Dreams

Introduction

A dream can be referred to as the images, thoughts and events that occur in the mind of a sleeping person. There are various reasons that have been brought forward to explain why dreams occur although none of the reasons has been completely justified. On average, a normal person has three to six dreams in one night. Many people however do not remember the dreams that they had.

Reasons why people dream

There are several theories that have been brought forward to try and explain why people dream.

1. Dreams are a representation of our desires. When you spend the entire day or week thinking about something and desiring something, you will most probably dream about that thing. Some of the desires may also be unconscious and are brought to life when dreaming.
2. Dreams are also a reflection of our days’ events. People usually have dreams about work, school or what is going on in their life.
3. Dreams also happen when a certain network of neurons are activated. According to scientific research, some neurons need to be activated during sleep to keep the brain active. This activation leads to dreams.
4. Some people have also believed that dreams are caused by spiritual events. Some people dream and use the dreams to prophesy about the future or believe dreams to be a way of God talking to them.
5. Dreams are also believed to be caused by our Thinking too much about something can lead to the thoughts being reflected in our dreams.

Functions of dreams

1. A dream can help you to regain past memories. People who suffer from memory loss mostly have memory flashes when dreaming. This is because dreams are a reflection of past occurrences.
2. Dreams can also help you to be prepared for the future. Dreams can be used to reflect something that may happen later in your life and you are hence able to cope with what may happen.
3. Dreams also help you achieve cognitive abilities. This includes the ability of being able to handle tasks more effectively.
4. Some people have also claimed that dreams have helped them find solutions to various problems. When one has a problem that occupies most of their thoughts, they can dream about ways that they can solve it.
5. Dreams are also believed to be mood regulators. Once you dream an inspiring and happy dream, your moods are elevated the following day if you are able to remember the dream.

Conclusion

Dreams are a mystery to many and there has been no solid fact that has explained the reason behind our dreams. Where there are some dreams that can be beneficial to us, there are some scary dreams that can be scary and cause frustrating events in our life. If nightmares are persistent, it is advisable to seek professional help.