The Meaning Of Dreams

For thousands of years humans have experienced a phenomenon which we describe today as dreaming. It has puzzled and sparked interest to all whom experience it. For as long as people have been dreaming, there have been people trying to understand and interpret them. This research paper examines the causation and deeper meaning of dreams. It will compare and contrast the differentiating ideas on the subject by famous psychologists and also examine first-hand accounts from real individuals. The objective of paper is to shed some light on this complex and bizarre behavior.

What is a dream? Why do we have dreams? Do dreams have deeper meaning in our lives? The answers to these questions have eluded and intrigued many psychologists throughout history and have sparked my interest as well. As an avid and vivid dreamer I have often found myself wondering what the true meanings to my dreams were. So what are dreams? “Strictly speaking, dreams are images and imagery, thoughts, sounds and voices, and subjective sensations experienced when we sleep.”1 Even after thousands of years of research, psychologists have still not come to an agreed answer on why we dream. There are as many opinions out there as there are individual dreams. Some psychologists believe dreaming is simply the minds way of distracting itself from outside information during sleep to allow people to get deep rest. Others such as Dr. Eric Hartman suggest dreams serve almost as a psychotherapy in which the brain can make connections between different emotions and thoughts in a safe protected environment. Do dreams have any direct correlation to everyday events and experiences? Are they meant to aid individuals in understanding and interpreting their world around them?
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...eams has intrigued and puzzled society and psychologists for the entirety of human existence. Although we have a better understanding today because of influential psychologists such as Freud and Hall, we still do not have any concrete reasoning for or complete agreement on dream’s true purpose. Some people side with the Freudian ideals of dreams as a practical necessity for existence while others side with Hall’s opinion that dreams serve as learning devices. After completing my research I believe that dreams not only serve both those purposes, but most likely have many more purposes and roots as well. The complexity of and intricacy of dreams leads me to believe they are not meaningless exercises performed by the brain, but deeply meaningful and useful keys to our existence. I think there are many more secrets to be unlocked and revealed by the studying of dreams.