Dreams and Dreaming

1028 Words3 Pages

Throughout history, numerous people have studied the human body and its many functions. One area of the body that causes much confusion and controversy is the mind. Many parts of the brain baffle scientists, but a specific aspect of the mind that is fascinating and puzzling is dreams and their functions. It is surprising that an average person dreams for at least six years of their life, but scientists still do not know the role of dreaming (Shaw). Several theories have been presented to provide a reason for dreaming, and attempt to explain what most do not understand. Although dream research has been prominent lately, no agreement has been reached on which theory is correct on the purpose of dreams. Some believe that dreams are only simulations created by the sleeping mind with no actual purpose, but others believe that dreams are psychologically important.

While sleeping, the body goes through five stages of sleep. With each stage, the body drifts into a deeper and more restful sleep. Although research has shown that we can dream in any of the five stages of sleep, it is known that most dreaming takes place in the fifth stage. During the fifth stage of sleep, we enter a phase called Rapid Eye Movement, or REM. As we begin REM sleep, many changes occur within the body. Not only do the eyes begin to move rapidly, but also breathing and heart rate increases. The activity levels in the brain rise to the same levels as when we are awake. Despite the fact that many functions in the body are heightened, we become almost paralyzed while in the REM stage because of a release of a specific amino acid. This reaction is believed to occur so that the body does not act out on the dreams that it is experiencing. Throughout the night, we cycl...

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