Scientists Who Researched Dreams Say They Can Have Meaning

Could dreams have anything to do with people’s everyday lives? New research seems to suggest that this could be the case, and remembering and interpreting dreams can give people guidance and messages from the brain.

The Brain Sends Messages to the Mind Through Dreams

While dreams may appear very random, they’re far from it. Looking at several dreams and when they occur in life reveals that they embody ongoing concerns, events, and happy events. They can show how someone views themselves and their relationship with the world. One recent research was done in 2020 where people dreamed about social distancing and other themes pertinent at the time. The research showed that dreaming and waking mind are closely linked.

Dreams Express Hopes and Fears Through Images

So, dreams can imitate life but they also often defy common sense. According to neuroscience, this is because during the REM sleep phase, the secondary visual cortex, which is responsible for forming images from memory and imagination, is more active than when a person is awake. Thus, the prefrontal cortex responsible for logic and censorship is significantly tamped down and a person’s usual thoughts, hopes, concerns, and fears get expressed in a visual story format instead of a logical, verbal-reasoning way.

Dreams Often Warn the Mind About Something

The brain strings together a seemingly random plot by going through loosely related memories and worries. Then, it feeds the mind images and pictures in dreams to get a response. This is a way in which the brain is actively testing the mind and getting it through hypothetical scenarios. Some scientists believe that’s a function to get one ready for unexpected situations. Still, those scenarios have something in common with the surroundings and events around a person’s life. The unusual narratives people experience in their dreams are then used by the mind to make better sense of the world.

So, how can all this knowledge help someone read the meaning behind their dreams? There can be many approaches to that. People can pay attention to the feelings and emotions they have in their dreams, especially the stronger ones. It’s likely that those are emotions that are currently having a hold on them. People can also focus on who they’re dreaming about. Certain people can remind them of certain experiences and bring out the best in them. Another important thing to look for in a dream is the entirety of the sequences in it. The message could be clear or not, but focusing on the totality of the experience might bring clarity.