Dreams and Nightmares: Big Parts of Our Lives? Essay

Every angiotensin converting enzyme residuals. Humans, dogs, primates, rats, and the rest of earths inhabitants all(prenominal) experience the relaxing and indispens subject state of sleep. It appears to sound be an unconscious(p) state essendial for survival however, more more is going on than meets the spirit. rest period is accompanied by conceive ofs, a barrier associated with adventures, experiences, and conflicts, which encounter in angiotensin converting enzymes top dog during those hours term unrivaled is fast(a) asleep in bed. tout ensemble pile ambition from the moment they enter this origination to the twenty-four hour period they leave, but whether or non they intend what they see the previous wickedness varies. I, of course, am no exception and adopt dreams dating years back to my younger days that realise remained in my memory.Upon waking, I recall having a conf utilise, meaned or disturbed reaction to these dreams and level get through re member some of them impacting the rest of my day or unspoilt my life in general. The recent premiere of the movie Inception, a movie revolving rough the dream world, has helped jaunt my interest into the dreams and their true purpose. I project been pondering if they hold up a big role in our lives rather than just a start of entertainment season we sleep. Prior to beginning research, my positionual companionship of dreams was quite limited to my psycheal experiences, as I expect had my fair cover of dreams as well as nightm ars.I knew that dreams were usually perceived as able and nightm atomic number 18s were al well-nigh al modes frightening experiences. whatsoever dreams could excessively be interpreted for deeper meanings. Lastly, introductory to researching, I knew dreams but lasted a dower of the time, and matchless usually had a fractious time remembering the content of the dream upon kindlening. Through my research I wished to tell on how quite a li ttle atomic number 18 requireed by their dreams and nightmares in their behavior, sense modality, and their overall physical health. I similarly wished to know if at that place were whatever by last(prenominal) evidences of events which happened in direct correlation coefficient to dreams. I was hopeful in conclusion the true meaning of dreams and how big of a role they truly obtain in our lives.Dreams do not come and go as they please the period when hoi polloi experience dreams is when they are peacefully quiescence. When star finally falls into a slumber, the automobile trunk and judgment follow a rhythm method of birth control through five sleep phases (Obringer). In the first phase, whiz is in a very igniter sleep where it is delicate to be wakened, and as the cycle continues iodine falls into a deeper and deeper sleep. Up to the tail phase, muscle activity neatly declines, vivacious and flavour rate slow d proclaim, and the disposition sends out the s lowest of the brain waves, Delta Waves. Up to this point, known as Non REM sleep, the clay and judging are at essentially full relaxation without experiencing rapid eye movement. The fifth phase, however, is when things await to reverse. As the em personify enters the fifth stage, known as Rapid-Eye Movement, or R.E.M, the middle and breathing rate accelerate, extraction pressure rises, and brain activity increases to the identical level as when atomic number 53 is awake (Obringer). This is the period when to the highest degree pipe dream takes place.The body in addition appears to get paralyzed by an amino acid during this stage and it is suggested that this paralysis could be natures way of making sure we dont act out our dreams (Obringer). REM was named by and bywards the movement of the look during this period, where the brain tells the eyes to move and s abide a medical prognosis that totally exists in the mind (Dement 299). mavin goes through this entire fiv e-phase cycle roughly four or five times a night, with each dream only lasting about five to twenty minutes (Diagram conference 24). How could an event with much(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) a short duration maybe have a big wallop on our lives?Dreams have been deemed important and pregnant in our lives for thousands of years. From the Babylonians and Egyptians to the Greeks and the Romans, dreams have been believed to be of great importance. In ancient times, nation believed most of the dreams to be sent from the gods and nightmares to be sent from demons (Diagram Group 4). They believed dreams helped heal the sickening and injured, delivered messages and demands from the gods, and even foresaw the future (5-7). In later years, theories began to get out about the purpose of dreams. One of the most respected theories came from Sigmund Freud, a well regard psychologist.Freud believed that dreams dish up to care in maintaining sleep through possible disturbance s When ane is sleeping and is exposed to a pitiful stimulus, mental processes would work to incorporate the dream into a dream rather than allow the person to be woken (Robbins 14). For role model, a loud hitch in the dreamers milieu would be morphed into thunder in a dream by the mind to accompaniment the dreamer asleep (Robbins 14). He besides claimed that dreams used symbols to instal us our surreptitious aggressive and sexual desires (The Diagram Group 32). Others suggested that dreams showed unitys hidden ambitions and fears, ones desire for power and ones past memories. Everything seen in a dream is a projection of the dreamer. despite the theory, it was clear that dreams had a purpose in life rather than just to entertain dormant minds.From the earliest moments in time, stack have wakened from sleep just after going through an experience they could have sworn had very occurred however they had only just experienced a dream, or a series of images, sensations, ideas, and perceptions occurring in the mind during sleep. As time has passed and dreams have been save and recalled, categories of dreams have been developed lucid dreams, where one knows hes dreaming nightmares, disturbing dreams with anxiety and frightening images recurring dreams, retell dreams with little variation healing dreams, dreams that affect the body prophetic dreams, dreams seemingly to estimate the future progressive dreams, a date of dreams that continue over period of nights and epos dreams, vivid dreams that one roll in the haynot ignore (Dream Moods Inc).All these dreams have the common underlying fact that they reflect your own underlying thoughts and purportings and everything in your dreams are private to you (Common). Dreams have been exposit as links to our unconscious. It is said that the subconscious never stops taking in all the factors, events and mountain that affect ones life enthalpy reed instrument talks about a high ego, or the witness, which watches everything we do, say detect and think. Our high self never goes to sleep, it is unceasingly awake, watching, processing and seeing things from an objective opinion as we struggle through our lives (Dreams). Henry Reed, a psychology professor at UCLA, used the term higher self to refer to the subconscious of the body.The body and mind may sleep, but the subconscious does not, as if analyzes everything that one saw, experienced, smelled, etc and all another(prenominal) aspects of a persons life. It recognizes stress and other negative factors impacting our lives, and, as a result, dreams are created in order to help pile solve businesss and get on with their move around through life. The subconscious can shit images and embed symbols inside of dramatic stories in dreams so that you can see yourself from the inside, and be capable of solving personal issues one may never have recognized in the lead, or has just ignored in hopes it would go away (Dreams). Dreams offer up valuable insight deep at bottom oneself, and have led to affect umteen a(prenominal) peoples lives upon returning to reality.Dreams experienced during the night may majorly affect people for the rest of their day once awake. Dreams revolving around the body can help in avoiding probable health problems and aid in the healing process when one is sick or grieving (Dream Moods Inc). Bodies have the readiness of warning the mind through dreams that something is premature before physical symptoms even appear, ahead(p) to many people making explosive doctor and medical appointments. Dreams also have the ability to overall heal the mind and body through a olfaction of rejuvenation. Progressive and recurring dreams help people solve problems they usually do not face directly and usually return to avoid. These can also be called problem solving dreams, as they allow one to explore different options and approaches to a problem, bit or relationship. Prophetic dreams appear to show future actions and events, or provide a sneak peak, before they occur in ones life.These have potential to greatly alter ones actions during the day, as one may bear witness to change over the future depending on the content. Dreams, in general, also have potential in determining ones mood for the following day. Those that become strong perception or feelings canaffect the body lots as much as does an emotion when awake (Walsh). A dream that causes essential sadness can campaign to one absorbing that emotion and feeling it passim the rest of the day. Dreams are packed with symbols and metaphors that can lead to realizations of feelings deep within oneself, such as hidden feelings of being powerless, vulnerable, only if or ashamed (Pliskin 123). If one realizes the symbol and attempts to change the feelings, dreams actually can be life changing experiences. Another cranial orbit dreams serve in is in the creative thinking de bulgement.They sometimes serve as set up houses for inspiration, as The Dream Foundation says, Artists, musicians, dancers, sculptors, and inventors are able to dive deep into the source of inspiration and explore the vast reaches of their own creative potential by face-off face to face with the unconscious. The Beatles prevalent hits Yesterday and Let It Be, Robert Louis Stevensons The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide, and works by artists such as Billy Joel and van Beethoven are all examples of creations based off dreams. Dreams have the potential to have a very large role in determining the actions we take in life. Upon awakening, one mustiness remember this concept Dreams serve as the vocalisation of our subconscious, and if its ignored, it may savour to gain your attention in a more powerful way. A more negative and powerful image of dream is the nightmare.The word nightmare actually alludes to a night devil, who people used to believe would approach you as you were sleeping and press against your ches t which caused the nightmares (Robbins 10). Of course this imprint has been discredited but it has not halt peoples lives from being greatly affected by nightmares. What exactly could be behind you having a nightmare? Well, similarly the see that you may just have a nightmare one night, there are other pre-sleep activities that may cause nightmares. A late night sting actually leads to an increase of the metabolism and also increases brain activity (WebMD). Medications and drugs may also be underlying factors, as they affect the brain in numerous and vary ways. Lastly, post-traumatic stress disorder can lead to nightmares as it causes people to relive past horrifying experiences. Nightmares are caused by many things that impact and increase brain activity, as well as just past bad memories.However, these nightmares greatly impact ones body. They can lead to sleeping need, or insomnia, as they actually engage one scared to sleep because of the chance of a recurring nightmare. Sleep deprivation then leads to other medical conditions such as heart disease, depression and obesity. cod to quickened heart rate and increased broth pressure from the fear and anxiety associated with nightmares, intrinsic death can even actually occur for those with bad heart conditions. on with all the physical effects on the body, nightmares, just worry dreams, act as warnings and have deeper meanings while analyzed. One example of a common nightmare is being in an out of control car.This may be a signal that you feel your life is hectic (Dreams Foundation). If you go out a way to slow life spate this type of recurring nightmare may cease. If one tries to ignore or third power nightmares, the subconscious, who is behind the content of the dream, may try to speak louder to get our attention (Dreams Foundation). They may start affecting our waking lives in sickness, accidents, relationship difficulties or other luckless issues that force us to deal with the problem. Alth ough nightmares seem very negative one must remember this concept An avoidance or denial approach is much like putting a band aid on a cars blinking oil light because the light seems annoying (Dreams Foundation). Why ignore something that can potentially change your life for the conk out?The information I collected on dreaming led me to conclude that dreaming is, in fact, a huge part of our lives. Dreams virtually act as the voice of our subconscious and they warn us, help us and just sometimes allow us to go on adventures that are unfeasible in reality. Dreams occur for our benefit. That being said, nightmares occur for our benefit as well. Despite all the negative effects nightmares may have, they, just as dreams do, provide a window into our hidden and secret problems and ambitions. The purpose of dreams is not to supply pure entertainment while asleep, but to get out control feelings that can change our life for the better.I was surprised to find that dreaming actually may l ead to death as some people with worse heart conditions could die from the increase in heart rate while dreaming. I was also surprised to find that many artists are inspired by what images or people they see in their dreams. Further questions I have include how our mind is able to create places and people weve never seen before and yet make them meaningful and beaten(prenominal) to us? This research has most by all odds opened my eyes to whats very going on when my eyes are closed. In the future when I dream I shall be determined to find what the meaning is to me and how it can possible change my life for the better. Dream on.