We've all been there -- dead asleep, caught up in the middle of a cinematic dream that feels so real you think you've actually experienced it, even after waking. Maybe it was a nightmare that left you in a cold sweat, heart pounding. Or if you're lucky, it's a liaison with your favorite movie star. Sigmund Freud believed that dreams are a window into our unconscious, and some studies indicate that he may have been onto something. For example, in one study, amnesiacs reported dreaming about activities that the scientists knew the patients had participated in before they'd gone to sleep -- even though the amnesiacs had no memory of those activities, outside of dreaming about them. This validates Freud's theory to a certain degree, but there are hundreds of competing theories about what dreams are and what their purpose is. * So what are dreams? Strictly speaking, dreams are images and imagery, thoughts, sounds and voices, and subjective sensations experienced when we sleep. This can include people you know, people you've never met, places you've been, and places you've never even heard of. Sometimes they're as mundane as recalling events that happened earlier in the day. They can also be your deepest and darkest fears and secrets, and most private fantasies. There's no limit to what the mind can experience...
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... 1991 The Effects of Dream Length on the Relationship Between Primary Process in Dreams and Creativity Glenn Livingston l and Ross Levin l ,2 The effects of dream length on the relationship between primaty process in dreams and a measure of creativity unconfounded by IQ was investigated in a sample of 93 graduate students using the Auld, Goldenberg, & Weiss (1968) Scale of Primary Process Thought (SPPT) and a modified Wallach-Kogan (1965) creativity batte/yo Consistent with previous research, total and mean primary process were found to correlate significantly with creativity (r = .28, P < .01 and r = .23, P < .05, respectively). Both significant relationships disappeared, however, once the effects of dream length were partialled out, confirming Wood, Sebba, & Domino's (1989-90) contention that this relationship may be artifactual. It is suggested that dream length as an individual difference in and of itself may thus be a more fruitful variable to examine in future research investigating the relationship between creativity and dreams. KEY WORDS: dreaming; dream length; primary process; creativity. The contention that creativity and dreaming may reflect similar psychological processes has long been maintained by both the lay public and philosophers alike. In support of this, both the anecdotal and empirical psychological literature contain numerous references suggesting both a direct and analogical relationship between dreams and creativity (Adelson,...
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...With his psychoanalysis, he opened the door for dreams to be one of the many scientific research topics. He became fascinated with dreams after working with certain patients of his. Many patients randomly telling him about the dreams they would have while they were sleeping.After, his patients began to tell them his dreams he started including the interpretation of dreams in his psychoanalysis along with hypnosis and free association. Toward the end of the 19th century he researched the methods of dreams and what they meant for humans. The dream theory is one of the theories that helped form a lot of the theories that have been formed do to pscyhoanylasis. It helped formed the pscyhoanalysis like the subconscious.He anaylzed the theory simple enough for people who did not suffer from mental disorders so that they could understand. We try to get rest when we do not want to deal with the pressures of life and try to go to bed. When you get tired we withdraw from the things that are going in life and we take a pause in engaging in the things that are going on.These are one of the main charecteristic that a person is getting sleepy. We try to fall asleep in most cases with silence and we cut the lights of in our room,but some people like to sleep with the lighs off and television and music plugged in their ears. Frued derived dreams symbols from the resistence of dreams interpretation. He stated from his research that you resisted certain things while dreaming happened no matter...
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...Why We Dream and What Our Dreams Mean There are several theories to why people have the dreams they have. Yet there are no definitive answers to this age old question. One theory is the Evolutionary Theory which states that we dream to practice responses to threatening situations. Cognitive scientist has shown that our amygdala (the fight-or-flight piece of the brain) fires more than normal when we're in REM sleep the time in sleep when we dream. So even though your body is not moving it is practicing the fight or flight response. Another theory is to organize the brain. Everyday our minds are filled with new information both consciously and unconsciously. This theory suggests dreaming is a way to file away key information and discard meaningless data. It helps keep our brains organized and optimizes our learning. There is yet another theory that suggests dreams help to solve problems or cope with trauma. Based on the intensity of our emotions, we will generate dreams to cope with certain situations. Although, scientists generally seem to agree that dreaming is a form of thinking during sleep. I decided to keep track of my dreams over a three week time period so that I could analyze how many times I had a certain dream and to find out what the dreams meant. It is very interesting to see what is going on in my subconscious. I went to dreammoods.com to find out what the meanings were. In one dream I was pregnant with not a human child but puppies. At this site...
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