He phenomenon of dreams It has fascinated humanity since time immemorial. Various cultures gave different meanings to dreamsconsidering them from premonitions until divine messages. Currently, thanks to scientific advances, there are new insights about this state.
Dreams are still a territory largely unexplored by both science as for him psychoanalysis. The study of dreams, also known as oneirology, has revealed intricate aspects that help us understand our mind better. However, there is still much that is unknown about why and how we dream.
Over time, numerous investigations have attempted decipher the mysteries behind dreams. These investigations have provided results that defy everyday logic, revealing surprising and sometimes disconcerting about this natural process. Despite the progress, the dreams They continue to be a field full of unknowns. Each dream presents an opportunity to reveal a little more about the mind and how it works.
- The dreams of the entire population tend to be Similar. Some of the most common consist of be chased and fall. Dr. Rahul Jandial, neurosurgeon, neuroscientist and author of This is Why You Dream: What Your Sleeping Brain Reveals About Your Waking Life explained: “Reports of nightmares and erotic dreams are almost universal.” Instead, math is rarely done because the part of the brain primarily responsible for logic (the prefrontal cortex) is typically not involved in dreams.
- The brain is very active when you dream. Jandial discovered something essential during brain surgery with the patient awake, stimulating the left temporal lobe, where language is located. After one of these electrical stimulations, the patient experienced a recurring nightmare since childhood. Later investigations revealed that Nightmares and all dreams come from intense brain activity during sleep. “We now know, from measurements of metabolic and electricity use, that the brain during dreams is fully active, sparking with electricity,” says Jandial.
- The moment just before falling asleep and waking up is fertile for creativity. Salvador Dalí took advantage of this state by sitting with a key in his hand, which fell on a plate when he fell asleep and woke him up, allowing him to draw his recent thoughts. Jandial points out that brain imaging studies confirm the potential of this phase for perception. Even without techniques like Dalí’s, it is useful write down the ideas that arise when you wake upbefore getting distracted by news or social networks, since that is when the best ideas emerge, according to Jandial.
- According to Jandial, Occasional nightmares related to stressful events are not worrying, but if you have recurring frightening dreams, you can try imagery rehearsal therapy. This technique is performed with a therapist, who helps the patient to redraw and reinterpret the dream. For example, if a patient repeatedly dreams of a plane crash, the therapist will have him rehearse a safe landing. Over time, Many patients manage to change their nightmares thanks to this method.
- Dreams about infidelities are normal and do not indicate problems in the relationship. Surveys show that most people have erotic dreams, and many include infidelity, regardless of the health of the relationship. These dreams often follow specific patterns: the acts may be wild, but the characters are limited, such as celebrities, family members, or bosses. Jandial and others theorize that these sexual dreams with acquaintances could be an evolutionary feature of the brain to keep us open to procreation and increase the survival of the species.
- Near the end of life, dreams can offer comfort. At the City of Hope cancer center in Los Angeles, Jandial has observed that many terminally ill patients experience “dreams to the rescue”, full of reconciliation, hope and positive emotions, even when their days are difficult. These positive end-of-life dreams are common. Jandial also points out that, After cardiac death, the last waves of brain activity could be related to dreams and memory retrieval, providing a last comforting experience.
