A Crash Course In Dreams by Parthena Black "Life Is A Dream ~ Realize It" Sathya Sai Baba No one really knows for sure why we dream. Scientists have studied brain activity and although there is still some question as to exactly where in the brain dreams come from, it has been confirmed that dreams occur in the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep. People who wake up in this stage of sleep are more likely to remember their dreams, and remember them vividly. Only about half of the population awakens during this state and remember their dreams. The other half awakens during non-REM sleep and thus believe that they never dream. We dream about every 90 minutes and the longest dreams occur in the morning. While the general consensus is that "everyone" dreams, this may not be completely accurate. Illness, some brain injuries, certain medications and sleep disorders can inhibit REM sleep. The dreamer might still dream, but their ability to recall their dreams may be impaired. The connection between REM sleep and dream recall explains what I often refer to as "the little window" that we have upon awakening where we must take time to remember and record our dreams or they will fly out that window, never to return. We'll discuss methods to improve dream recall in future articles. Psychological theories about dreams began with the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who spoke of the soul exercising clairvoyant abilities upon being freed of the constraints of the body during sleep. Aristotle also held the physical theory that the function of sleep and dreaming was to evaporate digestive gases that rose from the stomach. The true pioneers in the interpretation of dreams are Austrian psychiatrist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) and his Swiss colleague, Carl Gustav Jung (1857-1961). We'll discuss their individual theories in future articles (after all, this is a crash course). To briefly summarize, you've probably heard that Freud related every emotional and psychological issue to sex. Initially, Jung accepted much of what Freud said but they eventually had a falling out when Jung began to question his theories and Freud refused to budge on his stance that sexuality was the defining factor of the personality. Jung discarded the concept that the unconscious struggles only with negative emotions and desires. He believed that the unconscious opened avenues to healing and could give us whatever we needed to resolve emotional and psychological conflict. He rejected Freud's theory that the human condition was one of constant inner conflict and believed instead that we are constantly striving toward wholeness. He identified the symbolic language of the unconscious and believed that these symbols were the key to communication between the conscious and unconscious. As such, dreams can help us solve problems, create, heal and guide us toward achieving the "dreams" we have for ourselves in our waking lives. Although they are not applied much in the field of psychology today, Freud's theories should not be completely discounted. His theory of the stages of development is still taught today, and he helped build the foundation for the disciplines to evolve into how they are now practiced. Jung's many inspiring and positive quotes have recently been revived, as seen in the popular movie, "The Secret." proving that he was far ahead of his time. I think he'd be pleased that the importance and truth of his work is finally being recognized and put to use in the way he had intended. Copyright @2007 by Parthena Black & Annette Jones and MyTarotDreams.com. All Rights Reserved. |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Privacy Policy and Disclaimers All content of MyTarotDreams.com is Owned and Copyright @2007-2008 by Annette Jones. All rights reserved. If you wish to share any article or other content, you are welcome to do so with full credit to the source. |
