Guest Author - Parthena Black
Webster defines the word dream as "a sequence of sensations, images, thoughts, etc. occuring involuntarily in the mind during sleep." Even people who consistently say, "I don't remember my dreams," have experienced at least one dream during their lifetime. What are dreams and how do they occur?
Healthy, restful sleep progresses through a number of different stages. In 1953, scientists found that the key stage related to dreaming is called REM sleep, for Rapid Eye Movement. Out of 8 hours of sleep, babies are in REM for around 4 hours. This decreases as you grow older. In adults, REM usually occurs for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
REM occurs in approximately 90 minute cycles. Not only do your eyes move quickly at this time, but your breath rate and heart rate increase and you may become sexually aroused. Your body becomes paralyzed at the same time to prevent your īrealī body from moving as you dream. Our partners who have been awakened by a pop in the head from a flying arm can attest that this sometimes malfunctions!
REM sleep is initiated by the īponsī part of your brain. It releases the chemical acetylcholine, which then causes the other bodily reactions to begin. When REM sleep is ending, noradrenaline and serotonin are emitted to turn off REM sleep.
Stages of brain activity are beta, alpha, theta and delta. We are in beta when we are fully awake. Beta is a left brain activity associated with the conscious mind. Alpha is right brain thinking activity, a relaxed state where daydreams and meditation occur. Theta is the state in which dreams occur. This state involves right brain activity at the deeper subconcious level. In this state, the subconscious has access to insights and creative bursts. While visualization can occur in alpha, theta is the key state for "reality creation" through vivid images. Delta is the deepest state of relaxation, critical for rejuvenation. Insufficient delta stage sleep over long periods of time can cause chronic exhaustion, which can break down the immune system and become the catalyst for a host of physical, and sometimes mental, health problems. Exhaustion and stress can also contribute to "wild" dreams and nightmares.
Dreams occur in the frontal area of the brain. People who are in accidents where this area is damaged can still enter REM sleep, but they do not have dreams. People who are on dopamine-inhibitor drugs also find their do not have dreams. Other medications which affect the ability to sleep restfully can have a detrimental impact on dreaming and the ability to recall dreams.
Sigmund Freud was one of the first scientists to truly study dreams. In "The Interpretation of Dreams", he talked about how dreams tap into the unconscious to bring hidden thoughts into the conscious mind. Carl Jung also explored dreams, finding that they were used to help parts of a personality that were normally supressed to get some attention.
