Dreams
have always intrigued us since time immemorial. It is also said there
were specific dream interpreters in the courts of kings in early
civilizations. However, in the 1800s the father of psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud and subsequently, his successor Carl Jung, revolutionized
the world of dreams. Since then a lot has been studied in this field but
dreams astound us with varied meanings and interpretations every time
we witness them. Some of the most interesting facts about dreams in the
trailing paragraphs are sure to take one by surprise.
01. While dreaming we become temporarily paralyzed.
Not
many of us are aware that we become temporarily paralyzed in the dream
state. This can be attributed to the fact that sometimes we may be so
moved with certain dramatic dreams as to fall and hurt ourselves, thus,
as a natural response the body goes into a temporary inactive state
physically. 11 more after the break...
In
what is known as a "Lucid dreaming" phase one can control their dreams.
Thus, one can also manipulate their dreams and even the outcomes!
Another interesting fact is that one dreams things one has witnessed
some time before in their life.
03. Dreams can cause incorporation.
How
often have we dreamt we were hungry or thirsty or performing an act
repeatedly in our sleep until we wake up and undertake the activity?
Sometimes one could dream of drinking glasses of water only to wake up
and be very thirsty!
04. Dreams speak in indirect language.
Dreams
never utilize symbols they actually stand for. A lot of research has
already gone into the subject and books have been written on dream
symbols and their interpretations. Dreams carry deep meanings that only
the subconscious mind can understand.
05. Dreams are very difficult to remember.
Often
when we wake up we fail to remember even a single sequence of the dream
we had during the night. A strange fact remains therefore, that dreams
are almost always forgotten, except if a person is woken up at the REM
stage.
06. We tend to dream of forbidden things.
Another
startling fact about dreams is the frequent instance of dreaming things
one is forbidden to do. A person who is forbidden to eat chocolates may
dream of gorging greedily on them. Even medical conditions and
psychological disorders may have a direct effect on dreams!
07. Some people only dream in black and white.
Some
people dream only in black and white while about 70% of people dream in
colors. Certain dreams are very common to some people such as, failing
an exam, getting up late for the exam, dreams related to one's school,
seeing a person dead who is alive in real life, being chased by someone
etc. Studies are being conducted in the relevance of colors and repeated
sequences in dreams.
08. Disturbed sleep may lead to psychosis.
Sleeping
and dreaming which occur in the REM stage are very important for
healthy living. In a research conducted involving students who were
woken up at the start of their REM stage, it was noted the students
became irritable, hallucinated a lot, were affected by psychosis and
were finally disinterested in everything they did. Thus a good night's
sleep combined with regular dreaming is our body's way of staying fit
too!
09. Visually impaired people dream too.
Very
interestingly, people who are born blind only witness dreams involving
smell, sound or touch, while people who go blind after birth are seen to
witness regular dreams just like their counterparts with vision.
10. And so do animals.
Studies have revealed animals and more
specifically mammals dream exactly the way humans do! So even your
household pet may be dreaming all night without your knowing about it.
11. Children have more nightmares than adults.
It is widely studied that children have more nightmares than adults.
12. Some great inventions were first conceived during sleep.
Although
we tend to forget about 90% of our dreams once we wake up, many great
scientists have made discoveries in their dreams and written them down
the moment they woke up. Newton, Graham Bell and even some poets have
received their inspirations from dreams.
Comments
Post a Comment