What is the purpose of dreaming, what do they reveal?

[lwill143]

Dreams can tell you things about yourself you may not have realized. Its a way for your subconscious mind to express it's self, solve problems and hopefully connect with you in the only way it knows how - Dreams can also take on bad qualities and rapidly become a nightmare that seems just as real as your waking life. Dreams are a personal message from your inner self to your outer self.

[sgxt120r]

I believe they are just the things that are one your mind, good or bad. But they are weird I will admit, because why would your mind want to think about something that will scare the pee out of you?   

[sgluckadoo]

I think that dreams are biological... just something the brain does randomly.

[lmt09]

Hmm, I think dreams are a mix of subconscious problem-solving and maybe a bit revealing of the dreamer's unrealized wishes...

I'm curious why some people "don't dream" or have the same dream over and over...

[ashleymarie1]

Dreams can be so crazy sometimes. Like people say that when you dream about somebody it means that tht person went to bed thinking about you. Also, I have heard that when you are pregnant and you dream about having a boy or a girl that you are having the opposite of what you dream about.

[tartarsauce2008]

I think that dreams are biological... just something the brain does randomly.

It's biological and psychological. The biological aspect is that neurons randomly and very rapidly fire, forming new connections with different neurons which is why sometimes we get weird dreams that make no sense. The psychological aspect is that if something truly bothers someone that day, like a traumatic event, his mind will automatically go into a defense mechanism, one that can be expressed in dreams.

[swv]

I agree that dreams are biological and psychological but they can be very fascinating. My mom passed away almost 6 years ago and I dream of her often. After she died, I dreamed of her telling me she was ok. Now in my dreams I dream she is alive or sometimes I dream she is dying again, which is heartbreaking.  I also dream of my grandpa often who also died 6 years ago. I don't know if I believe they are trying to visit me from beyond, but they seem so real.

[tartarsauce2008]

I agree that dreams are biological and psychological but they can be very fascinating. My mom passed away almost 6 years ago and I dream of her often. After she died, I dreamed of her telling me she was ok. Now in my dreams I dream she is alive or sometimes I dream she is dying again, which is heartbreaking.  I also dream of my grandpa often who also died 6 years ago. I don't know if I believe they are trying to visit me from beyond, but they seem so real.

Your vivid dreams may be due to the fact that you're longing for them to maybe return in some way, but you know they can't. This happens to everyone that has suffered such a loss. When my great grandma passed away, I kept having surreal dreams that always include her.

[footemama]

I think I remember from my Psych 101 days that dreams are a way for your brain to "process" the events that happened over the course of the day using a variety of images that sometimes have a very loose correlation to what you need to process. I do not though that REM sleep (dream sleep) is vitally important to us and people who don't get enough of that type of sleep with have both biological and psychological consequences.

IMO I think that recurring dreams are just thought associations that get hit on by something that happened in your life recently....probably something completely mundane that happens often or a mood you have or something. There are a couple of dreams that I have had multiple times but one in particular that I have had A LOT. It's not a nice dream either and I assume that it has something to do with my stress level at the time.

[superteacher]

They really reveal what you have been doing mentally or physically at daytime. They can be only immaginations as well. The loved ones in your life often appear in your dreams though.

[noirlupe]

Dreams to me are what your subconscious mind wants you to know or work on in your life.  It lets you know what fear and worries you are holding on to.

[sdecaro558]

I don't think they necessarily reveal or predict anything.  Mine, at least, are far too weird for that.  Instead, they help us to either reconcile the events of the day and our subconscious fears and hopes.

[Lusie]

Dreams are in part the way your mind processes through the days events. In another part though some say it is a form of time travel. Such as Deja Vu. You know it has never happened and yet you feel like it has. Only later to realize you dreamed it. When this happens though you do not remember dreaming that night so that is what you tell others that you did not dream. You also wake up either tired or wore out or both because your body and mind were not at rest even though you appeared to be sleeping.

[PinkieRoze]

I read once that dreaming is a form of Astral Voyaging. There are different types, but that essentially it's our subconsciousness trying to help us on our journey. It's even been said that if you "feel" intensely in your dreams that its a full out of body experience. For example, in your dream you were eating pie. But you remember the feeling in your mouth, how the pie tastes and how you were enjoying it. These dreams feel real to you. Maybe you even wake up looking for your pie dish. Very interesting stuff! I've also read that it's a way to see into the past and future. And that our dreams are important tools for our everyday lives. When we dream our Pineal Gland releases  Dimethyltryptamine, or DMT. Some have taken DMT to bring about this process while awake and have many amazing things to say about it! What a wonderful mystery we are!