What are dreams?
“Dreams a series
of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep”
Dreams are
essentially images or stories within our minds that are created when we sleep.
They can be very vivid, they can be vague, mixed up and sometimes scary. These
dreams can bring out many different emotions they can make us feel anger, sad,
happy, and scared and a lot more in between. You can sometimes have very
rational dreams and also ones that are completely confusing, but are dreams or
dreaming necessary? Do we need them to process life? Or are they just pictures
of our day to day lives? Are dreams just stories?
When do we dream?
We can dream at
any-time during sleep, but the most vivid and often remembered are those that
occur during REM (rapid eye movement) and some say we can have up to 6 dreams
per night!
Links to poor
health and bad sleep – some research has shown a correlation between bad sleep
and health and well-being. It is said to affect us by increasing tension,
making us more anxiety and depressed. It can affect our coordination and how we
concentrate. So how do feel that your sleep or lack of has affected you?
Different Dream States
Day Dreams
Day dreams are the brains way of allow us to see
the endless possibilities without having to do each and every one. They are
psychologically healthy, helping you temporarily escape the demands of reality,
release frustrations, and plan for a better future. Have you ever tried to daydream
an outcome to a situation so that it will be a 100% success?
Lucid Dreams
Have you ever had a dream where you knew that you
were dreaming…in your actual dream? That is normally known as Lucid dreaming,
this said to be go hand in hand with increased activity in parts of the brain
that are normally suppressed during sleep, so it is the state between REM and
awake. In this state and whilst in a lucid dream some people can influence
their dreams by changing direction that the dream is taking or making themselves
wake up. These dreams are rich and beautiful and can give you a sense of
freedom. Can you think of a time when this has happened? What was it like? Did
it solve anything for you?
Mistaken Awakenings
These are very much like
lucid dreaming but in very short bursts, this is when you feel that you have
woken up and are starting your day, only to actually wake up and think “Oh my
god I was actually dreaming” what can often shock you out of these types of
dreams is looking in the mirror or arriving at work and there is no-one there.
Has this happened to you?
Nightmares
In nightmares, you don't
know you're dreaming so the unconscious mind processes everything as if it were
really happening. Some nightmares can be so vivid that the sensory system is triggered
and you can feel certain types of pain. It can be very unnerving. These dreams
are often brought on by stress, trauma, sickness, and drugs.
Tips
for Dream Recall
If you are a sound
sleeper and don't wake up until the morning, you are less likely to remember
your dreams compared to people who wake up several times in the night. But here
are some tips that may influence your ability to remember your dreams:
Wake up without an
alarm. You are more likely to remember your dreams if you wake up naturally
than with an alarm. Once the alarm goes off, your brain focuses on the annoying
sound and turning it off and not your dream.
Remind yourself to
remember. If you want to remember your dreams and make a conscious
decision to do so, you are more likely to remember your dreams in the morning.
Before you go to sleep, remind yourself that you want to remember your dream.
Dream playback. If
you think about the dream right after waking, it may be easier to remember it
later.
How to Make Sense
of Your Dreams
If you are intrigued by your dreams or want to sort
out the meaning behind them, consider keeping a dream diary or journal. Here
are some tips:
Write it down. Keep
a notebook or journal and pen next to your bed and record your dream first
thing every morning, while the memory is still fresh. Write down anything you
recall from the dream and how it made you feel, even if you can only remember
random pieces of information.
Journal without judgment. Dreams are sometimes odd and may go
against societal norms. Try not to judge yourself based on your dreams.
Give each dream a title. This may help if you want to refer
back to a dream. Sometimes the title you create can provide insight on why you
had the dream or the meaning behind it.
Dreams have fascinated humanity since the beginning
of time and will likely continue to mystify us. And although science has
allowed us to learn much about the human brain, we may never know for sure the
meaning behind our dreams.
How our messages are given within our dreams
Our guides and passed loved ones will often come to
us with messages, advice and healing through our dreams. Now if you are someone
that doesn’t remember your dreams does that mean that the message is lost? No
it is still powerful as it is speaking to your sub conscious and that is more
than happy to receive this information and use when we need it most. Often
these messages come back to us through others means to act as reinforcement of
what is needed at the time they can come to us as a song, a certain word appearing
to you time and time again. We need to be able to see and acknowledge this to
be able to move forward.
