There are various theories, myths, and explanations about dreams. In the ancient times, dreams were frightening and puzzling. They were interpreted religiously since they were considered to be a spiritual encounter. Most people regarded dreams as messages sent to them from the gods. They believed dreams were either omens or a prediction of the future. This mindset made the society respect those who revealed abilities to interpret the dream. Modern psychology defines a dream as a series of experiences which are produced by imagination when someone is sleeping. This study explains the psychological characteristics of dreams, why they happen, their interpretations and where they can be applied in the modern society.
Dream and Waking Cognition
Patterns of brain activities are similar during waking and sleeping time. According to Graveline and Wamssley (2015), the memories of experience when an individual is awake form the mental imagery in dreams. Waking up experiences are also part of dreams. This, therefore, means that dreams are influenced by happenings that are very relevant to the life of an individual. For instance, if one watches video games during the day, there is a high probability that one would view the same images in dreams.
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Dreaming is also associated with an improved memory. Citing from Freud’s article, Graveline, and Wamssley (2015) mention that people whose dreams appear like short stories have a tendency of reading before sleeping. These people appear to have a better memory about the story the next day. Besides, some students who appear to master french an a class must have had a series of dreams within the French content. This evidence reveals that dreams are a reflection of an offline memory cognition at the neurobiological level.
Dreams can also be a replay of some imaginary experiences. In most situations, human beings think about the future while building false images in the mind. Therefore, when such people dream, the fictous pieces of memories combine to create an imaginary story. For instance, a person may experience a whole new world that is different from the existing knowledge only after sleeping. Thus, sleep not only builds an original memory but also enhances the evolution of memory over time (Wang & Shen, 2018).
There is a common neurological relationship between dreaming and staying awake. The default mode network (DMN) supports the thinking process in both the conscious situations of being asleep and staying awake. Graveline and Wamssley (2015) suggest that regions connected to the memory of the DMN are all active when asleep and during non-sleeping hours. These regions are also connected the Scene Construction Network (SCN) which is connected to the imagination of earlier and creative scenes. Therefore the SCN is possibly the basis of the formation of novel related scenes in dreams (Graveline & Wamssley, 2015).
There is a classification of dreams that is more frightening than others. They are commonly called nightmares. According to psychology, nightmares are caused by stress, anxiety or sleeping disorders. Frequent nightmares are more likely to be due to sleeping disorders, sleep disruptions or psychological problems. Recalling dream is also a psychological aspect. Some people do not remember dreaming every time due to a brain chemical that is associated with memory called norepinephrine. Besides failure to recall dreams can be due to a low level of the brain's activity when sleeping. The best way to recall dreams is to set the mind in a position to recall. For instance one can tell the mind they want to remember the dream. Second, there is the need to focus by avoiding destruction like getting out of bed or thinking of anything else (Scarpelli et al, 2017).
Interpreting Dreams
Although dreams are surrounded by various mysteries, understanding the content of a dream is also important. Some people argue that dreams do not have any real meaning but are mere manifestations of a person’s imagination. However, dream interpretation has become popular as many people believe that everything experienced in a dream has a connection to the real life. The idea behind a dream interpretation effort is to understand about the dreamer, not the dream itself. According to Freud in his book Interpretation of Dreams, every dream contains an element of a wish. Feud highlighted four different characteristics that aid in dream interpretation. First, dreams are usually condensed. This means that a lot of events, ideas, and concepts are manifested in a single night's dream into one image or a very short thought. Second, there is an element of displacement where the emotional aspects of the possible content are hidden. The dreamer then gets confused with some irrelevant parts of the dream. Third, dreams are usually symbolic. The possible content of a dream is indirectly expressed using hidden objects which represent totally different aspects of life. Fourth, all dreams are usually organized for the content to flow and to appear relevant. These varying characteristics are hints to unlocking the puzzle of dream interpretation (Bulkeley, 2017).
The belief about the meanings of dreams is subjected to culture, art and studied literature. Most people believe in the Freudian concept of dream interpretation. However, his concepts raise more questions about how people can accurately make sense of their dreams since people will always be biased on how they interpret their dreams. This is because the interpretation is usually within the extent to which the dream connects with an individual's beliefs and desires when they are awake. Moreover, people do not give the same seriousness to the ideas of occurrence of dreams when they are awake like they do to dreams that appear to them while they are asleep. Whatever the situation leading to the dream, it is very unlikely to allow dreams to predict the future world events in the current generation (Scarpelli & D'Atri, 2017).
Psychological Application of Dreams
Dreams are symbolic. They contain a different content that is different from a normal human imagination. There is a close relationship between dreams and clinical practice. Some clinicians discuss and interpret the dreams of their patients as part of therapy. This practice relies on the fact that dreams are a manifestation of a person's experience. Therefore, dreaming can be a vital source of information about the patient's background needed for a successful treatment. Besides the process where a patient is allowed to talk about their memories and fantasies is a form of therapy in itself (Graveline & Wamssley 2015).
However, the clinical use of dreams has to involve three aspects. First, the dream must be in an understandable language. If it cannot be remembered, the patient should be encouraged to write down immediately after waking up. Second, there must be a psychological understanding and explanation about the dream. These explanations must be either from experience or a thorough research or not merely from a dictionary explanation. Third, the physician has to create a link between the various elements of the dream with the patient’s condition.
Conclusion
Dreams are part of human life but they are surrounded by a lot of different research about their meanings, interpretation, and effects. These variances depend on the knowledge some holds. It also depends on one’s religion and culture. However, it is important to know that dreams are different and there is no accurate manual for their analysis. Apparently, interpretation of dreams does not solve all human problems. Dreams might also be true. The problem is that our imaginations vary bringing in the possibility of different interpretations. The basic opinion is that dreams are a reminder to wake up to face the true world.
References
Bulkeley, K. (2017). An introduction to the psychology of dreaming.
Graveline, Y. M., & Wamssley, E. (2015). Dreaming and waking cognition. American Psychological Association Vol. 1 Issue 1 , 97-105.
Scarpelli, S., & D'Atri, A. (2017). Aging and dreaming: EEG oscillations predict dream recall. Sleep Medicine Vol 40 , 294.
Wang, J. X., & Shen, H. Y. (2018). an attempt at matching waking events into reports by independent judges. Frontiers in psychology vol 9 , 465.
