Dreams and Mysteries of the Mind

1032 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Psychology of dreams

What actually are dreams? Dreaming is a different state of consciousness. Brains are in constant activity and constantly giving odd brain waves. Dreams are a communication of mind, body, and spirit. During dreams the mind reviews long and short term memory. Dreams are mysteries of the mind and adventures of the sleeping brain.
While sleeping, there are two different classifications. These two classifications are paradoxical sleep, also known as rapid eye movement (REM) and orthodox sleep also known as non-REM sleep (Craig 1). During REM is the time the brain dreams. REM occurs every sixty to ninety minutes. Dreams last from five to thirty minutes. Dreams are important to our sleeping brain (Koch-Sheras 6).
During sleep the body is functioning at a very low level. The brain is constantly giving off electric brain waves. During non-REM the brain waves are slow and large while the body is calm. During REM brain waves speed up and become smaller, the body's heart rate also speeds up. REM occupies about twenty percent of the night. While the brain is dreaming, it is in the stage of REM. While the brain dreams it may have imaginary, but real experiences. During dreams some sleepers may take part in the story or just watch the tale unfold.
There are many different types of dreams. These dreams include lucid dreaming, nightmares, and fantasies. In lucid dreaming the sleeper is conscious he/she is dreaming and of what is going on. In some cases the dreamer may be allowed to control their dream
(Loyd 84). This is an exciting experience.
Besides lucid dreams, there are nightmares. These are frightening dreams that may wake the sleeper up feeling axioms or fearful. Nightmares are usually causes of real life anxieties or fears. Nightmares mostly occur in children because of their growing minds and wonders. Along with nightmares, there are also night terrors. These are more terrifying than nightmares and occur in children from ages three to five years old. Night terrors are more common in men than in women. Night terrors usually are the cause of sleeping disorders, such as sleepwalking and sleep talking.
Other than nightmares there are fantasies. Daydreams are considered fantasies, which me...

... middle of paper ...

...re different stages the brain experiences while sleeping. These stages are called the Sleep Cycle. Stage one is non-REM sleep. During this stage the sleeper's muscles relax, pulse and breathing slows down, and temperature drops slightly. Stage two,

random images float through the mind and the relaxation process continues. After that, stage three is non-REM. As the sleeper is going through this process, The sleepers muscles loosen, and blood pressure falls. During stage four the sleeper is in a deep sleep and is prepared to sleep, but is still in non-REM. Finally, stage five begins. This is REM, the sleeper's eyes start to move rapidly, their pulse quickens, and the sleeper finally begins to dream.
In conclusion, dreams are mysteries. Studies have shown a number of different things, but we still have much to uncover. Dreams my carry symbols, and some people believe they may tell the future. Dreaming keeps the sleeper's mind conscious while he/she is asleep. Even though dreaming only occupies twenty percent of the night it may reveal more than one thing. By dreaming we decide on big decisions. Dreaming not only helps us physically but also mentally.

Show More
Related

  • Reality is Like A Dream in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates

    1504 Words  | 4 Pages

    Have you ever experienced a dream or a nightmare that seemed like reality? Most people in the world today would say that they have. Although this realistic dream experience does not occur often, when it does, clear distinctions are hard to make between the dream and reality. Theories exist that explain dreams as our subconscious

    Read More

  • The Roles of NREM and REM Sleep On Memory Consolidation

    1830 Words  | 4 Pages

    Before discussing the role of NREM and REM in learning, it is necessary to clarify the identity of and differences between the two. This type of sleep is marked by different stages based on different the different brainwaves exhibited. REM sleep differs from NREM in that most dreams occur during REM sleep although the two activities are not synonymous. REM is also marked by an incre...

    Read More

  • Understanding the Five Stages of Sleep

    413 Words  | 1 Pages

    wetting. Stage five is called REM. This is where the most dreaming happened. REM sleep is

    Read More

  • Sleeping Disorders and the I-Function

    1463 Words  | 3 Pages

    As we all know, sleep is an important part of our lives. Without the proper amounts and type of sleep, fatigue and other problems can arise. Generally, we can clearly distinguish between a sleeping person and a person that is awake. With sleeping disorders, the distinction between an awake person and a sleeping person becomes more intriguing. What is the difference, how does it relate to the I-function and consciousness? Each sleeping disorder has its own unique answer to this question. It is essential to understand sleep to fully appreciate it. However, many aspects of it remain a mystery. We do have some degree of understanding of sleep. Within our sleep cycle a type of unusual sleep occurs, REM sleep. During this cycle the periods of REM sleep are interspersed with slow wave sleep in alternation. Each period of REM sleep (there are usually 4 or 5 periods a night) lasts for approximately 5 to 30 minutes. During these periods a sleep paradox occurs. An enormous amount of brain activity takes place; this is sometimes even more activity then when awake. This clearly indicates that sleep is not simply to rest our mind and not to think. So, during this period our brains are extremely active, yet there is usually no input or output. During this period, along with the random eye movement (REM), there is a complete loss of muscle tone. Essentially, at this point, the motor system is paralyzed (normally the body inhibits any movement). The autonomic nervous system also alters its behavior. The regulation of body temperature is lost and the blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rates shows increased variability. REM sleep can be detected by measuring the electrical activity of the brain with an electroencephalogram. At this point, the EEG will show the same pattern of activity as when the brain is awake.

    Read More

  • Circadian Sleep Essay

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    So for an average sleep time of eight to ten hours, we go through this sleep cycle four to five times a night. In stage one of the sleep phases, we are in a light sleep that lasts anywhere from five to ten minutes. In this stage, our eyes are still moving slowly and our muscles are slowing down, but may still have sudden muscle contractions like as if we were being startled or as if we were falling down. People in this phase may not feel rested if they are awakened, and might not of felt like they were even asleep at all. In stage two of the sleep cycle, you have successfully fallen into a light sleep. During this cycle your heart rate has slowed down, and your body temperature has dropped. You no longer have eye movement, and your body is finally resting the parts it has used through out the day. The next stage, which is stage three is also combined with stage four of the sleep cycle. These two cycles together are known as the delta sleep or the deep sleep stage, and is a very important part of the sleep cycle. During these cycles your body repairs and re-grows tissue, strengthens the immune system and builds bone and muscle. In these cycle it may be very hard to wake a person up, and if woken they may feel droggy or “out of it” for several minutes. In these stages is when most people have night terrors, experience sleep walking, or sleep talking occurs. In an adults average time of sleep this takes up about fifteen to twenty five percent of the time of sleep. Lastly, there is the REM cycle, which is also known as paradoxical sleep. During this cycle is when most of your muscles are paralyzed, your eyes are moving rapidly, and your breathing, heart rate and body temperature are not regulated. Vital signs show that during this stage, the arousal and oxygen levels

    Read More

  • Destruction of the American Dream

    2136 Words  | 5 Pages

    Dream to be within our minds. Part of the mind believes in the dream, is swallowed

    Read More

  • The REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

    1630 Words  | 4 Pages

    either Slow-Wave or REM sleep, and I hope future essays will delve more fully into these subjects. Luckily for researchers

    Read More

  • Sleep, Dreams and REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

    1428 Words  | 3 Pages

    In normal sleeping patterns a person usually passes through five phases of sleep, the fifth being REM. The sleeping human passes cyclically through these five phases throughout a night's rest. These phases can be defined in electrical activity of the brain; much like the activity of the heart is often defined. The technique of measuring the electrical activity of the brain is call Electro-encephalogram, or EEG. When the electrical events of a person's brain are graphed on a electrical magnitude versus time axis the graph of a person who is in different stages of being asleep or awake appear to have different levels of electrical activity occurring in the brain. (See (14))

    Read More

  • The Functions of Sleep

    1086 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... (1) sleep attacks; (2) cataplexy-sudden loss of muscle tone; (3) sleep paralysis; & (4) auditory, visual, or tactile hallucinations.

    Read More

  • Melatonin Non Proper Sleep

    390 Words  | 1 Pages

    Sleep is divided into two types non-rapid eye moment and Rapid eye moment. Non-REM sleep is a first stage, which is dreamless sleep. In this stage, the vital signs are slow and regular; respiration, heart rate and blood pressure. Rapid Eye Moment sleep occurs in cycles of about 90-120 minutes throughout the night. The vital signs are more rapid and irregular during this stage. Sufficient sleep helps to boost the brain power which contributes to several important cognitive, emotional and performance related

    Read More

  • NREM And Non-Rapid Eye Movement: The Four Stages Of Sleep

    611 Words  | 2 Pages

    In stage 1 NREM sleep, a person starts to lose muscle tone and this is the reason for the sudden twitching and jerking of the body. A person also begins to lose self-awareness and will have hypnagogic hallucinations. Stage 2 NREM sleep is when a person’s muscle tone is almost all lost and sleep paralysis begins to take over the body. With Stage 3 NREM sleep, a person enters a stage where no dreaming occurs but where sleepwalking is possible. Stage 4 NREM sleep is the deepest form of sleep out of all of the four stages. REM sleep is the very last stage where your muscles begin to twitch and most of your dreams take place. (Turner, “Why Do We Sleep? Modern Theories of

    Read More

  • Sleep and Dream

    595 Words  | 2 Pages

    the sleeper will gradually descend deeper into sleep, becoming more and more detached from the outside world and progressively more difficult to awaken. Stage three is the beginning of deep sleep, occurring about thirty to forty five minutes after you first fall asleep. The deepest sleep occurs in Stage four. Stage three and four has the biggest and slowest brain wave. REM sleep, a mentally active period during which dreaming occurs, provided a biological explanation for this phenomenon. Scientists found that brain activity during REM sleep begins in the pons, a structure in the brainstem, and neighboring midbrain regions. The pons sends signals to the thalamus and to the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for most thought processes. There are several myths about sleep. For one, how much sleep a person should get? According to our text book people should sleep for at least eight hours to maintain sound mental and physical health. But every one doesn’t get the chance to sleep for that amount of time. There is no normal amount of time you should sleep. Everyone is not the same. For one I might sleep for five hours and feel refreshed enough to work another shift. Other hand my cousin might need more then eight hours of sleep to feel refreshed.

    Read More

  • Sleeping Disorders: The Five Stages Of Sleep

    465 Words  | 1 Pages

    Stage one is the stage right as you begin to fall asleep. Therefore, it would be considered light sleep. During this stage, it is very easy to wake up but eye movement and muscle activity begin to slow down. Most people experience something called muscle contraction which could make them feel like they are falling. The next

    Read More

  • Sleep Informative Speech

    487 Words  | 1 Pages

    The first step is REM which means rapid eye movement. Some people think rapid eye movement is where you close your eyes and just fall asleep ,but it actually has something to do with your brain your brain has something in it that helps you be active and gain energy when you go to sleep and restore your energy for the next day or whatever you are going to do after that nap you just had or after you wake up from your good night of sleep. Here is some information that scientist and doctors have researched ,when sleep researchers noticed a unique pattern of brain waves (signals recorded on an electroencephalogram (EEG), a type of test that measures the electrical impulses within the brain). These brain waves had a fast frequency and low voltage, similar to the brain waves seen in the normal awake state. The second step is NREM which is non- rapid eye movement which has 3 steps to it.

    Read More

  • Sleeping and Dreaming

    4847 Words  | 10 Pages

    Sleeping and Dreaming Despite the large amount of time we spend asleep, surprisingly little is actually known about sleeping and dreaming. Much has been imagined, however. Over history, sleep has been conceived as the space of the soul, as a state of absence akin to death, as a virtual or alternate reality, and more recently, as a form of (sub)consciousness in which memories are built and erased. The significance attributed to dreams has varied widely as well.

    Read More

More about Dreams and Mysteries of the Mind

Open Document