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Why do we dream? - Amy Adkins

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In the 3rd millennium BCE, Mesopotamian kings recorded and interpreted their dreams on wax tablets. In the years since, we haven't paused in our quest to understand why we dream. And while we still don’t have any definitive answers, we have some theories. Amy Adkins reveals the top seven reasons why we might dream.

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Dreams are mysterious, and since the time of the Ancient Mesopotamians, human beings have been recording their dreams and trying to figure out what, if anything, they mean.

A large percentage of scientists actually believe that dreams are just random images generated from our brains for no reason at all, serving no purpose whatsoever. But there have been prominent doctors and scientists in many fields and from different areas of expertise who would wholeheartedly disagree. Each theory of dreaming that you just heard about is backed by academic and scientific research and study conducted by some of these doctors and scientists.

Since there's no better place to get more in-depth knowledge about each of these theories than directly from their sources, you should check out these links to learn more:

1. We Dream to Fullfill our Wishes: Sigmund Freud's Interpretation of Dreams
2. We Dream to Remember: Memory, Sleep and Dreaming: Experience Consolidation by Erin J. Wamsley and Robert Stickgold
3. We Dream to Forget: The reverse learning theory of dreaming, by Francis Crick and Graeme Mitchison
4. We Dream to Keep our Brains Working: The Continual Activation Theory of Dreaming by Jie Zhang
5. We Dream to Rehearse: Dreaming and Consciousness: Testing the Threat Simulation Theory of the Function of Dreaming by Antti Revonsuo and Katja Valli
6. We Dream to Heal: Overnight Therapy? The Role of Sleep in Emotional Brain Processing by Els van der Helm and Matthew P. Walker
7. We Dream to Solve Problems: The "Committee of Sleep": A Study of Dream Incubation for Problem Solving by Deirdre Barrett

We all have good dreams and bad dreams, and depending on many other factors like your age and your diet and the stressors in your life at any given time. You may also occasionally experience nightmares. Though most of us associate the feeling of fear with our nightmares, other primary feelings like sadness, confusion, anger, guilt and disgust tend to be prevalent in our nightmares as well. The most common themes in nightmares tend to revolve around physical aggression, interpersonal conflicts and situations where the dreamer feels failure and helplessness. Dr. Antonio Zadra from the University of Montreal's Dream and Nightmare Laboratory shares some of the fascinating work they've done in a short interview with Science World here.

For most people, dreaming can happen anytime they are asleep, though we experience dreams most often while we are in the sleep onset and REM sleep stages of our sleep cycle. We usually have 4 to 6 dreams per night, but the majority of us forget most of them as soon as we wake up. Though you can't choose which dreams you'd like to remember, many people believe that your ability to recall more of your dreams in better detail will improve with the use of a dream journal. Also, there are several sources online that can help you interpret and analyze your dreams once you've recalled them (dream dictionaries are one popular tool to do this).

While many of us would be happy to simply remember more about our dreams, there are people who not only remember their dreams, but gain enough consciousness while they are asleep and dreaming that they know they are experiencing a dream while it happens. This phenomenon is called lucid dreaming and though the reality of it isn't exactly like Christopher Nolan's film Inception (which was in fact, at least partially inspired by his own ability to lucid dream) many researchers today are looking at lucid dreaming for its potential to positively impact the lives of dreamers everywhere. Tim Post speaks about The Emerging Science of Lucid Dreaming it in his excellent TEDx talk here.

Like we said at the beginning of this lesson, dreaming is mysterious. But its mysteriousness is one of the reasons that dreams are so intriguing and such a popular field of study today. There is plethora scientific, academic and popular information and media out there and some excellent sources. Take a look at these links! Nova: What are Dreams, Dream Interpretations- BBC, RadioLab Dreams Podcast they just might wake you up to the amazing world of dreaming.
Avatar for Noah Tavlin
Lesson Creator
Share a memorable dream you've had and discuss your thoughts on what purpose, if any, it served for you.
11/05/2015
Avatar for miante joshua
miante joshua • LESSON IN PROGRESS

i had a dream that i rode a rollercoaster . I had fun .

12/10/2015
Avatar for Vinayak Damaraparapu
Vinayak Damaraparapu • COMPLETED LESSON

One day I have seen many videos online about relativity, time dilation and time travel. That night I have had a night mare...that I along with two of my friends while riding a super bike have slipped time and have traveled across time. Both of my friends are fine but something wrong has gone with me. When I looked into a mirror, in dream, I've found that pupil of my eyes disappeared and my nostrils are covered with skin and I was not able to breathe. I was too scared. Suddenly woke up and shu...a sigh of relief. So this dream said that its not so easy and convenient to travel across time which I thought was.

12/12/2015
Avatar for Eric Cipriano
Eric Cipriano • COMPLETED LESSON

I think it is interesting to hear people say either they don't dream or they don't remember their dreams. Why is that?

12/13/2015
Avatar for Stela Oli
Stela Oli • LESSON IN PROGRESS

My mom was ill in hospital and I knew she would pass away soon. One or two nights before she left us, I had a beautiful dream with butterflies. I was in a garden somewhere I could not identify and there was this huge tree I was standing before. Suddenly,thousands of butterflies come out of the tree and gently flew away. Somehow the memory of that dream helped me cope when I heard she had passed on during the night.

12/13/2015
Avatar for claire lim
claire lim • COMPLETED LESSON

I dreamt that I met my favourite idols and I was really excited and I think that I was just really caught up with the hype of their new album and spent a bit too much time online.

12/13/2015
Avatar for Maria Helena Capoani
Maria Helena Capoani • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I have had always the same dream for years. The people are never the same.
"I'm sleeping and then,suddenly, I wake up and there is a person (usually a man who I have never seen before) standing by my bed side. I scream

12/15/2015
Avatar for Zack Benton
Zack Benton • COMPLETED LESSON

I don't remember my dreams unless they are really wierd. So often I remember the ones that make my regular day twisted, and I wake up thinking it is a day later than it is, because I had a weird dream. One of these, for example, said I had gone to New Zealand for the day and snowboarded off a 100 foot cliff. This meant that day I was going to be really brave.

12/15/2015
Avatar for Sara Seg.
Sara Seg. • COMPLETED LESSON

I used to dream that I lost my shoes. I took them off to safe of a danger, after I looked for them desperately. That dream has a meaning and now I can understand it because I know the meaning.

12/16/2015
Avatar for WooJin Jun
WooJin Jun • Bundang(Close to Seoul), South Korea • COMPLETED LESSON

Before two weeks,I guess,I dreamed about earthquake.Many people got hurt by earthquake.I survived from earthquake with some people.It was super-fun !!

12/25/2015
Avatar for eli hammond
eli hammond • LESSON IN PROGRESS

i had a dream i was spider man

01/06/2016
Avatar for Carlos Balcázar Wong
Carlos Balcázar Wong • COMPLETED LESSON

Many times i have had dreams about a dangerous situation. I was stand on a beach, but then i realized that the weather was bad and the water was very close to me. In addition, when i saw behind me, i found a big tall wall of stone. Then the waves started to rise and i got trapped between the water and the stone wall. The water wet me and rose until my knees, then i started to feel anxious. Finally the water cover me and at that point i always wake up. This dreams comes to me every time that i feel pressure because of the work or any difficult situation. When i have these dream, i know that i have to relax myself to think better and proceed with my life in a better way.

03/22/2016
Avatar for Daniel Islas Hinojosa
Daniel Islas Hinojosa • LESSON IN PROGRESS

One phrase that I think is very important is that "we dream to remember". When we are wake up or when we are aware and something is interesting for us during the day, we remember that in our dream because our unconscious remember day. Is necessary dream for put on proof that we sleep because sometimes we feel that we didn´t sleep. There are a lot of theories about why do we dream although I think the most important is that we rest

04/14/2016
Avatar for 21610793 박윤지
21610793 박윤지 • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Sometimes, I had a dream that I fell off tree or building. In my country, it is the grow of heigh.

04/26/2016
Avatar for Tatyana Kushch
Tatyana Kushch • COMPLETED LESSON

I like to fly in dreams. The first time it happened after my first plane flight. Later I flew quite often. It was very interesting experience, I started to understand how can I fly above and low, on the left, on the right. It is a filling of a freedom.

05/06/2016
Avatar for Alyssa Sarmietno
Alyssa Sarmietno • COMPLETED LESSON

A dream that I specifically remembered was about me getting lost in a parking lot. It was strange because I just some how ended up there, with no clue where I was or my family/friends. What was really weird was the next day because I was in the same parking lot that I had dreamt about, or at least it seemed that way. And I almost lost my family because I was falling behind, but I made sure to catch up real quick so I wouldn't lose them.

06/16/2016
Avatar for Ruvisela Uribe
Ruvisela Uribe • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I had a dream that I didn't wake up early enough for school and I missed my exam.

06/22/2016
Avatar for Maria Alejandra
Maria Alejandra • COMPLETED LESSON

Many times I have dreamed with places that in the dreams are so common for me but in the real life I have never saw.
Definitively I thing that dreams are a kind of representation of our feelings and thoughts during the day or some that have been so remarkable for us.

06/22/2016
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Roy Toledo • Rmat Ha Sharon, Israel • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Can I get a link to the maze research.
Thanks!

08/17/2016
Avatar for Carolina Porras
Carolina Porras • COMPLETED LESSON

I dreamt that I was on a big ship with some of my classmates and teachers and best friends of the middle school. It was our graduation party. The ship started to sink and I saw all the water gotten in the rooms. My three best friends and I ran to another room and locked the door for stop the water but in that action I saw how everyone was dying. I was so scared and very sad. Lter, we saw a red button in the room who had written above "Goodbyes" and we press it. We travel back in time to our own families and we couldn't say were we were or what was happening but we take that strange opportunity to say our goodbyes to our loved ones. Then we return to the ship and keep crying. Just a few minutes later for one reason I felt some capsules on my pocket. They were sleep pills. We drink them and scared and crying we hug and lay down on the floor and we tried to sleep unitl finally did it. Then the ship touched the bottom of the ocean and our room fulled of water. Then a yellow flower came out

08/25/2016
Avatar for Sina Kim
Sina Kim • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I had a dream about being alone in very, very old train. Before entering the train, a woman said "You can go out if you find the right door. You had committed a crime and this is your penalty.", so I got in. I couldn't find the right door, it was endless... There was a room in fire, a room with loads of trash, a room with nothing in there, a room at the floor, a room at the ceiling, but there was no door to outside. I panicked, and I wanted to see my family. I found a old phone with instructions. It said: "You can call only 3 times with each 3 minutes." I grabbed it, even though I was sure that the woman blocked all communication network at the train. I looked at the window. It was running over and over around old and yellowish apartment. I dialed my mom's phone number, and my sister answered the phone, joyful. After that, my mom answered it, and I wished I hadn't committed a crime. I wanted to get out. But then, I thought, "It's a dream! It can't be real!" At that moment, I was awake.

09/09/2016
Avatar for İlayda Kaya
İlayda Kaya • COMPLETED LESSON

In my dream, I see my mom dead, lying on her bed.It was one of the dreams that I cried after I woke up.Without thinking even a second I ran to my mom's room and told her that I had a bad dream about her, I was crying.She hugged me and told me that it was just a nightmare and she was always there for me.

10/09/2016
Avatar for 이 승찬
이 승찬 • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I dreamed hiking a snowy mountain.

10/09/2016
Avatar for Sina Kim
Sina Kim • LESSON IN PROGRESS

That would've been scary...

10/09/2016 • 
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Avatar for Sina Kim
Sina Kim • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I went to my aunt's house. At the door, there were tons of shoes, so I slipped. My aunt appeared, walking with four legs, growling, like a monster, and stared at me. No one told I was safe if my mom appeared, but I kept waiting for my mom. I wanted to go outside, but if I do, I keep returning to that house. My aunt tried to ki*l me, and I was very scared. As soon as my aunt pounced on me, I grabbed the nearest table and threw on her. Strangely, her fingers choped. But there was no blood, the fingers looked like sausage. She yowled with pain, and tried to pounce on me again. I went upstairs, but the house was rumbling. I locked the door in the room, and I put a chair to block the door even though it breaks. I looked at the window. It was midnight, with bright, yellow full moon. I wasn't scared then. My aunt kept growling outside and I felt strangely safe. I was sure that my mom would come. I was sure that my mom would relax her....
But in reality, my aunt is really nice.

10/09/2016
Avatar for raahim memon
raahim memon • COMPLETED LESSON

One night ,after I played Fifa 17 UT , I dreamt about getting all the best players in my squad like Ronaldo ,Messi and so forth, getting 193 overall.

10/22/2016
Avatar for 오 민서
오 민서 • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Dreaming to remember is the most likely theory I choose. I often had a dream which was horrible when I was in elementary school. There was a flytrap or a humongous monster who took my mom away from me and I was left alone in the dark. Whenever I dreamt this dream, I ran to my parent's room crying. I never thought that this dream could mean something. However, now that I think of the purpose of the dream, it was actually giving me a lesson. A lesson to always be thankful for your family and love them with care.

11/19/2016
Avatar for kim jisoo
kim jisoo • LESSON IN PROGRESS

When I saw a chronicles of narnia, I was impressed in the scene that a girl entered the closet. That night, I dreamed about I entered the closet like her. Suddenly, one hand dragged me into the closet. There is a lot of room and door. Inside, people are all stand up and their hair was so weird. like ghost. That exactly date is maybe in 2005. because that movie released in 2005. so I can't remember well. but this dream is so weird. Since that time, I haven't dreamed. I want to dream all day...

11/19/2016
Avatar for seunga cha
seunga cha • LESSON IN PROGRESS

We dream to rememer. When i prepared for the midterm exam in high school, i was so nervous. Because it was the first exam after being a high school student. One day, I studied French really hard all day long. Amazingly, the dialog from the French textbook came out in my dream, and i was a main character of the dialog. Such an experience was first of me. The most amazing one is that the dialog which came out in my dream has been remained in my dream until now. But at that time, I just thought that I was just a tired student. But After seeing this video, now, I can understand the reason of those phenomenon caused.

11/20/2016
Avatar for Kyungeun Jeong
Kyungeun Jeong • LESSON IN PROGRESS

When I was in elementary school, I dreamed about loosing my family. We went on a trip to other country. While I was looking a street magician, my family had gone. Everything happened as quickly as the bat of an eye. Therefore I couldn't find them. Before I found my family, I woke up. I cried a lot lying lonely. At first, I didn't think that dream gives any message to us. But after I watched this clip, things have been changed. That dream told me about the importance of my family who are always beside me. So from now on, when I dreamed about special scenes, I would try to find the message that dream want to give me.

11/20/2016
Avatar for 혜지 육
혜지 육 • LESSON IN PROGRESS

We dream to rehearse. We dreams a lot about dangerous situations. We sometimes call it "night mare". But it's not a nightmare. It's the real purpose of dreaming. In reality, we can imagine the bad situations but it's not vivid. But in dreams, we feels it's real. We sometines sweat or feel pain after we wake up. So I think dream is the best way to rehearse the dangerous situations vividly. For me, I dreamed of one man kept following me. He kept following me and I had to ride an elevator only with him. At that time, in dreams, I went out as I forget to bring something to the secretary. So I went there. In real, I once had the similar situation. And I acted as I did in that dream. So I could handle it naturally. If I didn't dream , I couldn't have done nothing but I rehearsed in my dream, so I could overcome that situation. So we dream to rehearse and then we can treat that situation smoothly because in our conscience, we think we had experienced it. So we can solve problems proficiently.

11/20/2016
Avatar for Sina Kim
Sina Kim • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think you can be right.

11/20/2016 • 
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Avatar for 김채연CheYeonKim 1204
김채연CheYeonKim 1204 • LESSON IN PROGRESS

The most memorable dream that I have ever had is definitely one that I had recently. A few months ago, I dreamed that I was a senior in high school. I had received a letter from Seoul National University informing me that I had been accepted. In the dream, I was ecstatic beyond measures, and when I woke up, I was still very happy and was in a good mood for the rest of the day. I think this dream relates to the theory that suggests we dream to fulfill our wishes. I had had that dream a few days before the final exams when I was feeling extremely stressed and burned out from all the material that I had to study. I think, in my subconsciousness I wanted to fast forward to the part where I was accepted to prestigious universities. Even now, this dream is definitely the best I have ever had in my entire life, and it gave me a feeling that is incomparable to anything that I have felt. It also gave me motivation to keep on studying when I felt like there was no end to the exams and tests.

11/21/2016
Avatar for Hye Won Lee
Hye Won Lee • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I think we dream about the wish. In my experience, I dreamed about my future job. And that time, I was tired to decide my future job. In that dream, my son(maybe) and I ride a Timemachine and we visit my future home and meet me of the future. So I think we dream because we have a wish.

11/21/2016
Avatar for Hannah Song
Hannah Song • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I truly believe that dream represents the state of your mind. Usually I don't dream so often. Rarely do I have some sweet dreams. However, when there are so many things going over my mind, I dream some unusual dreams which even have me more stressed out. They are different from a nightmares. In those dreams, all the situations are making me burnt out and exhausted. For instance, once I was left on the top of the volcano that looks like it's going to erupt in a second. Or I was being humiliated in front of the huge crowd. After I have these dreams, I am even more frustrated and feel much worse. For me, my dreams are unwelcomed guests.

11/21/2016
Avatar for Annie Kang
Annie Kang • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Before I share my dream, I think that my dreaming is unique. First, I never had a day without dreaming, and most surprising thing is that I sometimes recognize myself while I dream. So, I do have too many dreams to share with you. There isn't any same theory with my idea, but I think 'Fulfilling our wishes' theory is the most similar. My own idea, theory is 'Experience our own world with memories in our brain'. Maybe it was in summer, I dreamed a dream about a swimming pool. It was not an ordinary swimming pool such as Caribbean Bay or Ocean World, it was one of my memory pieces. I don't know where was there, but I can remember very faintly. But that wasn't the end. I also could create some rides on my own. It was really marvelous experience because I enjoyed my dream like that with my clear consciousness. I still dream like this way, but it's so pitiful that I can't sleep a lot because of the school. It prevents from recognizing my dream.

11/21/2016
Avatar for Joohee Shim
Joohee Shim • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Actually, I don't dream that much. So I want to share about my latest dream. I went to a subway station, It was 'Hongdae'. But it was not the station that I knew. It was extraordinary. The walls were red and it was covered with big and small rounded mirrors. I was on the way to meet my friend. In my real life, I haven't seen him for a long time and I was very pleased to meet him. I was looking at the mirror, grooming myself. Then, I woke up, very depressed. I thought it was my real life. I think this dream reflects my hope to meet him! But I still have some questions about my dream, like 'Why is the wall red' or 'Why there were so many mirrors on the wall?'. Wouldn't it be a 'something' that reflects my another mind?

11/21/2016
Avatar for Lee Min jeong
Lee Min jeong • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I dreamed the best memorable dream when I was 8 years old. I can remember this because the dream was shocking at that time. The dream was abour falling down on cliffs. In the dream I wad in my dad's car and at a sudden car falls down to cliff. So O was too afraid of cliffs until now. I think that time, I had some worries about small things .So that dream could be dreamed.

11/21/2016
Avatar for Choi soyoung
Choi soyoung • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I've read an interesting theory that the contents of dream are memorable memories in our mind or something that we thought before even a short time. I remembered that I dreamed that I fell down on the cliff. At that time, I'm so surprised and I woke up with big movement. Also in our country, falling down from somewhere like sky or cliff means that we can be a taller.

11/22/2016
Avatar for 지욱 장
지욱 장 • COMPLETED LESSON

When I was young, I dreamed about Yi Soon Shin General. In dreams, Yi Soon sin General died. So sad.

01/10/2017
Avatar for Sina Kim
Sina Kim • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Really? What did he look like?

01/13/2017 • 
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Avatar for Park Seo Yeon
Park Seo Yeon • LESSON IN PROGRESS

The reason why people dream doesn't reveal yet. I wonder why I dream when I sleep. I hope the reason of dream get to reveal soon. From now, I am going to tell about the most memorable dream that I had. Often I had dreams that make me very scary. It is a nigtmare. I kidnapped to some stranger man. And I cried and tried to contact with my family. However the stranger kept me from calling to my parets. When stranger tried to do something to me, I always wake up from my sleeping. Sometimes I feel it is so lucky that it is dream not a reality. But sometimes I am curious about the next story. This dream had repeated more than one time, but I had never dreamed of the next story. If I have a ability to control and make my dream, I really want to find the next story of this dream.

02/20/2017
Avatar for Thaisa Xavier
Thaisa Xavier • COMPLETED LESSON

I am an athlete, I do long jump and one before a big competition I had a dream that I had jumped 6m13 and everything seemed so real, even though I know I was dreaming. I though it would be something like a vision of what could happen on the next day. But it was only a dream, because I had a bad result. It made me sad because I went to the competition thinking it would be a great day, but it wasnt.

04/16/2017
Avatar for Ean Goodwin
Ean Goodwin • LESSON IN PROGRESS

why do some people remember dreams and other don't?

05/05/2017
Avatar for Hoàng Lê
Hoàng Lê • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I like to be a writer in the future. It's amazing that I have a lot of lucid dreams at night! I can create my own story with many different charaters and interesting scenes. Sorry for my English, I'm learning it :D

07/12/2017
Avatar for Quetzaly Santana Reyes
Quetzaly Santana Reyes • COMPLETED LESSON

because in fact I dream of the sport that I practice that is taekwondo and what I dreamed was that it improved my techniques of combat and I believe that if it served because when I went to practice remembered better what I had to do and I left much better my kicks and combat defense.

10/21/2017
Avatar for Rubi Esmeralda Ramirez
Rubi Esmeralda Ramirez • COMPLETED LESSON

My mom hasn't bought ketchtup for a month and I really love putting ketchup on my food.
Just yesterday I dreamed that we had ketchup in the refrigerator and I put a lot of ketchup in my food. So I believe in the theory that dreams show your desires.

12/08/2017
Avatar for elisabeth carmona
elisabeth carmona • COMPLETED LESSON

many times I remember a dream where I was with my friends in Malibu and we were at the party.

01/19/2018
Avatar for Brooke Schmidt
Brooke Schmidt • COMPLETED LESSON

I once dreamed that I had hidden boxes, keepsake boxes in this house that my mom left behind. I had put them in a part of a room that I thought nobody knew about, but the dream always goes where I cannot find the boxes because they are no longer there. I think this dream is because I have lost so much through the years that meant a lot to me, including the people. It hurts no less today than it ever did.

03/12/2018
Avatar for Robin Um
Robin Um • COMPLETED LESSON

I am not sure if the dream I am going to talk about had a purpose, but as the reason that came out was pretty interesting, I will just write about it. I don't think I am not the only one who experienced this. When I was very obsessed with K-pop idols, I wasted my whole day watching their videos. So in other word, the only thought my conciousness processed was idols. The sensory imput was occupied with EXO. At that night, I dreamed them. As a person who thinks that dream just comes from my conciousness or my thoughts, I could be sure about my opinion. I constantly thought about EXO, so they were carved on my conciousness, and ta-da! It appeared as a dream.

09/08/2018
Avatar for Landon Albright
Landon Albright • COMPLETED LESSON

Every time my mom gets a rental car I have a re occurring "nightmare". This dream consisted of me sleeping at my old preschool and my mom dropping me off. When she dropped me off she went back to her rental car and as I watched her she fell-- with her rental car-- into a giant ditch. I don't know how but then I get out of the school and I would go to the ditch as she crawled out of the ditch on a rope.

10/12/2018
Avatar for Nathaniel Lowe
Nathaniel Lowe • COMPLETED LESSON

Lately I've been playing a lot of minesweeper and I've been struggling to get that victory royale on expert mode. One night I was playing before bed, failed to get the dub, went to bed, and then had a dream about playing minesweeper. It was pretty cool because I could see all these combinations running through my head in this wild incoherent manner.

10/12/2018
Avatar for Sierra Mendoza
Sierra Mendoza • COMPLETED LESSON

A memorable dream that i’ve had was about travelling places to see people, sea life, and watch concerts. It was all kind of in a flash, but I remember getting to see famous artists I have wanted to meet, as well as seeing my family (who live in another state). I believe that this is a good example of Freud’s theory, my dreams filled my desires to see the things I love, but cannot see.

10/12/2018
Avatar for Mark McCurdy
Mark McCurdy • COMPLETED LESSON

One day I had a dream where my dad, brother and I went camping in the woods at a big car camping area. We had been there for I don't know how much time but it was still late afternoon. All of a sudden while we were sitting in our camping spot a guy runs out of nowhere screaming "THE BEARS ARE COMING!" Following him are tons and tons of bears. As we run there are no bears going after us but as we ran onto an open field there was a huge bear that had to be 2 or 3 stories tall. Then my brother started running at the bear and he picked him up and threw him in the ground. I think that this dream was meant to keep my brain working for a time that I may be in danger.

10/12/2018
Avatar for Dallin Gull
Dallin Gull • COMPLETED LESSON

I once had a dream when i was young that i was getting a tour of some factory with my dad. We were looking into this muddy liquid that had a whirlpool in the center that was stirring it when i fell in. I reached out for my dad and called him for help. He reached out his hand to try and save me but couldn't get to me. He then jumped in, grabbed me and threw me up and onto the grate that the walkway was made out of but in doing so he couldn't save himself and he disappeared into the whirlpool with me reaching out my hand to try and save him. It then went into a movie camera type of thing where i watched dads all around the world disappear. Maybe this dream meant that i felt that my dad was not in my life enough.

10/17/2018
Avatar for Nakiah Blackstock
Nakiah Blackstock • COMPLETED LESSON

I dreamed I was running through a field of yellow flowers from 3 wolves, I couldn’t out run them nor could they catch me.

10/22/2018
Avatar for Ashleigh Smithey
Ashleigh Smithey • COMPLETED LESSON

Many times I have dreamt that I was standing in my front yard, and then I would start running. I ran and then took off into the air and started flying. I used to have this dream all the time as a kid and I've read that flying symbolizes freedom from something or reaching a goal.

10/22/2018
Avatar for Jenipher Fortin
Jenipher Fortin • COMPLETED LESSON

I had a dream that I was living in my dream college. I believe that the purpose it served is that I experienced my hope and future goals.

10/22/2018
Avatar for Jackson Lemons
Jackson Lemons • COMPLETED LESSON

I had a dream I got attacked by Clowns. I think it was a sign to figuratively tell me I am afraid of them.

10/29/2018
Avatar for park subin
park subin • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I had a dream that I work as nurse in my dream hospital. I believe that the purpose it served is that I experienced my hope and future goals.

11/11/2018
Avatar for Emma McBeath
Emma McBeath • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I dream with the recently departed sometimes. it helps a lot.

11/30/2018
Avatar for Milagros Valdez
Milagros Valdez • COMPLETED LESSON

I had a dream of a wonderful candy world, which included a giant chocolate milk river. I floated on a marshmallow . I remember this dream vividly. It occurred when I was 8 after watching Baby Looney Tunes.

01/28/2019
Avatar for Livij Akis
Livij Akis • COMPLETED LESSON

Once I dreamed with me and my family in it. We went to the Disneyland and then zombies apocalypse started. I don't remember it well but it was fun, they abducted my dad.

02/24/2019
Avatar for reeve silianoff
reeve silianoff • COMPLETED LESSON

I once had a dream that I was at a weird haunted house with a bunch of random people from my school. I realized that that is what adolescence is. Being in weird places with weird people, trying to find some purpose in life.

03/06/2019
Avatar for Marc Colaizzi
Marc Colaizzi • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I had the worst nightmare of my life when I was in Bali, and I have never had a dream that felt so real and strange. All I can say from that I think dreams are very spiritual.

03/07/2019
Avatar for migrating coconut
migrating coconut • COMPLETED LESSON

I had a dream where I was running through a very tight quartered, medieval style, town. It was dirty and very claustrophobic, but it had to end, so I kept running. I finally reached the edge of town to find a large trench, then I started to hear murmuring about not going into the trench because it was dangerous. What choice did I have? I wasn't going to go back into that horrible town, so I stepped into the trench and eleven menacing looking spears shot at me and right before they hit I woke up. I'm not sure about the symbolism of it, but I'm pretty sure it's reflecting the need for space I have as well as the fear of a cost for said space.

03/07/2019
Avatar for remy eichner
remy eichner • COMPLETED LESSON

I have a weird anxiety related sleep disorder where I am very aware of what I am doing and I have realistic hallucinations. Mostly its me thinking my friends are in my room so I clean my room and put clothing on. Or my soccer team playing in my room and making me feel guilty for sleeping. It is so weird and it feels so real. I remember everything I do vividly and it does not feel like sleep walking. it happens when theres something I'm really anxious about. I have walked out of 3 hotel rooms and get locked out! It's mostly when my room is messy so maybe it's my brain making me clean my room haha.

03/07/2019
Avatar for Brynne Petty
Brynne Petty • COMPLETED LESSON

Once I had a dream that I was in my AP Enviro class. I don't remember the lead up to it, but I remember that I was sitting at my seat and my teacher was up at the board talking about what we were supposed to do for that days class. She mentioned something about the homework, and my friend asked me if I had done it. I realized that I hadn't, and started running around the school in frantic search of my homework (which is ironic because it was supposed to be turned in online). I suddenly jerked awake from my dream at 4am, and I realized that I did, in fact, not do my homework for AP Enviro, and proceeded to complete it at 4 in the morning. The purpose of this dream was to remind me that I had an assignment due, which is very helpful because I would've been screwed if I didn't. I hadn't had a dream like that before and I haven't had once since, so I don't think it will be a regular thing.

03/07/2019
Avatar for bella shaw
bella shaw • COMPLETED LESSON

One time I had a dream at Disneyland where I was on a ride with my neighbor that started falling apart, but I wasn't worried because she told me that it was part of the ride. I had a lot of control in this dream about where I went and what I was wearing as well. I think I believed my neighbor because she goes to Disneyland often and I often doubt my own thoughts and concern for someone that I believe is more credible than I am. I believe this dynamic was perpetrated in my dream. I also think I had a lot of control in this dream because I was very centered and focused at this time in my life and I was very centered and in control in my dream.

03/07/2019
Avatar for Nicholas Gardner
Nicholas Gardner • COMPLETED LESSON

I had a dream this morning that I remembered quite vividly when I woke up... I let it out of my memory: I wanted it out, and time passed. It was... unsettling, not horrific but unsettling. I didn't like the dream.

I MUST be close to "it", I must be on the cutting edge of my life, there is too much for this not to be so : I cannot abandon. (none of us can). I brutalized some vaping idiots in the parking lot because there is too much misery to be vaping, to suppose surrender by such a superflous and miserable thing; they said in a humorous yet pathetic and insecure apathy "ooo don't judge me for vaping my life away"... there is too much poverty for you to... abandon. This dream was quite murky, lazy, fantastic, was left behind. I didn't like that. I woke up feeling alone, left behind by the NECCESSITIES that had ran ahead. The necessities. The absolute necessities.

Whatever. Just an observation. was probably bad and nonsensical

03/07/2019
Avatar for Jonas Peterson
Jonas Peterson • COMPLETED LESSON

I had a dream once where I on top of a lone skyscraper in the middle of the ocean and I was standing on the edge of the building and I somehow fell off. I felt paralyzed on my way down until I was about to hit the water and then I woke up. I have no idea of the purpose or significance the dream.

03/07/2019
Avatar for greta n-b
greta n-b • COMPLETED LESSON

I had a dream where my parents got dinosaur heads and chased me around my backyard.

03/07/2019
Avatar for brenny gomez
brenny gomez • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I can never remember my dreams I only remember them when I was in a dangerous situation. A common one is that I'm being chased.

03/14/2019
Avatar for Johanna Aguilar
Johanna Aguilar • COMPLETED LESSON

I have dream several times that I am floating in the air. That dream makes me really happy. When I wake up I am feel different, like to win the lottery.

03/17/2019
Avatar for Olga Aurora Hernandez De La Torre
Olga Aurora Hernandez De La Torre • COMPLETED LESSON

I dream that I fall down but I feel it so real

02/04/2020
Avatar for vania sofia chacon paredes
vania sofia chacon paredes • COMPLETED LESSON

I don’t know why I remember but when I was like 6 years old I used to have this dream a lot and I am going to tell it
First I was in a truck with my aunt, dad, grandpa and me and when we were arriving somewhere big holes started to appear and I fell and I was in a witch’s casuerol

02/04/2020
Avatar for Grace Gollan
Grace Gollan • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I had a dream were my mum divorced my dad and married my principal, it was really scary

02/18/2020
Avatar for s g
s g • LESSON IN PROGRESS

The dream that I had was somewhat a nightmare, yet I remember it so clearly. I was at my grandmother's house (where I used to live) and I had to hide in the house and lock all the doors, close the lights, and close the curtains within a certain period of time to protect my family. If I didn't lock down the house and strategically hide in the time given (and here's the funny part--there was no time) then bad people would break in and try to find me and kill me as well as my family. My mind always played tricks and while I was running, I would slowly stop moving, like a lag. It would be hard to move, or I would get lost in a room I never seen before and I would have to get out, before the house gets broken into. For some reason, I sometimes found it fun to run through obstacles and try to close as much things as possible in a certain period of time; it was like a video game. I die, then I re-live the dream again but different obstacles.

05/15/2020
Avatar for s g
s g • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I remember that in one dream I had when I finished watching Stranger Things season three, it was in the middle of the night and for some reason, my house was swallowed in darkness and there was a lightning storm going on all around my house (think about a regular lightning storm but times 100) and I was the only one in the house. when I went downstairs, I saw lights coming through the window like someone or something was looking for me. When I looked outside, I saw the monster from stranger thing (The Mind Flare) and it was looking through all the windows making ticking noises.(It was big) When I started to go around the house to close al the curtains, Gravity changed to different sides over and over again, making it harder to stay hidden. When I finally got all the curtains drawn and I got into a safe hidden spot, I saw an old man run to the back door and show himself. the monster outside shot towards him and two Demogorgon's jumped from the Mind Flair and started to eat the old man.

05/15/2020
Avatar for Keishawn Dhillon
Keishawn Dhillon • COMPLETED LESSON

I don’t remember my dreams but I do tend to day dream and whenever I day dream it’s usually about some fun times me and my friends have later on on life.

05/15/2020
Avatar for Ezra Dombowsky
Ezra Dombowsky • COMPLETED LESSON

I had a dream where a bear was chasing my family through our campsite and the bear grabbed me and it put me in its mouth and I woke up (this is the very UN-detailed version of the dream) I think the bear was representing some fear I had been feeling

05/17/2020
Avatar for Natnael Worku
Natnael Worku • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I had a dream when i falled of my roof of my house

05/18/2020
Avatar for Titus Bessey
Titus Bessey • COMPLETED LESSON

I dreamed that all of my family was abducted,and I was left alone. It taught me to be more wary around strangers.

05/19/2020
Avatar for Maria Guichay
Maria Guichay • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I had a dream I was playing with my dog. But my dog died two years ago. It was a nice dream

06/03/2020
Avatar for anna carman
anna carman • LESSON IN PROGRESS

A memorable dream of mine was based off of a show called The 100. It's a fictional sc-fi/survival show that has 7 seasons in total and season 7 just came out and I really enjoy it. My dream included some of the characters which conveyed a certain feeling of mine that I experienced during the day before I went to sleep.We were in a forest and I wasn't sure on where we were going, but they kept telling me to follow them and so I did. I didn't last as long as I would've liked it to and I wonder why that is.

06/09/2020
Avatar for Mike Rivas
Mike Rivas • COMPLETED LESSON

I have dreamed a lot that I travel to other countries, this has helped me keep my dream of traveling around the world alive.

06/12/2020
Avatar for Sumedh Mahangade
Sumedh Mahangade • COMPLETED LESSON

I dreamt that I was on the bus going to school just like any other average day.Thats when the bus driver lost conciseness and let go of the wheel.The older kids in the back started to take control of the wheel, but it was of no use.When everybody looked on their right, they could see the bus tilting toward an ocean.Thats when the wheel tilted fully, and the bus collapsed into the ocean.At this point, everybody was screaming their lungs out.I, on the other hand, concentrated on a large shadow submerged in the water.It was moving slowly but steadily right at us.I bought everybody’s attention towards the black body, and we all stood silent.Thats when a younger kid realized that it was a huge shark!”MEGLADON,” a kid shouted.We all frantically hid under our seats, and after a while, the bus lost its light.A kid whispered that the shark had probably left, and we should probably swim up shore.Everybody agreed on that idea.We all got out of the bus and started floating up.That’s when it ended.

06/18/2020
Avatar for Sarah Tellez
Sarah Tellez • COMPLETED LESSON

One of the last dreams that I had was on my Economy class. I remember that we were looking for the GDP of different countries around the world and we were doing some statistics. This dream reminded me that by the next day I had to read about finances and monetary policy.
In this case, Dreams allow us to remember things that we think we have completely forgotten and also make us forget those who aren't relevant in our life and take up space in our brain. That's why dreams are so important to keep our brain working while we are sleep, so that it doesn't completely disconnect.

09/28/2020
Avatar for Emily Steel
Emily Steel • COMPLETED LESSON

I often have dreams about different people that I know but haven't spoken to before, or people that I haven't spoken to in a long time. I always think maybe it's just me missing them, or them missing me, or even my brain telling me to make new friends and talk to new people. I find that a really interesting concept.

10/15/2020
Avatar for Maahi Shah
Maahi Shah • LESSON IN PROGRESS

Some dreams seem like they're repeating. I'm not sure if they are. It just feels like- maybe they were all in on the night, maybe many. One of them is where my mom and I go outside our house to find a mini Santa Claus. Weird right? I don't think I really understand the purpose of it...

11/07/2020
Avatar for Mi Pal
Mi Pal • COMPLETED LESSON

I dreamed of being in class, besides me, my teacher and others, there was also another being there. It wasn't visible, I rather felt it. For a moment, I kind of let it steer my body, and then it showed me how to convert mental arousal into physical arousal and vice versa. Even though it was a long time ago, I can still use this ability while awake.

11/28/2020
Avatar for Aine Ballantine
Aine Ballantine • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I had a dream that I lived in my hairbrush and one night I got hungry so i went to the conditioner and drowned.

01/27/2021
Avatar for emery padooli
emery padooli • LESSON IN PROGRESS

the other night, I had a dream that I had a big face-off with a lemon, and it nearly killed me! there were plastic babies shooting out of its mouth and they were all crying and screaming, then I got a message from Asa Butterfield with a bagel emoji and we facetimed and cried all morning whilst I was hiding from the lemon monster. Billie Eilish then came to save me and we then we killed the lemon monster by singing at it and it went away, we then adopted all 200 babies and raised them on a farm before eating them all grown up. my therapist told me it was because my confidence was low and I need to get into a relationship soon. that was interesting but it made sense. anyway, I'm off to the ER now. <3

01/27/2021
Avatar for ROSALINDA TORRES
ROSALINDA TORRES • COMPLETED LESSON

i had a dream that my gf mom an me were getting along so well but really she hates me so much

01/29/2021
Avatar for Amelia Livingston
Amelia Livingston • COMPLETED LESSON

A few years back, I had a dream that I was in a technologically advanced society where I was given unlimited laptops, iPhones, iPads, etc... It felt like I was in a modern version of the Jetsons. I would take high-speed electric trains to places and the buildings around me were super modern. When I woke up to find out it wasn't real, I was super disappointed and realized how prevalent technology is in my life and how much I value it.

03/19/2021
Avatar for supmandude supmandude
supmandude supmandude • LESSON IN PROGRESS

some people don't remember their dreams but everybody dreams if you want to remember your dreams you can do what I do and keep a dream journal. to start a dream journal just get a notebook and when you wake up write down your dream (do this as the absolute first thing in the morning) if you can't remember your dream then write down what you were thinking about when you fell asleep. you also might want to check out lucid dreaming.

03/25/2021 • 
IN RESPONSE TO Eric Cipriano Show the comment
Avatar for Joao Leonardo
Joao Leonardo • LESSON IN PROGRESS

I have had a recurring nigthmare for the past 2 years. In this nigthmare I alweys see people who I care and dangerous situations like mortal games or playing with guns and knives, sometimes we are in haunted house or in familiar places like my house, surrounded by evil spirts or some slayer. Maybe it is my primitive instinc of fight or flight, because, normally I try to help and save them. However is not so bad as it seems, I actually like this nightmare, it is emotional and funny to think about it after I wake up.

05/13/2021

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