The questions of where dreams come from and what they mean have worried people since ancient times. Around what happens to a person during sleep, there are many legends and rumors. In earlier times, when science did not advance so far, the moment a person went to bed was often associated with his falling into another world. He was even associated with death, it was believed that these conditions are similar.
What is the nature of dreams, where do dream plots come from? Who are these strangers who meet there? Why do we see the faces of some in a dream, while the others seem to be inaccessible to view?
Why do people dream?
The main purpose of dreams is to unload the nervous system. It happens that in the evening thoughts swarm in a person’s head. And after a good 8-hour sleep comes lightness and enlightenment, many solutions to problems come by themselves. This is because the nervous system has unloaded and is working with renewed vigor.
The plot of dreams
But where do dreams come from, or rather, their plots? A dream whose plot is closely related to work, life or a problem that worries the sleeper is understandable. But how to explain when we see a person whom we have not met for a long time? Moreover, they did not think about him all this time. Strangers often personify some internal problems. In a dream, much is not shown literally, but only in the form of characters and fantasies on an exciting or pleasant topic.
There often do not apply earthly laws of physics and morality. This is a kind of magical world where everything is possible. There you can find a lot of money and be with a long-departed person, you can visit places that I saw only in the pictures. Such dreams cheer up, give strength to move on, if in reality everything is more prosaic.
Where do nightmare dreams come from? There are several plots of terrible visions and they are often repeated, for example:
- chase;
- to be at a height from which it is not easy to go down;
- to be in a very limited space;
- a lot of insects;
- death of loved ones.
The constantly recurring plot of a nightmare speaks of an unresolved problem, of strong feelings and depression. If the essence of the problem is unclear, then psychologists will help to figure out what exactly the person is eating.
Dream detail
If you try to imagine something at the time of wakefulness with your eyes closed, it will not be so simple. And in a dream, the imagination draws entire cities with many details, intricate storylines. This happens even with people whose imagination is poorly developed. Especially vivid and detailed dreams are among schizophrenics, children and people with a creative nature.
Some studies prove that the faces of strangers are not made up, but taken from the brain’s “database”. They once met in a crowd, in a summer camp or at a bus stop. Sometimes these are just conventional people whose features are as if obscured. The case when it is impossible to say how a person looked, but his face was visible.
Sleep study
Now neurologists are actively studying where dreams and the characteristic state of a sleeping person come from. There are precision instruments that can track brain impulses. But despite this, it is certainly possible to find out if a person is dreaming only by waking him.
In sleep, there are fast and slow stages that go through one cycle in 1.5 hours. There should be 5 such cycles, which is approximately 7.5-8.5 hours. The duration of the fast stage is 20% of the total time spent in a dream. A dream will be remembered only if you wake up or be awakened during the fast stage.
The brain is active during all stages, only the body is completely turned off during the fast phase. In a slow muscle completely lose their tone, and a person begins to dream. The purpose of the slow phase is to restore the body, and the fast one is to streamline brain activity.
In the BBC's film “Where Dreams Come From,” experiments that were performed on animals and people are clearly shown. They prove that during the REM stage, a person or animal will actively move, march and move objects if they do not remove muscle tone. Most likely, he does what he sees in a dream.
Prophetic dreams
They have always tried to decipher dreams and find meaning in them. There are many options for dream books, up to linking dreams with sexual fantasies. Dreams are credited with the ability to predict the future and see from a distance what is happening with loved ones.
So where do prophetic dreams come from? Perhaps these are clues from the future or attempts to pass off wishful thinking?
Often, if you think about it, the plot of a dream concerns an important moment for a person, for example:
- material difficulties;
- search for a new job;
- expected call;
- resolution of an unpleasant situation;
- pregnancy.
All thoughts revolve around this, which translates into a corresponding dream. Since, most likely, a person somehow moves the situation in reality in the direction he needs, the vision is embodied in reality. A desire to touch something supernatural shows a person that it was a prophetic dream.
Problems in this area
The disturbed sleep process can cause great damage to the psyche. Sleep problems are handled by somnologists. Types of violations are as follows:
- somnambulism (sleepwalking);
- insomnia;
- narcolepsy;
- carotid stupor;
- apnea;
- distortion of the boundaries of sleep and wakefulness;
- Kleine-Levin syndrome.
- snore.
The somnologist will diagnose using the following methods:
- electromyograms;
- polysomnography;
- electrooculograms.
After finding out the reason, treatment is prescribed. Sometimes it’s enough to eliminate the cause of nervous overexcitation, and the dream will improve. These reasons may include:
- the use of psychotropic drugs and an overdose of caffeine;
- exceeding the recommended time spent on the computer, gadgets and watching TV;
- daily work;
- overeating at night;
- scandals and communication with unpleasant people;
- stuffy room;
- depression;
- overload moral and physical.
Causes of sleep disturbances can be endocrine system diseases, as well as mental disorders.
Before going to bed, the following rules must be observed:
- one hour before bedtime, give up gadgets;
- for 3 hours do not eat;
- distract from troubled thoughts with calm music or a book;
- take a warm bath;
- drink hot tea or infusion of chamomile.
If the above measures do not help, then in especially severe cases it is necessary to resort to medications and hypnosis.