AngelicLights
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Posts: 15
(1/18/03 3:56 am)
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Frequently asked questions
What is the average amount of dreams a person usually has in one night?
The average person has about 3 to 5 dreams per night, but some may have up to 7 dreams in one night. The dreams tend to last longer as the night progresses. During a full 8-hour night sleep, two hours of it is spent dreaming.
Please tell me is it unusual for an individual to have multiple dreams during the course of one night's sleep? Is this normal? I normally dream two or three dreams in one night.
It is not at all unusual for a person to have more than one dream per night. In fact, it is perfectly normal! The trick is remembering all your dreams. Some people have trouble remembering one single dream, let alone multiple dreams.
Does a person dream all night? If not, when do they?
No, a person does not spend the entire night dreaming. A person spends about two hours in the dream state per night. A person moves through the four stages of the sleep cycle throughout the night. In the final stage of the sleep cycle (referred to as REM sleep) is where dreaming occurs. Each cycle of sleep lasts anywhere from 60-90 minutes and then will repeat itself throughout the night.
Would you please tell me why people do not dream?
Everybody dreams! Everybody! That is a scientifically proven fact. However, some people cannot remember any of their dreams and thus they come to believe that they just don't dream at all which is an incorrect assumption. So why is it that some people can never remember their dream? This may be attributed to alcohol consumption, certain antibiotics, fever, lack of sleep, high levels of stress, and/or unconscious fears about the content of your dreams. Some researchers believe that certain people have a genetic disposition to forget their dreams as they come out of their sleep.
Do children's dreams mean the same as adults? If not what is the difference?
Dreams often reflect our experiences and life concerns. For this reason, children's dreams are different then the dreams of adults. The dreams of young children (3-5 year olds) usually have no real story line or any strong emotional content. Children around this age also frequently experience nightmares relating to their fears (strangers, monsters, loud noises, etc.) By the time children reaches their teen years, their dream patterns are matched closer to that of adults.
Is it true that some dreams can predict the future?
I am not sure if dream can predict the future, but many people have had dreams that eventually came true afterwards. I find that dreams that seemingly predict the future are more vivid and tends to stay fresh in your mind long after you have woken up. Research has been done on this topic and nobody has come up with a satisfactory reason as to why or how this happens. One hypothesis is that somehow you have unconsciously gathered little tidbits of information here and there. The dream just puts together all this unconscious information before you you are aware of it. So unconsciously, you already knew what was going to happen and it just seems like the dream had predicted the future. Generally, dreams of this type of difficult to study in a research setting. Such dreams may be seen as coincidence or faulty memory of your dream.
Why do you think that we have dreams?
This is still an unresolved topic amongst researchers as to the reason we have dreams. One theory suggests that dreams serve as a means for cleansing and release. During the day, we may hold back our feelings and repress our anger. Thus dreams serve as a safe outlet for us to release our negative emotions. Another theory says that dreams is a biologically necessary aspect of sleep. Research has shown that people who were prevented from entering the dream state and woken up before they can dream were more easily irritated, jittery, and performed far below average. I believe these are two theories summarize why we dream.
What causes or why do some dreams keep repeating themselves?
Dreams that recur (or repeat themselves) is a clear indication that some issue is not being confronted or that it has not yet been resolved. Your anxieties about a certain situation that you are struggling with may also cause you to have recurring dreams.
Do we dream in black and white or color, or does it mean anything if we dream one way or the other?
Most people do dream in color, but some may not notice colors in their dreams. Because color is such a natural part of our visual experience, we sometimes overlook colors in our dreams. Another reason may have to do with how our dreams fades so quickly from our memory upon waking that when we may be able to recall the dream in shades of gray. However, the dreams that are in black and white can be an indication of a depressed or sadden mood.
How can our daily activities effect our dreams?
Whenever you suppress your feelings throughout the day, it has a very good chance of showing up in your dream. For example, if you wanted to express your anger toward someone and then refrain from doing so, then your suppressed anger may show up in your dream in some symbolic form. Traumatic experiences also have a way to affect the content of your dreams.
What's REM sleep? Does it refer to deep sleeping?
Yes, the REM stage of sleep is where you achieve your deepest sleep. It is also the final stage in the sleep cycle. REM which stands for Rapid Eye Movement is so called because in this stage of sleep, your eyes move rapidly back and forth under your eyelids. It is also in REM sleep that you experience all your vivid, and sometimes bizarre dreams.
Is it normal only to remember nightmares and never a good dream?
It is not a question of whether or not it is normal to remember only your nightmares, but why you remember your nightmares as opposed to your other dreams. Nightmares are much easier to remember for several reasons. First nightmares are vivid, frightening, and often jolt you awake. Whenever you are awakened in the REM stage
of sleep, you are much more likely to recall the events of your nightmare. Secondly, nightmares tend to occur in the early morning hours, when you are about to wake up. Remembering your dreams can take some effort on your part and not a question of normality.
I frequently have dreams that something happens like a gun shot, I fall or something that would make me jerk. I really do jerk and usually wake up. What's with that? Like why do I jerk and wake up when something like that happens in my dream?
There is actually a term to describe what you are experiencing in your dream. It is called myclonic
jerks. Many who dream that they are falling sometimes jerk or twitch their legs/arms and end up waking themselves up. There is no concrete reason as to why this happens. One theory is that it is our instinctive response for what the brain perceives as
a potentially dangerous situation. Sometimes dreams are so real that the brain believes that you are really falling or in some sort of danger. And hence the brain sends signals to the body to start "fleeing".
~~*In understanding our dreams, we can better understand and discover our true self.*~~ |
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