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Different Dimensions of a Dream ...

Know about your dreams

Image credit: www.sleep-deprivation-info.com

Medically, a dream means a mental phenomenon occurring during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep in which images, emotions, and thoughts are experienced with a sense of reality.

First scientific study on dreams
The "Interpretation of Dreams" is a book by the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) that revolutionized the study of dreams. He attaches importance to the subconscious mind. He said repressed urges and impulses come to surface in disguised forms and dreams are one of them. The study of dreams is called Oneirology

Who Can Dream?
Every one of us except toddlers and snorers! Toddlers do not dream until the age of 3 or 4. Snorers cannot snore and dream at the same time. May be you don’t remember your dreams, but you are dreaming around 4 dreams each night. We spend approximately 6 years of our life dreaming!
Vision is not the only associate of dream; dreams also contain sounds, sights, smells and touch sensations. So, the not-at-birth blind people do dream some images. Dogs and cats also dream; you can see their paws moving like running etc.

C haracter of Dreams
Studies say, Men dream about other men whereas women dream equally about men and women. Children dream mostly nightmares.

A lucid dream is one in which you are aware that it is a dream and a natural experience where you know no harm can occur to you.

A vivid dream is more real and more than a dream. They have hidden meanings and they can be interpreted from a “dream dictionary”

Most people dream in color, but colors are overlooked because they are a common experience to us in our daily lives.

Recurrent dreams occurring to some of us are because of some trauma in life or an unsolved crisis.

Negative dreams are manifestation of our negative happenings during the day and are remembered more because they are more vivid and we end-up with an unrested, disturbed feeling even after 6 to 8 hours of sleep.

Quitting smokers tend to have intense dreams.

What affects the dream?
Dreams are affected by the factors that can affect the neurotransmitters in your brain; so a dream can be lucid or vivid accordingly. It can be stress, medication, disease condition, alcohol, drugs etc. Some medication or its withdrawal can cause a vivid dream. Psychiatric conditions like bipolar disorder where the brain chemicals are disturbed can give raise to vivid dreams.

If you repress some feelings or thoughts during the day, they can appear as dreams in the night. If you had wanted to scold someone during the day, but couldn’t do it, then you end-up scolding the person or at least a similar-looking person in your dream.

Dreams and good health
For our good health, we need to feel rested and fresh after a good night’s sleep. For a good sleep we need to get rid of negative dreams or we should not give negative thoughts to the “alpha level of mind” (stage just before sleep). So, practice the following before going to sleep.

1. Avoid arguments and controversies with family members before sleep.
2. Do listen to soothing music or read inspirational stuff.
3. Never think of events that bring tears or anxiety.
4. Don’t watch TV before you go to bed.
5. Smell influences the mind, so smell good perfume for a calm sleep.
6. List the positives of the day and avoid negative things before you sleep.
7. Visualize pleasant things in your mind with closed eyes.

Power of dreams
It is told that Roman senators in the ancient world often engaged dream interpreters before making important political and social decisions.

You can solve a problem in your dream. If you wake up without an alarm, then you are more likely to clearly remember the dream-solution for the problem, which you were mentally working out just before sleeping and that which your subconscious mind had continued to work on and given the solution.

Good ideas or an interesting poem can occur after you first wake up in the morning, note them down.

They say you can start “working with your dreams” by practicing lucid dreaming, but you need to master the remembering and understanding of dreams.

Dreams (ambitious thoughts) do turn into Vision: This is quite happening with great dreamers around the world. As Dr. Abdul Kalam says, “You have to dream before your dreams can come true.” So start dreaming!


Watch the Video: The power of an idea and belief!

Have you ever wondered what made Wright brothers to believe that they can make a machine which can fly? Watch this video!



Are we more intelligent, wiser and capable in a sleep?


We are not only less reasonable in our dreams... we are also more intelligent, wiser and capable of better judgment when we are asleep than when we are awake.

~Erich Fromm


Disclaimer: The above content is provided for information and awareness purpose only. It is not prescriptive or suggestive or meant to replaces your qualified physician's advice or consultation.