Influence of Dreams on the Lives of People - Research Paper Example

of the of the of the Influence of Dreams on the Lives of People To sleep, perchance to dream-ay, theres the rub … William Shakespeare, Hamlet (III, I, 65 – 68). With these inimitable words, a despondent and desperate Hamlet expresses doubts as to whether he could find peace, even in death. He fears that dreams or more precisely nightmares would allow him to know no peace, despite the onset of death. Thus, dreams have been an important component of human thinking from times immemorial. This preoccupation with dreams has not spared the Americans, who have now come to attach considerable importance to the dream state. Some psychologists have described the process of as a mood regulatory system. Dreams relieve people of their emotional setbacks, and act as built – in therapists. Dreams compare new emotional experiences of individuals to their past memories. They correlate old images with new experiences and establish an emotional relationship between them (Dare to Dream ). The dreams experienced at night could constitute the subject matter of various conversations, bring about social interactions and result in a drawing near of such interactants. All the same, there is insufficient research, as to whether the sharing of dreams in society is caused by the emotional effect of these dreams on the dreamer. However, some researchers have contended that the extent to which a dream is shared with others, depends on the degree of its effect on the emotions of the dreamer (Curci and Rime 157). A number of studies have shown that dreams affect the manner in which people behave, after they wake up. In a survey conducted on train commuters in Boston, it was discovered that these commuters would cancel a trip by air, if they happened to dream of a plane crash, on the night prior to their flight. Dreams of a plane crash were seen to cause anxiety to most of the respondents. However, the actual occurrence of a plane crash, on the same route, prior to their journey, did not have any significant effect, on their travel plans (Across All Cultures, Dreams Affect Behavior). Most of the people tend to relate dreams to future events. In an online survey, nearly 270 Americans were interviewed about their dream pattern. Most of them stated that they attached greater importance to pleasant dreams, and tended to forget unpleasant dreams about people they did not like. This has been interpreted by some scholars as; people interpret dreams, in accordance with their preexisting beliefs and desires (Across All Cultures, Dreams Affect Behavior). Dreams have fascinated mankind from antiquity. We are presented with a vast kaleidoscope of images, colors, sounds and emotions, in our dreams. Dreams have served to astonish, mystify and hold us spell bound. It has been stated by some scholars that every culture experiences dreams that incorporate their own values and beliefs. The different processes of the brain come into contact with imagination, during dreams, and the outcome is sheer magic. These dreams, on being described to dream listeners, results in a deeper understanding of the dreamer (Hoge and Lippmann 51). The attacks on the US and the ideals that it stands for, on September 11, by Islamic Terrorists, proved to be traumatic to most of the Americans. These distressing events made their entry into the dreams of many of these individuals. Several psychologists have declared that the intrusion into dreams of stressful occurrences, would reduce the negative effects of these incidents (Onion). One sleep researcher, namely Stickgold of the Harvard Medical School, has contended that the mind changes its activities from the hippocampus portion of the brain to the neocortex. In the latter part, information is incorporated and compared with the existing memories. Moreover, the information is analyzed and stored in a manner that is difficult to achieve in the waking state. It is the American way of life to sleep over with a problem and wake up with a solution (Onion). There is considerable intricacy involved in analyzing, correlating and arriving at an optimal solution to a problem, and this task is best performed, during the sleeping state. It has been the American experience that the state of dreaming acts like a therapist, and is optimally configured for solving a number of problems. An individual produces his best ideas, in the morning, subsequent to a good night’s sleep. This has been verified in the case of chess players, who have played their best in the mornings, after waking up (Soronchi). This important fact has been recognized by many Americans, and consequently, it is the practice among quite a few of these people to sleep over a problem. With the onset of Rapid Eye Movement sleep, every area of the brain that had been switched off during Non – Rapid Eye Movement sleep, gets activated. However, the area of the brain where logical reasoning takes place, remains dormant in Rapid Eye Movement sleep (Soronchi). Dreams inspiring fright, which repeat themselves and those that have been desired by the dreamer, constitute the most important of dreams. These dreams are designed to provide assistance in the waking state to the dreamer. The unconscious mind attempts to bring some dreams to the attention of the conscious mind; and such dreams are vivid and clearly remembered on waking up (Webb). There are a number of dreams that leave a powerful impression upon the conscious mind. Their effect can leave a lasting impression upon the dreamer that provides encouragement, inspiration or even admiration. Such dreams can not only be comprehended but they also provide considerable benefit, on being utilized creatively. Thus, these vivid dreams could be made the substratum of a poem, painting, story or some other work of art (Webb). Such expression, also entails therapeutic benefit, and is termed as art therapy. American researchers have discovered that a concentration of intent and its combination with higher awareness, which functions during the state of dreaming, guidance can be obtained and healing can be effected. Considerable knowledge regarding this topic has been provided by the Native Americans, who posses a remarkable amount of knowledge in this area. Modern Western Science has only recently forayed into this area (What Do Dreams Mean and What Can You Learn By Remembering Them). There is much that is to be discovered in this fascinating area, and our scientists have barely scratched the surface of this subject, which admits of considerable complexity. Thus, there is scant knowledge, among the American and other scientists, regarding the sleeping state, and the various phases through which the sleeper journeys, during sleep. In the future, scientists will determine the manner in which communication takes place between the subconscious and conscious mind (What Do Dreams Mean and What Can You Learn By Remembering Them). The activity of dreaming is universal, and there is considerable research to prove the truth in this assertion. The brain is active during sleep, and the mere fact that one does not recollect one’s dreams does not indicate that one does not have any dreams. The reason behind a person’s inability to remember his dreams can be attributed to drinking, taking certain drugs, high stress levels, fever, and unconscious fear about what one dreams about (Dream Moods ). It has been conjectured by a few research scholars that there is a genetic predilection to forget what one has dreamed about, in some individuals. In general, dreams are based on a person’s preoccupations and experiences. Consequently, the dreams of an adult are substantially different from that of an adult. In the early stages, children have nightmares and there is not much emotional content in their dreams. On becoming teenagers, children’s dreams correspond to what adults dream (Dream Moods ). It has been declared by science that dreams cannot predict the future. However, many people experience dreams that come true at a later date. This phenomenon has been attributed to the practice among people to collect fragments of information, which are combined in dreams. This combination of information projects some outcome, and the dreamer is led to believe that the dream had predicted some future event. This phenomenon has also been explained by stating that dreams that predict a future event are mere coincidences (Dream Moods ). The absence of defense mechanisms in people, renders them extremely vulnerable. Such people are beset with nightmares, and this was disclosed by Hartman and his co – researchers. Although, it has proved difficult to establish the precise etiology of nightmare occurrence, these researchers have stated that the frequent occurrence of nightmares indicates a defect in the structure of the ego boundaries. This defect renders the dreamer vulnerable to threats, in the waking as well as dream states (Levin). There is some truth to this assertion, because people who experience nightmares, throughout their life, exhibit psychopathology to a much greater degree than persons who do not have frequent nightmares. After assuming similar etiological factors, in the context of schizophrenia and impairment of ego boundary, it was conjectured that people with frequent nightmares were susceptible to a higher degree to psychosis (Levin). Undoubtedly, there is an intimate relationship between the frequency with which nightmares occur, impairment of ego boundary and the resultant thought disorder. Consequently, by scrutinizing the sleep and dreaming patterns of those who frequently experience nightmares, it would be possible to isolate and understand the factors that cause these nightmares (Levin). Innovation has been the hallmark of the Americans, and the Ojibwa Nation of Native Americans invented a dream catcher. This implement consists of a hoop that consists of a web of woven sinews, feathers, beads and crystals. This object is suspended in the dwelling of the Native Americans and is believed to ward off nightmares among the children, sleeping in that place (Cline). The Native Americans strongly believe that dreams fill the air, and that these dreams could be either beneficial or harmful. Moreover, it is believed that these dreams have meaning. It is the belief among some of these indigenous people that bad dreams are trapped by the web in the dream catcher, whilst the good dreams pass through the central hole, in the dream catcher’s net (Cline). Others believe that only the dreams that are good pass through the dream catcher. Furthermore, some of these American Indians believe that the good dreams are transmitted along the feathers of the dream catcher and that the bad dreams are destroyed by the light of the day (Cline). In this manner, it becomes evident that the denizens of the United States of America have gradually developed a keen desire to understand the underpinnings of the dream state. The dream state has been described by some researchers as having the capacity to resolve knotty problems, if one thinks deeply about such problems, before going to sleep. Moreover, the frequent occurrence of nightmares has been considered a symptom of psychiatric disorders. Thus, dreams and their analysis have assumed substantial importance in promoting the overall mental health of individuals. Works Cited Across All Cultures, Dreams Affect Behavior. 1 March 2009. 2010 May 24 . Cline, John. Sleepness in America. 15 February 2010. 25 May 2010 . Curci, Antonietta and Bernard Rime. "Dreams, emotions, and social sharing of dreams ." Cognition & Emotion (2008): 22.1, 155 – 167. Dare to Dream . 24 May 2010 . Dream Moods . 7 October 2008. 25 May 2010 . Hoge, Hilary and Paul Lippmann. "Can Dreams Within Dreams Serve as Metaphor for Modern Life Itself?" Psychoanalytic Dialogues (2008): 18.1, 51 – 59. Levin, Ross. "Sleep and Dreaming Characteristics of Frequent Nightmare Subjects in a University Population." 2003. Association for the Study of Dreams. 25 May 2010 . Onion, Amanda. How Dreams Can Help Traumatized Americans. 2 November 2001. 25 May 2010 . Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet, Act III, Scene I." The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Soronchi. Do Dreams Significantly Affect Our Lives? 24 December 2007. 25 May 2010 . Webb, Craig. Organic Dream Integration: Dream Interpretation & Meaning. 2008. 25 May 2010 . What Do Dreams Mean and What Can You Learn By Remembering Them. 25 May 2010 . Read More