We Don't Know What Dreams Are, But We Do Know They Are Important

 

Humans have been dreaming for centuries. Tales of dreams exist in the Bible, Egyptian myths and on ancient tablets. But what are dreams? Not only do they fascinate us, but they mystify us as well. We don’t know what dreams are, although a lot of scientists and researchers have a lot of theories about them. People have been studying dreams for years and we continue to learn more about them. Even so, as little as we understand about dreams, what we do know about them is that they play an important role in self-development.

 

For one thing, we do know that dreams can help people figure things out. There have been times when I have struggled to figure out how to do something, what to say if somebody asked me about something or how to handle a sticky situation, then I’d have a dream that would give me those answers. Writers have figured out how to overcome writer’s block from their dreams. One prisoner in a Nazi camp had a very detailed dream on how to escape, and the dream motivated him so strongly that he convinced five other prisoners to join him in the attempt. They successfully escaped doing what the prisoner had done in his dream. One woman had dropped out of school and, from there, was unsure of where to go. She dreamed about going to medical school, and while she had some reservations about this particular career path, she decided to try it out, starting small. In 14 years time, she completed her medical education and became a psychiatrist. Some people have been able to solve math problems while dreaming.

Some dreams I have had motivated me to do things – like eat healthier, after I dreamed my mother told me that if I ate certain foods that she showed me, my workouts would go better – and sometimes all it was that I needed to get started on things was to just have a dream about me doing them. This helps with tasks which may seem too intimating or “too hard”; if we dream about seeing ourselves doing these things, it may not look so intimidating or hard to do after all.

 

Another way that dreams can help us is by overcoming trauma. Some trauma survivors turn to therapy or counseling to help them move past their trauma, but when they start having nightmares about their trauma, it can be one hurdle that is hard for them to get over in their recovery. Some therapists have encouraged these clients to gain better control over their dreams – such as by using lucid dreaming – and in many cases, these clients were able to turn from victim to fighter in their dreams. Or, someone saved them from their tormentor or they avoided the trauma from happening altogether.

 

There are a lot of aspects about dreams that are hard to understand, but thankfully, scientists and researchers have studied them for so long, that they have been able to pick up on a few key points about dreams. For example, one thing we have learned is that dreaming about being inside of a house represents we are having a dream about our conscience. A house represents our body – our selves – and we are working out issues inside of our conscience, issues we still struggle with today. For example, say you are inside of a house in your dream, and you have an argument with your father. This could mean you have an unresolved issue that you need to work out with him or, if he is no longer alive, an issue you need to work out on your own. Also, if we dream about ourselves as a child, then it’s possible we are dreaming about an issue our inner child is struggling with.

 

One thing that stands out about dreams, however, is that oftentimes, they can provide comfort. After my dog died, I was comforted by dreams I had in which he was in them. My grandmother and mother have also visited my dreams after their deaths, and those dreams offered comfort as well. It is very common to see departed loved ones in our dreams. Dreams can play a key role in helping us with grief. In some way, we are able to see our lost loved one just one last time or hug them one last time. In some of these dreams, they may give us a message or finally tell us the thing we always wanted to hear from them. Dreams can also provide comfort in another way, by addressing real-life problems such as bullying, unrequited love or anxiety in a friendship. When we have dreams about these issues, we may find the comfort or strength that we need to get through these issues.

 

Dreams also have a way of playing out the things that we wish for. In Book of Dreams, author and world-renowned psychic Sylvia Browne called these dreams “wish dreams.” These were essentially things that we wished would happen. When someone says “dream on,” we usually do, and that wish we have ends up being fulfilled in our dreams. While it may not ever happen in real life, we do get to have them happen in our dreams, and when we have these kinds of dreams, it can be the next best thing. Even so, some people who have wish dreams may feel compelled to make them come true. Some people have actually succeeded in making their wish dreams come true. But if this is not possible, no matter what effort is put into it, we must accept that this particular thing can only exist in the dream world.

 

Finally, dreams can be a source of escape. I write fiction, and many of my dreams have been sources of stories. I also went through a traumatic experience in life as a teen, and one person who frequently visited my dreams gave me the love, comfort, kindness and compassion that I did not receive from the people in my life at that time. These dreams were an escape for me, a method for me to get away from the nightmare that I was enduring in real life. In this way, they were a source of comfort, and not just a source of escape.

 

Despite these benefits we can get from our dreams, what is to be said about people who don’t have dreams? This is something many people have often said: “I don’t dream.” But, the reality is, everybody dreams. We all have dreams. You actually usually have more than one dream but usually only recall one. Dreams are actually a natural part of our sleep process – that is, if we are in REM sleep. Research shows that we usually can’t dream unless we achieve REM sleep. But does this mean people who “don’t dream” never achieve REM sleep? Not exactly, because we can still be in REM sleep and still dream without even remembering it after we wake up.

 

There are actually factors preventing you from either dreaming or remembering your dream. If you suffer from another sleeping disorder, it may be difficult from achieving REM sleep. This means you won’t be able to fall asleep deep enough to dream. Also, we are not so inclined to remember things very well when we achieve REM sleep so that may be why you don’t remember your dreams even if you do have them.

 

Another explanation for “not having dreams” is that you may actually be having dreams, but just sleeping through them. By the time you wake up, you won’t remember your dream because you woke up after the dream had ended. If you try waking up an hour earlier than you normally do, chances are good you will remember your dream. If you do, write it down immediately.

 

French researchers also discovered a certain kind of sleep disorder some people may have in which they do dream, but they can’t remember it at all upon awakening. In a study conducted with patients who exhibited signs of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), they discovered that these people acted out their dreams while they slept. However, upon awakening, they could not remember the dream.

 

Apparently, it seems that even if people report they don’t dream, it turns out that they probably do if they are able to achieve REM sleep, but that they just don’t remember their dream. If you want to try to remember your dream, then there are some things you can do. The advice to wake up an hour earlier is one thing. Another strategy is to keep telling yourself to remember your dream as you lie in bed at night, about to fall asleep. You can also write down anything you remember from your dreams upon awakening. Keeping a daily dream journal, no matter what you write in it, may help improve your dream recall.

 

While dreams may seem confusing and the stuff of a drug-induced fantasy, they are still fascinating and can offer us important insights about ourselves. If you pay more attention to your dreams, you just may discover a solution that has eluded you in your waking life or you may learn something about yourself. Take some time to think about your dreams, what they might mean, and how they can help you – because most dreams usually do.