Originally from the Atlantic Magazine by Ben Healey
Summary:
What Are Dreams For?
Dreams are still a mystery, but many scientists and psychologists have come up with different ideas about why we dream. Here are some of the most well-known theories:
- Sigmund Freud, the famous psychologist, believed that dreams show us our hidden thoughts and desires — things we might not even realize we want or feel.
- Newer research has other ideas. Some scientists think dreams help us:
- Deal with strong emotions.
- Organize and store memories.
- Make sense of random brain activity while we sleep.
- Practice how to respond to danger or stress.
- Other experts believe dreams don’t have any deep purpose. They say dreams are just ways for our minds to act out personal thoughts and worries.
Even though Freud’s theory doesn’t have much scientific support today, it’s still very popular. Studies have shown that many students in the U.S., South Korea, and India still believe that dreams reveal hidden truths. In fact, in one study, people said they would feel more scared if they had a dream about a plane crash than if they heard an official warning about a real terrorist attack. This shows how seriously people take their dreams.
What Happens in Our Dreams?
Most of our dreams happen during a stage of sleep called REM sleep (REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement). People usually have four or five REM cycles each night, and that’s when dreams are most vivid.
Some interesting facts about dreams:
- 8% of dreams are about sex, and this is true for both men and women.
- But there are differences:
- Women are twice as likely to dream about a celebrity or public figure.
- Men are twice as likely to dream about having multiple partners.
- Anxiety is very common in dreams. In a study of Canadian university students, the most common dream topics (aside from sex) were:
- School
- Falling
- Being chased
- Being late for something important
Dreams Are Different Across Time and Cultures
Dreams aren’t the same for everyone. They can be influenced by the time period you grew up in and where you live.
- People who grew up watching black-and-white TV are more likely to dream in black and white.
- In a 1958 study comparing American and Japanese people:
- Americans were more likely to dream about:
- Being in jail
- Losing a loved one
- Finding money
- Being naked or dressed inappropriately
- Meeting someone who’s insane
- Japanese people were more likely to dream about:
- School
- Trying and failing at something over and over
- Being frozen in fear
- Dangerous or wild animals
And it’s not just humans who dream! Almost all mammals dream, as well as birds, some lizards, and even one type of sea creature: the cuttlefish. The animal that dreams the most is the platypus, which can spend up to eight hours a day in REM sleep!
Can Bad Dreams Be Good for You?
Even scary or stressful dreams might actually help us in real life. In one study, students preparing for a difficult French medical school exam had dreams about problems during the test — like being late or forgetting answers.
Surprisingly, the students who had these kinds of dreams did better on the test than the students who didn’t dream about it at all. That suggests that dreaming about challenges might help the brain prepare for them.
So What’s the Point of Dreams?
In the end, dreams might not mean anything at all — or they might help us understand ourselves better, process emotions, or get ready for real-life situations.
So if you ever dream about falling, being chased, and having a strange school-related sexual experience — don’t worry! It might just be your brain running wild. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s helping you get ready in case something that weird ever really happens.