Physiological theories are based on the idea that when we dream it is to exercise neural connections that are thought to affect the way we learn things.

Psychological theories are based on the idea that when we dream it lets us sort out things from our waking lives such as the events of our day...our problems and things which need a lot of our attention but we don't have time to deal with whilst awake. Some researchers and scientists believe it is a combination of both these ideas.

 

Sigmund Freud

We've had many dream 'theorists' but the first and foremost is Sigmund Freud. Freud's theories are those of the psychological kind and are based on the idea of 'repressed longing'. These are the desires that we aren't able to express in a social setting. I'm not too sure about this one. If you go by what I dreamed a few nights ago...why would I want to pull a 10" piece of cotton 'rope' from out of my top lip??? OK…well...the next bit kind of explains that. Oooo errr...do I go on writing this??? lol

Dreams let the unconscious mind act out those unacceptable thoughts and desires. For this reason, Freud's theory about dreams focuses mainly on sexual desires and symbolism. (Why did I decide to write this? lol) For example, any cylindrical object in a dream represents the thingy (uh-uh...I knew I shouldn't have started writing this! lol), whilst a cave or an enclosed object with an opening represents the girl thingy. Well we all know what that represents so I won't go into that. According to Freud, this indicates a suppressed longing for sex. He lived during the Victorian era and people during that time were sexually repressed, which explains why he came to his conclusions.
 

Carl Jung

Carl Jung studied under Freud but soon decided that what he believed was not the exactly the same as Freud and he decided to go in a different direction. He agreed with the psychological origin of dreams but instead of saying that dreams came from our primal needs and repressed wishes, he felt that dreams allowed us to reflect on our waking selves and solve our daily problems and be able to think through important issues.
 

In 1973, two researchers Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley brought forth another theory which threw out old ideas. Their research on what was going on in the brain whilst we were asleep gave brought the idea that dreams were just the result of random electrical brain impulses which pulled images from stored experiences in our memory. The said that these images didn't form the stories that we remember when we wake...our dreams...but that our waking minds, trying to make sense of the images, create the stories without us realising it…because the brain wants to make sense of what it has experienced. This theory, which is known as activation-synthesis hypothesis, (Don't you just love getting your teeth around big words? lol) created a big rift in the dream research arena because it was a giant step away from the accepted theories. But...this theory has withstood the test of time and is still one of the more prominent dream theories.


 

Our Sleep Cycle

REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement and was discovered by University of Chicago researchers Eugene Aserinsky and Nathaniel Kleitman, Ph.D in 1953. REM sleep is characterised by movements of the eyes.

During REM seep several physiological changes take place. The heart rate and breathing quickens, our blood pressure rises (are they on about sex again???), we can't regulate our body temperature and our brain activity increases to the same level as when we are awake...this is the Alpha level. Sometimes this level can go even higher. The rest of our body is paralysed until we leave REM sleep. This paralysis is caused by the release of glycine (an amino acid) from the brain stem onto motoneurons (neurons that conduct impulses from the brain to the spinal cord). (This makes sleep a bit scary...not sure I want to go to sleep again! lol)

Because REM sleep is the sleep stage where our dreaming takes place, nature takes hold and brings on the paralysis so that we don't act on our dreams. If nature didn't do this we could end up very bruised if someone laying next to us dreaming was dreaming about playing football...they would be kicking us! lol

The 4 stages before REM sleep are called non-REM sleep (that's a clever name…wonder how long it took for them to come up with it? lol)...this is known as NREM. Although most of our dreams take place during REM sleep, more recent research has shown that dreams can occur during any kind of sleep stage. Confused? Yes me too...don't worry! lol This kind of sleep is known as "covert NREM" sleep which makes an appearance during NREM sleep. Most NREM dreams don't have the intensity of REM dreams though.

Throughout the night, we go through these 5 stages several times...the pattern in repeated over and over and each cycle includes more REM sleep and less deep sleep (stages 3 and 4). By the morning we are having almost all stage one, two and 5 (REM) sleep.

 

     

Most dreams last anywhere from five to 20 minutes.

People don't only dream in black and white, as was once believed.

Even though they may not remember them, everyone dreams several times a night. In fact, during a typical lifetime, we spend about six years dreaming.

People who have been blind from birth have dreams that are formed from their other senses (e.g., touch, smell, sound).

When people are snoring, they're not dreaming.

Elephants (and some other animals) sleep standing up during non-REM sleep, but lie down for REM sleep.


  

Kekule, the German chemist who discovered the structure of the benzene molecule, had worked endlessly to figure it out. Then, in a dream, he saw snakes forming circles with their tales in their mouths. When he awoke, he realised that the benzene molecule, unlike all other known organic compounds, had a circular structure rather than a linear one.

The inventor of the sewing machine, Elias Howe, had struggled in 1884 to figure out how the needle could work in a machine for sewing. In a dream, he found himself surrounded by native tribesmen with spears that had a hole in the point. When he woke up, he realized that a needle with a hole in the point would solve his problem.

Mary Shelly, author of "Frankenstein," got the idea for the story from a dream.

Edgar Allen Poe got inspiration from a dream featuring large luminous eyes for his story, "Lady Ligea."

Many musicians, including Paul McCartney, Billy Joel and Beethoven, have found inspiration for their music from their dreams. Some hear musical arrangements in their dreams, while others hear lyrics.

Golfer Jack Nicklaus found a new way to hold his golf club in a dream, which he credits as significantly improving his golf game.



   

Being Naked In Public:

Most of us have had the dream at some point that we're at school, work or some social event, and we suddenly realise we forgot to put on clothes! Experts say this means we're trying to hide something (and without clothes we have a hard time doing that). We're not prepared for something, like a presentation or test (and now everyone is going to know - we're exposed!). If we're naked but no one notices, then the interpretation is that whatever we're afraid of is unfounded. If we don't care that we're naked, the interpretation is that we're comfortable with who we are.


Falling:

You're falling, falling, falling... and then you wake up. This is a very common dream and is said to symbolise insecurities and anxiety. Something in your life is essentially out of control and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Another interpretation is that you have a sense of failure about something. Maybe you're not doing well in school or at work and are afraid you're going to be fired or expelled. Again, you feel that you can't control the situation.
 

Being Chased:

The ever-popular chase dream can be extremely frightening. What it usually symbolises is that you're running away from your problems. What that problem is depends on who is chasing you. It may be a problem at work, or it may be something about yourself that you know is destructive. For example, you may be drinking too much, and your dream may be telling you that your drinking is becoming a real problem.

 

Taking An Exam (Or Forgetting We Have One):

This is another very common dream. You suddenly realise you are supposed to be taking an exam at that very moment. You might be running through the hallways and can't find the classroom. This type of dream can have several variations that have similar meanings. (Maybe your pen won't write, so you can't finish writing your answers.) What experts say this may mean is that you're being scrutinised about something or feel you're being tested.. maybe you're facing a challenge you don't think you're up to. You don't feel prepared or able to hold up to the scrutiny. It may also mean there is something you've neglected that you know needs your attention.
 

Flying:

Many flying dreams are the result of lucid dreaming. Not all flying dreams are, however. Typically, dreaming that you are flying means you are on top of things. You are in control of the things that matter to you. Or, maybe you've just gained a new perspective on things. It may also mean you are strong willed and feel like no one and nothing can defeat you. If you are having problems maintaining your flight, someone or something may be standing in the way of you having control. If you are afraid while flying, you may have challenges that you don't feel up to.
 

Running But Getting Nowhere:

This theme can also be part of the chasing dream. You're trying to run, but either your legs won't move or you simply aren't going anywhere...as if you were on a treadmill. According to some, this dream means you have too much on your plate. You're trying to do too many things at once and can't catch up or ever get ahead.
 

Your Teeth Falling Out:

Many people have dreams that they lose all of their teeth. In this dream, they may feel something strange in their mouth and then spit teeth into their hand, eventually losing all of their teeth. According to some, our teeth are related to our sense of power and our ability to communicate. Losing our teeth not only makes us embarrassed by our appearance, which hinders our communications, but it also lessens our power because we may not speak our minds. It's also associated with feelings about our appearance.