Despite scientific inquiry, we still don’t have a solid answer for why people dream.
The most prominent theory is that dreams help us to process and consolidate information from the previous day.
However, other theories have suggested that dreams are critical for emotional processing, creativity, and self-knowledge.
Verywell / Madelyn Goodnight
Some theories suggest that dreams also have symbolic meanings that offer a glimpse into the unconscious mind.
Keep reading to learn more about some of the best-known theories about why we dream.
7 Theories on Why We Dream
What Is a Dream Theory?
A dream theory focuses on understanding the nature and purpose of dreams.
Dreams include the images, thoughts, and emotions that are experienced during sleep.
They can range from extraordinarily intense or emotional to very vague, fleeting, confusing, or even boring.
Some dreams are joyful, while others are frightening or sad.
Sometimes dreams seem to have a clear narrative, while many others appear to make no sense at all.
Beyond what’s in a particular dream, there is the question of why we dream at all.
How Do Scientists Study Dreams?
The question of why wedreamhas fascinated philosophers and scientists for thousands of years.
Traditionally, dream content is measured by the subjective recollections of the dreamer upon waking.
However, observation is also accomplished through objective evaluation in a lab.
The map was then backed up by the dreamers' reports upon waking.
Dreaming during different phases of sleep may also serve unique purposes.
What Causes Dreams to Happen?
Freuds theory contributed to the rise and popularity ofdream interpretation.
During this process of unconscious information redistribution, it is suggested that memories are either strengthened or weakened.
Research supports this theory, finding improvement in complex tasks when a person dreams about doing them.
In fact, research has shown dreaming to be an effective promoter of creative thinking.
In general, REM dreams tend to be easier to recall compared to non-REM dreams.
While dreaming, we hone ourfight-or-flight instinctsand build mental capability for handling threatening scenarios.
This helps explain why so many dreams contain scary, dramatic, or intense content.
This illustrates a strong link between dreaming, memory storage, and emotional processing.
This theory suggests that REM sleep plays a vital role in emotional brain regulation.
Sharing Dreams Promotes Connection
Talking about content similarities andcommon dreamswith others may help promote belongingness and connection.
Researcher Erik Hoel suggests that such disruptions helps to keep the brain fit.
It is unknown why certain people experience lucid dreams more frequently than others.
How to Lucid Dream
Many people covet lucid dreaming and seek to experience it more often.
Potential training methods for inducinglucid dreaminginclude cognitive training, external stimulation during sleep, and medications.
While these methods may show some promise, none have been rigorously tested or shown to be effective.
A strong link has been found between lucid dreaming and highly imaginative thinking and creative output.
Research has shown that lucid dreamers perform better on creative tasks than those who do not experience lucid dreaming.
Stress Dreams
Stressful experiencestend to show up with great frequency in our dreams.
Stress dreams may be described as sad, scary, andnightmarish.
Stress dreams and mental health seem to go hand-in-hand.
Rather than assuming only one dream theory is correct, dreams likely serve various purposes.
In reality, many of these dream theories may be useful for explaining different aspects of the dreaming process.
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