Dreams and Nightmares Big Parts of Our Lives Essay Example For Students

Dreams and Nightmares: Big Parts of Our Lives? Essay Prior to beginning research. My factual knowledge of dreams was tie limited to my personal experiences, as I have had my fair share Of dreams as well as nightmares. Knew that dreams were usually perceived as happy and nightmares were almost always frightening experiences. Some dreams could also be interpreted for deeper meanings. Lastly, prior to researching, I knew dreams only lasted a portion of the time, and one usually had a difficult time remembering the content of the dream upon awakening. Through my research wished to discover how people are affected by their dreams and nightmares in their behavior, mood, and their overall physical health, I also wished to know if here were any past evidences tot events which happened in direct correlation to dreams. Was hopeful in finding the true meaning of dreams and how big of a role they actually have in our lives. Dreams do not come and go as they please; the period when people experience dreams is when they are peacefully sleeping. When one finally falls into a slumber, the body and mind follow a cycle through five sleep phases (Bringer)_ In the first phase, one is in a very light sleep where it is easy to be wakened, and as the cycle continues one falls into a deeper and deeper sleep. Up to the fourth hash, muscle activity greatly declines, breathing and heart rate slow down, and the brain sends out the slowest Of the brain waves, Delta Waves. Up to this point, known as Non ERM sleep, the body and mind are at basically full relaxation Without experiencing rapid eye movement. The fifth phase, however, is When things seem to reverse. As the body enters the fifth stage, known as Rapid-Eye Movement, or R. E. M, the heart and breathing rate accelerate, blood pressure rises, and brain activity increases to the same level as when one is awake (Bringer). This is the period when most dreaming takes place. The body also 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 (Bringer). ERM was named after the movement of the eyes during this period, where the brain tells the eyes to move and scan a scene that only exists in the mind (Demented 299). One goes through this entire five-phase cycle about four or five times a night, with each dream only lasting about five to Events minutes (Diagram Group 24). HOW could an event With such a short duration possibly have a big impact on our lives? Dreams have been deemed important and meaningful 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, people 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 sick and injured, delivered messages and demands from the gods, and even foresaw the future (5-7). In later years, theories began to develop about the purpose of dreams, One of the most respected theories came from Sigmund Freud, a well esteemed psychologist. Freud believed that dreams serve to aid in maintaining sleep through possible disturbances: Hayden one is sleeping and is exposed to a disturbing stimulus, psychological processes would work to incorporate the dream into a dream rather than allow the person to be woken (Robbins 14). For example, a loud noise in the dreamers environment would be morphed into thunder in a dream by the mind to keep the dreamer asleep (Robbins 14). He also claimed that dreams used symbols to show us our hidden aggressive and sexual desires (The Diagram Group 32). Ham vs. laertes EssayAnother area dreams serve in is in the creativity department. They sometimes serve as store 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 toothier own creative potential by meeting face to face with the unconscious. The Beetles popular hits Yesterday and Let It as, Robert Louis Stevenson The Strange Case of Jewell and Mr.. Hide, and works by artists such as Billy Joel and 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 must remember this concept: Dreams serve as the voice of our subconscious, and if its ignored, it may try to gain your attention in a more powerful way. A more negative and powerful type of dream is the nightmare. The word nightmare actually alludes to a night devil, who people used to believe would approach you as you ever sleeping and press against your chest which caused the nightmares (Robbins 10). Of course this belief has been discredited but it has not stopped peoples lives from being greatly affected by nightmares. What exactly could be behind you having a nightmare? Well, besides the chance that you may just have a nightmare one night, there are other pre-sleep activities that may cause nightmares. A late night snack 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 varying 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 deprivation, or insomnia, as they actually make 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, Due to quickened heart rate and increased blood pressure from the tear and anxiety associated with nightmares, natural death can even actually occur for those with bad heart conditions. Along with all the physical effects on the body, nightmares, just like 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 find a way to slow life down this type of recurring nightmare may cease. If one tries to ignore or block 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 unfortunate issues that force us to deal vivid the problem. Although 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 better? 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 impossible in reality.