2023-08-31 09:13:22
We often wake up from our bizarre and surreal dreams, perplexed by the scenes we witnessed in our sleep. Dreams tend to leave us uncertain as to whether they are totally random or if they are actually trying to tell us something.
However, recent research in the fields of sleep and dreaming has uncovered some interesting insights into the stories that visit us at night and how they can perform specific and highly specialized functions to contribute to our well-being and to our daily functioning.
If a dream you recently had has you perplexed, here are some fascinating theories regarding why we dream, to shed some light on you.
Dreams try to predict the future
The ” episodic future thought as the phrase suggests, refers to our brain’s ability to imagine or simulate experiences that may occur in the future, which has been linked to improved decision-making, emotional regulation , intention formation, planning, prospective memory, and even spatial navigation.
A study conducted in 2021 applied the “episodic simulation of the future” hypothesis to dream research, which highlighted how our minds combine various fragments of past experiences into imagined simulations of future events. Given our brain’s advanced ability to predict patterns and probabilities, dreams can give us important emotional and situational clues that might influence our responses, should some version of these dreams come true in our waking life.
Researchers found that dreams were most often tied to past memories or specific future events. The future-oriented dreams were inspired by several different “sources of awakening” or events that were currently happening in their lives or had happened in the past.
These memory fragments and simulations of the future are combined to form the new scenarios we see in our dreams.
We can compare these simulations to the rehearsals of a show to come, of which we are both the director and the main performer. You plan and organize the event, you prepare for anything that might go wrong, and you use your past experiences to ensure that “the main show” will be a success.
Seen in this light, dreams seem to be just another attempt by our brain to achieve its main goal, which is to ensure that we are safe and well equipped to deal with difficult situations.
Dreams are not random
A study published in 2011 in the Journal of Neuroscience found intriguing evidence that our brains selectively enhance memories that are believed to be relevant for the future, which explains why dreams can also select fragments of daytime experiences that were more emotionally intense.
The content of our dreams also seems to indicate that the nature of an event matters more than its duration. For example, everyday, mundane experiences to which we spend most of our time, such as reading or computer work, would have less “projection time” in our dreams than more meaningful events, such as social interactions. and other experiences that are personally significant, new, or concerning to the dreamer.
Interestingly, the time of night also influences the content of our dreams. A study carried out in 2022 showed that at the beginning of the night, our dreams appeal to more recent memories, while late night dreams appeal to relatively old memories, dating more than a week before the dream, which no matter what stage of sleep you are in.
We also have more future-oriented dreams later at night, which might be meant to make them appear closer to waking hours to prepare us for the events of the next day.
Finally, the researchers found that dreams tend to repeat similar themes throughout the night and at different stages of sleep. It can give us an idea of what we are subconsciously trying to process or prepare for.
Dreams improve cognitive functions
A study published in PLOS ONE showed that memory performance improved following a night’s sleep, which may be due to the repeated reactivation and reinforcement of newly formed memory networks in the sleeping brain. For example, participants remembered recent experiences better following seeing even a fragment of them in a dream. Thus, sleep strengthens our memory while reorganizing information to solve future problems.
Dreams also influence our ability to learn and perform tasks. In study of 2018, participants who had task-related dreams showed greater improvement in performance following sleeping than those who did not dream regarding a task.
So your brain is gently conspiring in your favor while you sleep. If you want to know more regarding your dreams, consider keeping a dream journal by your bedside. When you wake up, you can write down everything you remember from your dreams. Note recurring themes and underlying emotions that arise and try to connect them to past memories or anticipated future events to better understand what your dreams are trying to tell you.
Conclusion
The world of dreams is endlessly fascinating, and dreams are not as random as scientists have believed. Not only do they increase your cognitive abilities, but they might also have an adaptive function by using your memories to simulate potential futures that are meaningful to you as a dreamer. Dreams can be valuable sources of information regarding your inner world. Tools such as the dream journal can allow you to explore them in greater depth.
Article translated from Forbes US – Author: Mark Travers
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