Psychology of Dreams PDF

Psychology of Dreams Dreams are the succession of images, thoughts or emotions passing through the mind during the sleep. he REM stage is the most common time of dreaming, explains the National Sleep Foundation. Dreams themselves usually last between a few seconds to 30 minutes in length. On ave...

Psychology of Dreams Dreams are the succession of images, thoughts or emotions passing through the mind during the sleep. he REM stage is the most common time of dreaming, explains the National Sleep Foundation. Dreams themselves usually last between a few seconds to 30 minutes in length. On average, people dream about four to six times per night, with adults dreaming about two hours for every eight hours of sleep. In addition to its association with dreams, the REM stage is a time when the body processes information, creates memories and increases depleted chemicals, such as serotonin. Although the necessity of sleep has long been observed, only in recent history did people consider that dreams may also serve a utilitarian function. Dreams are a universal human experience that can be described as a state of consciousness characterized by sensory, cognitive and emotional occurrences during sleep. The dreamer has reduced control over the content, visual images and activation of the memory. There is no cognitive state that has been as extensively studied and yet as frequently misunderstood as dreaming. There are significant differences between the neuroscientific and psychoanalytic approaches to dream analysis. Neuroscientists are interested in the structures involved in dream production, dream organization, and narratability. However, psychoanalysis concentrates on the meaning of dreams and placing them in the context of relationships in the history of the dreamer. Reports of dreams tend to be full of emotional and vivid experiences that contain themes, concerns, dream figures, and objects that correspond closely to waking life. These elements create a novel “reality” out of seemingly nothing, producing an experience with a lifelike timeframe and connections. Theories of dream 1. Sigmund Freud and Wish-Fulfilment- Psychodynamic view The famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud was the first to suggest that dreams may serve a particular scientific purpose. He came to believe that dreams were often a form of wish- fulfilment, the American Psychoanalytic Association says. In a dream, a subject could act out desires he or she could not fulfil in waking life. Some types of dreams, however, proved problematic within this model, such as dreams involving punishment or traumatic events. These led Freud to believe that dreams sometimes served as a way for patients to express guilt or conquer trauma. All these conjectures played into Freud’s overall (and revolutionary) theory of dreams: that they were manifestations of unconscious workings of the brain. Contents of dreams: Manifest content of dreams: In Freudian dream analysis, manifest content is the dream's actual images and plot as remembered when someone wakes  up. Manifest content is the result of the latent content being transformed and deformed to evade the censorship mechanism of repression. Latent content of dreams: in Freudian dream analysis, latent content is the unconscious meaning behind a dream. Latent content is the true representation of the unconscious mind, which people find difficult to access directly. For example: if someone dreams of being chased by a creature through the dark streets of a strange city, that would be the manifest content. A dream interpreter might suggest that the dream reveals a hidden desire to seek freedom from everyday life, which would be the latent content. 2. Activation synthesis hypothesis- The Physiological View The Activation-Synthesis theory was conceived by Harvard professors Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley in the 1970s, explains Joe Griffin of the Human Givens Institute. Hobson and McCarley discovered that during REM sleep, electrical signals called electroencephalogram recordings, or EEGs, pass through the brain. They theorized that the brain naturally reacted by attempting to make sense of the random stimulus. Thus, dreams had no intrinsic meaning; they were just a side effect of the brain’s normal activity. While this theory was revolutionary at the time, the continual advancement of technology has led to tremendous revision of this theory.  Using brain imaging techniques such as PET scan researchers found that dreams are the product of brain activity in the brain. The brain areas involved in the process of dream are: 1. Pons: The pons, a lower area in the brain stem, which normally conveys sensory information from the real world, sends random signals to the upper part of the brain during REM sleep. In a way this lower area inhibits the neurotransmitters that would allow movement of voluntary muscles while sending random signals to the cortex 2. Thalamus: the thalamus receives random signals from the pons and sends them to the proper sensory areas of the cortex. 3. Cerebral Cortex: the association areas of the cerebral cortex respond to the random activation of cortical cells by synthesizing a story, or a dream, using bits and pieces of life experiences and memories. Thus, in this theory of activation synthesis hypothesis, a dream is merely another kind of thinking that occurs when people sleep. 3. The Activation-Information Mode (AIM) Model- Physiological view it is the revision of activation synthesis hypothesis of dreams in which the information that is accessed during waking hours can have influence on the synthesis of dreams. 4. Cognitive view on dreams This perspective, proposed by Antrobus (1991), suggests that two facts about REM sleep are crucial to understanding the nature of dreams: (1) During REM sleep, areas of the cerebral cortex that play a role in waking perception, thought, and regulation of motor processes are highly active; (2) yet at the same time, during REM sleep there is massive inhibition of input from sensory systems and muscles (these are suppressed). As a result, Antrobus (1991) reasons, the cortical structures or systems that normally regulate perception and thought have only their own activity as input. The result is that this activity forms the basis for the imagery and ideas in dreams. Does this mean that dreams are meaningless? Not at all. Since they represent interpretations of neural activity by our own brain, dreams reflect aspects of our memories and waking experience. Convincing evidence for this connection between dreams and important events in our lives is provided by the fact that many persons attempting to make important changes in their own behavior–for example, to quit smoking or drinking–report having dreams of absent-minded transgression–DAMIT; Dreams in which persons attempting to change their behavior, as in quitting smoking, see themselves slipping into the unwanted behavior in an absent-minded or careless manner. In such dreams, people suddenly notice that they have carelessly or absent-mindedly slipped into the habit they wish to break–they are smoking or drinking without having planned to do so. This realization leads to feelings of panic or guilt in the dream. Types of Dream Existential dreams (distressing dreams Concerned with separation and personal integrity), Anxiety dreams (frightening dreams Concerned with threats to physical well-being), Daydreams: The American Psychological Association (APA) defines daydreaming as “a waking fantasy, or reverie, in which wishes, expectations, and other potentialities are played out in imagination.” Almost all of us do this for one reason or another. In fact, the APA suggests that up to one-third — and in some cases, one-half — of our waking thoughts are daydreams. Lucid dreams: Lucid dreams are when you know you’re dreaming while you’re asleep. Studies suggest that about 50% of all people have had at least one lucid dream. About 20% of lucid dreamers have them monthly. And a small group of people have them every week or even every night. A recurring dream is a dream which is experienced repeatedly over a long period. They can be pleasant or nightmarish and unique to the person and their experiences. False awakenings are dreams in which people think they are fully awake. Dreamers may imagine they are in their bedroom or another familiar location. False awakenings are more likely to occur during lucid dreams. Progressive dreams: There’s really not a lot of science yet to quantify the theory of progressive dreams. Anecdotal interpretations define them as a sequence of dreams with a seemingly continuous narrative unfolding nightly or sporadically, like reading a book or watching a series on TV. Being chased: This dream could suggest that you have a tendency to run away from issues rather than tackle them. This can be a recurring dream until you find the issue and resolve it in your waking life. Teeth Falling Out: Typically, these dreams stem from a fear of rejection, embarrassment, or feeling unattractive. When you miss your teeth, you will find it more difficult to talk. It might be highlighting some difficulty communicating with someone or expressing yourself in some way. It can also relate to a sense of powerlessness as teeth are used to bite, tear and chew.