Let’s start over: What are dreams?

We all like to talk about dreaming, dreams and what they mean and how crazy they can be! Let’s take a few steps back, further back than if dreams even mean anything-and chat about what dreams even are. I’m talking about what is going on in the brain to even make a “dream”. Like our eyes process what’s around us in waking life, our brains process what’s around us in “dream” life.

We know that our brains are turned back on in a way when we dream. During the early stages of sleep, our brains produce very little activity- a full resting state if you will. What scientists found in the early 1950’s is that when we are dreaming, in the REM stage, our brains are turned back on and produce almost as much activity as when we are awake.

Because of this activity, the brain is processing the same way it does while we are awake. Dreams are a way for us to process life events as well as emotions in a calm state. (Wilkinson, 2006, p. 43) When we dream, our brains are encoding daily life events and memories. REM sleep activates the genes linked to synaptic plasticity. This means that our brain neurons are being activated back and forth. When our neurons are activated, it creates pathways for new memories.

While there is still much more to learn about dreaming and what is going on in the brain while it happens, we do know that our memories are encoded into our brains as well as our emotions processed. This brings us back to all of the theories about why we dream-if dreams have any meaning at all.

Until next time, keep dreaming.

References

Wilkinson, M. (2006). The dreaming mind-brain: a Jungian perspective. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 51(1), 43–59. https://doi-org.ez.mysapl.org/10.1111/j.0021-8774.2006.00571.x