BQ

Edmondson 1

Mitchell Edmondson

Dr. Preston

AP English

29 January, 2012

How Do Dreams Relate To The Real World?

            To start off what is a dream? A dream has many different meanings. The first being that it is a form of thinking that occurs when there is a certain level of brain activity. The second is that a dream is something we experience because the thinking of the dream feels very real and actually incorporates our senses. The third is a dream is what we remember when we wake up, so it is "a memory" of the dreaming experience. The final meaning is a dream can also mean the story of the dream that you tell others about.  As this is the only way anyone else can ever know about somebody else’s dreams.    

Throughout history, civilizations have wondered what dreams are, that they mean or how dreams work.  For example the Greeks and the Egyptians thought that dreams contained important messages, foreshadowing a good or bad fortune. The Romans thought that the dreams would happen based upon who you were as a person. Believing it was your job, social status and your overall well-being that affected your dream.

Every night when you go to sleep you enter two basic forms of sleep, and throughout the night you cycle through these forms. The first is called Slow Wave Sleep

Edmondson 2

(SWS). The second is known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM). The SWS stage has three parts to it. The three parts are called Non Rapid Eye Movement (NREM). The first stage of this called N1 is when you are “drifting off to sleep” it only lasts for a few minutes. In N2 you lose consciousness, as you enter a deep sleep. The final stage, N3, you enter the deepest sleep. Typically this is when sleepwalking will occur, as this is the hardest sleep to wake out of. After SWS you enter REM.  Most scientists who work on dreams and dream theories tend to agree that your dreams occur when you enter this stage of sleep. In REM, your body paralyses your skeletal muscles. This way you don’t act out what you are dreaming. However this is also how sleep paralysis can occur, as you consciously become awake, however your muscles are still paralyzed. People will have sleep paralysis and actually dream that something is nearby ready to harm them, and it causes a scary experience, as you feel awake but you cannot move.

When you are sleeping your brain is still very active, it never rests. While you sleep your brain is does different things. One of them is recovering forgotten skills. As you sleep your brain helps restore and remember skills that you have learned during the day.  Research at the University of Chicago showed that people, who learn a difficult task at the beginning of the day, can’t remember it very well 12 hours later. However after a nights rest they were able to accomplish the same task. Another task researched at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Boston College is your brain decides what memories to keep and enhance so that you won’t forget them and what memories to let

Edmondson 3

fade away. Your brain decides based upon how emotional you felt that the experience was. The more emotional the event, the stronger your brain makes that memory.

Bibliography

"Dreams: FAQ." UC Santa Cruz - Information Technology Services - ITS Template. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://www2.ucsc.edu/dreams/FAQ/index.html>.

Common Questions About Dreams - International Association for the Study of Dreams." The International Association for the Study of Dreams. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://www.asdreams.org/subidxeduq_and_a.htm>.

Dominationtnn, PopUp. "What Is Your Brain Doing While You Are Sleeping?" Advanced Life Skills — Strategies for Positive Change. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://advancedlifeskills.com/blog/what-is-your-brain-doing-while-you-are-sleeping/>.

"Dream Moods: Dream Research: The Sleep Cycle." An Online Guide To Dream Interpretation. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://www.dreammoods.com/dreaminformation/dreamresearch.htm>.

"Dreaming and Dreams FAQ Frequently Asked Questions." Memory Brain Mind Research Technology Induced Altered States Using Binaural Beat Brainwave Syncronization Tapes Brain Wave Entrainment Technology for Altered States Meditation Relaxation Lucid Dreaming Stress Management Sleep Aid Enhancedlearning Depression Anxiety Self Help Zen. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://web-us.com/dream/dreamfaq.htm>.

Grohol, John M. "While You Sleep, Your Brain Keeps Working | World of Psychology." Psych Central - Trusted Mental Health, Depression, Bipolar, ADHD and Psychology Information . Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/08/03/while-you-sleep-your-brain-keeps-working/>.

"Why Can’t You Remember Your Dreams? – Sports Science Zone." Sports Science Zone. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://sportsj11.imascientist.org.uk/2011/06/why-cant-you-remember-your-dreams>.

"Your Brain Refuels While You Sleep." Wellformative. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://pressman.wellformative.com/your-brain-refuels-while-you-sleep>.

"Why Do We Dream - Theories of Why We Dream." Psychology - Complete Guide to Psychology for Students, Educators & Enthusiasts. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://psychology.about.com/od/statesofconsciousness/p/dream-theories.htm>.

Why Do We Dream? | Psychology Today." Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness Find a Therapist. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-literary-mind/200911/why-do-we-dream>.