We spend about one third of our lives sleeping. Apart from general relaxation of the body and physical regeneration, our subconscious produces dreams which are of hotly-debated significance. Centuries ago, dreams were considered as messages from God. Some people claimed that their breakthrough idea came in their sleep. The romantic notion that we might get answers to our issues in our dreams has probably occurred to many. Here, in any case, are some actual facts about dreaming.
Up to 90% of dreams will be lost by the time we wake up.
Waking up while in REM sleep helps to preserve dreams, otherwise we usually forget them completely.
Dreams communicate with us.
The most common example is an urge to go to the toilet which turns out to be real.
Everybody dreams.
Dreaming is a universal human experience, even for blind people, whose dreams are based on senses other than vision, except for those who were sighted at some point in their earlier lives. Typically, people who do not dream suffer from serious psychological disorders.
Clairvoyant’s dreams
Studies shows that 18% of all people have experienced this form of dreaming.
Animals dream, too.
The dreams of dogs or cats are often accompanied by movement (such as running). Dogs also tend to bark.
People often dream about forbidden things.
One explanation is that dreams about forbidden things can give freedom to suppressed desires or frustrations.
Several dreams can come during one night.
The body can be temporarily“paralyzed” while dreaming.
This is a form of safety mechanism, to prevent movements related to the dream.
Symbolical dreams
Often we dream about the situations that are grabbing our attention in real life. There is no universal formula to decipher dreams. Dreams are very symbolical, and interpreting them depends on our ability to figure them out.
Photos: Shutterstock / collage: Martina Advaney
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