10 Functions of Dreaming

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We take a lot of fancy with our dreams and try to decipher their meanings. Whenever I dream, my wife and I would try to recall what we have dreamt about then consult our dream dictionary if they have any meaning at all. We always try to convince ourselves that there is meaning to our dreams and are always excited to know what they mean. Dreams can be powerful agents to set your mood for the new day.

But do dreams really serve some purpose? Are they just random images and sounds that we should just ignore? I reviewed articles about dreaming and came up with the following functions of dreams backed by some dream theory or have been the foundation of cultural beliefs and practices:

Functions of Dreaming

To help solve problems.

I learned a tip somewhere that whenever you have a difficult problem to solve, or a question that would like to resolve, or have difficulty deciding on an issue, you just have to pose the question before sleeping and voila! you’ll get the answer in the morning. I tried this and indeed I was able to solve many problems. It also helps in decision making. The explanation claims that your subconscious mind works while you sleep, and you are given the solution upon waking up. In a new study of 470 Canadian undergraduate students described by Hitti, dreams indeed can solve problems.

To diagnose illness.

Shamans use dreams to diagnose illness. Tribal cultures believe that it is possible to communicate with spirits to aid them in healing their sickness and shamans make this possible.

To fulfill sexual desires.

Current theories on dream interpretation were founded on Sigmund Freud’s explanation of dreams. Freud believed that dreams serve to fulfill unfulfilled sexual desires and everything that one dreams symbolizes the sexual organ. It was during his time that sexual expression was repressed.

To cope with trauma.

People who had a bad experience in real life tend to dream about it. Dreaming about the bad experience will help the dreamer come to terms with the event and prepare him/her for it ever happening again. Mellman et al. (2004), however, noted that dreams (or nightmares) can either help the patient to adapt emotionally or even worsen it because nightmares apparently are symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

To organize the brain and clean up clutter.

According to Crick and Mitchinson’s Cleanup Theory, our brain works like a computer or an office filing system where key information are filed and meaningless data are discarded. We have received lots of information during the day and these are sorted out to optimize learning. They believe that dreams sort out things that should be retained and those that should be better forgotten. This is the reason why it is better to write down important things that you can recall right away while your brain is still working to clear these memories out.

To compensate for parts of the personality that are not properly developed.

Jung’s Theory of Dreams claimed that dreams serve to compensate for weaknesses of our personality. If for example you are shy or have inferiority complex, your dreams will show you being sociable and confident. According to critics, it is somehow flawed because in reality agressive persons have violent dreams.

To interpret external stimuli during sleep.

One theory suggests that whatever we sense during sleep will cause our brain to interpret it in some way. The sound of a radio may be incorporated in the content of a dream. I once dreamt I was wet in my dream, then I woke up and saw water dripping through our tent while I was on a field trip. This must be true.

To provide a form of psychotherapy.

This theory claims that the dreamer can connect thoughts and emotions in a safe environment using dreams. This is being applied by psychotherapists in treating their patients.

To edify the self.

Cayce’s Theory suggests that dreaming is the body’s way of building up the mental, spiritual, and physical well-being. A person could develop his values, be more broad-minded and correct his weaknesses after getting a good night’s sleep.

To predict the future.

This is something that many people of probably all cultures apparently are inclined to believe. This may be the reason why there are so many books and websites that deal with this concern. Many are anxious about what the future may bring by describing and trying to interpret the objects or events in their dreams.

The bible describes at least two instances where dreams were interpreted and fulfilled (Joseph’s dream on attainment of high position in Egypt (Genesis 37:1-11) and on Joseph’s prediction of the fate of the cupbearer and the baker (Genesis 40:1-23). Dreams may be our link to the future.

Conclusion

Modern science has not come up with a consensus on what dreams are really for. It could be a mixture of all the above reasons. But the fact that we either dislike or enjoy our dream and think about it makes it a vital part of our life. If we do not dream, we will not be able to experience a real world which can disappear in an instant by waking up. Dreams at least help us escape reality for a while and enjoy our sleep (unless you have a nightmare). imagination

By the way, my latest dream is in color, how about yours?