Uploaded September 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
What is a dream? When we sleep, a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occur in our minds. We call this phenomenon a dream. A person usually dreams in the REM stage of sleep where most of the body is paralyzed combined with unregulated heart-beat, breathing, and body temperature. In the REM or Rapid Eye Movement stage, a person’s eyes are doing exactly that, they are constantly flickering in all directions. What’s interesting about REM sleep is the fact that the brain activity of a person during this period of sleep is almost exactly like the brain activity of a person who is fully awake. Due to this fact, REM sleep is also known as ‘Paradoxical sleep’. A person can also have dreams at any other stage of sleep; however, these dreams are often not so memorable. Furthermore, a dream can last anywhere between a few seconds to about 30 minutes in length, and those that awaken during the REM period of their sleep are often the ones who remember their dreams.
For thousands of years, scientists and philosophers have tried to answer the question of what dreams are and why humans and other animals dream. Early civilizations thought of dreams as a medium between our world and the divine world of the Gods. In fact, the Greeks and Romans firmly believed that dreams had certain prophetic powers. Although dreams have been a topic of scientific, and philosophical interest throughout history, we still do not have a clear answer as to why we dream despite the current technological advancements. We do, however, have developed many theories on the purpose of dreams that can help us shed some light on why we dream at all.
These include:
Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung Theories
Action-Synthesis Hypothesis
Continual Activation Theory
Information Processing Theory
Primitive Instinct Rehearsal Theory
Emotional Regulation Dream Theory
What is a dream? When we sleep, a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occur in our minds. We call this phenomenon a dream. A person usually dreams in the REM stage of sleep where most of the body is paralyzed combined with unregulated heart-beat, breathing, and body temperature. In the REM or Rapid Eye Movement stage, a person’s eyes are doing exactly that, they are constantly flickering in all directions. What’s interesting about REM sleep is the fact that the brain activity of a person during this period of sleep is almost exactly like the brain activity of a person who is fully awake. Due to this fact, REM sleep is also known as ‘Paradoxical sleep’. A person can also have dreams at any other stage of sleep; however, these dreams are often not so memorable. Furthermore, a dream can last anywhere between a few seconds to about 30 minutes in length, and those that awaken during the REM period of their sleep are often the ones who remember their dreams.
For thousands of years, scientists and philosophers have tried to answer the question of what dreams are and why humans and other animals dream. Early civilizations thought of dreams as a medium between our world and the divine world of the Gods. In fact, the Greeks and Romans firmly believed that dreams had certain prophetic powers. Although dreams have been a topic of scientific, and philosophical interest throughout history, we still do not have a clear answer as to why we dream despite the current technological advancements. We do, however, have developed many theories on the purpose of dreams that can help us shed some light on why we dream at all.
These include:
Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung Theories
Action-Synthesis Hypothesis
Continual Activation Theory
Information Processing Theory
Primitive Instinct Rehearsal Theory
Emotional Regulation Dream Theory
