What Causes Dreams

July 12, 2008 by logos1

What causes Dreams?

The query what causes dreams is often pondered but hardly ever properley answered.

There are a few scientific and some more magical theories associated with what causes dreams.

What causes dreams to be enjoyable dreams sometimes and have nightmares at other times?

There are lots of different views that attempt to answer the question what causes dreams.

For instance, what causes dreams to become nightmares is believed to be a means of controlling inner worrisome thoughts and feelings or fears and as a means for releasing the pressures of the day.

Sigmund Freud asked the question what causes dreams and saw dreams, in his psychoanalytic model, merely as repressed or suppressed desires that humans normally hide from themselves due to the forbidden nature of those desires.

Freud thought that what causes dreams were these hidden desires which were symbolic when we dream so that a person could experience them in a safe environment.

Other, metaphysical, views of what causes dreams propose that what is being dreamed about is the opposite of what is happening in the life of the dreamer.

For instance dreaming of a sorrowful event means that a joyful event will occur. This is not a widely-held view though.

There are those who see them as warnings about events in the future. This is a view that is becoming more popular even though it isn’t scientifically tested!

Many different historical countries tended to believe different things about what causes dreams and tackled the question what causes dreams in different ways. For instance, Aborigines, have very different views in that they believe that the dream state is real and the waking state is the illusion.

So the question what causes dreams is a difficult question to answer.

A dictionary explanation of dreams and what causes dreams says that it is “a series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep”. Take note though that dreams can be voluntary and I will look at this further later on!

Dreaming happens when someone enters a deep sleep with no conscious awareness but where the brain is accompanied by theta brainwaves. While the body is relaxed the the unconscious mind is active and that can be seen in the form of REM – Rapid Eye Movement.

So what causes dreams?

In basic terms dreams can be viewed as concepts that get expressed while sleeping. These internal concepts can be related and seemless or seem totally unrelated. They can show shape and seem meaningful or show chaos.

If you believe the Freudian explanation of what causes dreams and his answer to what causes dreams then you can study them with the help of a good book and then identify recurring symbols that mean something to you.

If believe the metaphysical explanation of what causes dreams then you may see certain things in your dreams that make you believe you are seeing future events.

It may even be possible that you believe the Aborigines have the answer to the question what causes dreams!

Whetever view you hold dreaming is extremely important to our well-being and sleep deprivation (and thus a lack of dreaming) creates symptoms that are very similar to insanity.

Whichever viewpoint you hold to and whtever answer to what causes dreams you think is better, there is another kind of dream that is a fantastic form of role-playing and worth a mention – recall that earlier I said I would return to the point that not all dreams are involuntary. I am, of course, talking about lucid dreams.

There are those who have the skill necessary to become conscious in their dreams. Once this occurs it is a relatively simple task to control the dream and change it into anything you want. This is a fantastical experience and is exactly like real life. You can literally be anyone, do anything and go anywhere and tons of research shows that anybody can be taught to achieve it! They can Lucid Dreams.

What causes dreams? Well I hope I I have helped answer the question why do people dream and now you now have a better comprehension of dreaming.

So regardless of whether you’re a lucid dreamer, a Freudian dreamer or a sooth-sawyer I hope you have a joyful night’s sleep and peaceful dreams!

I’m hopeful you now know the answer to what causes dreams but if you still desire more answers that have to do with the question why do people dream you should look at some good dreaming resources.

What causes dreams Links:

The Illustrated Guide to Dreams – What causes dreams? Dream Symbols & What they Mean.

Query of yourself yourself what causes dreams?