WHAT IS DREAMING?

WHAT IS A DREAM?  A dream is images, thoughts or emotions that pass through your mind during sleep  Dreams vary from ordinary to completely bizarre

WHY DO WE DREAM?  Nobody knows why we dream, but there are many theories  1. dreams are a connection to our subconscious  2. dreams are random memories in your mind being put together  3. dreams unclutter the mind, so we are prepared for the day  4. dreams are our brains trying to interpret things that stimulate you while you sleep

SOME STATISTICS  Most people forget 95% of their dreams  People who live the average American lifespan of 78 years, will be dreaming for 4 or 5 of them  Dreams are best remembered during REM

DREAMING AND OUR BRAINS Brain Parts We Use

HIPPOCAMPUS  During REM sleep, we use the Hippocampus to replay memories to be stored.

THALAMUS  Blocks input from the senses so we can focus on our dreams.

HYPOTHALAMUS  Has clusters of neurons that organizes our circadian rhythms and manages chemicals promoting sleep and arousal.

RETINAS  Contains special cells that let us wake up when they sense light.

PINEAL GLAND  Produces melatonin based on our circadian rhythm and darkness.

PONS  Blocks signals to the spinal cord during REM sleep to keep us paralyzed and keep us from acting out our dreams.

DREAMING AND OUR BRAINS Why We Dream

TIME TO ORGANIZE  Sleep gives our brain a chance to organize our thoughts in to our long or short term memories.  Dreams are illogical since when our brain first reads our memories they are not necessarily in any logical order.

TIME TO ORGANIZE Before sleep After sleep

REPRESSED LONGINGS  Theory by Sigmund Freud  Freud lived during the sexually repressed Victorian era

REPRESSED LONGINGS  Our dreams primarily represent repressed sexual desires that we are not allowed to act out while we are awake  Objects in our dreams can symbolize our longings

OTHER THEORIES  Dreaming refreshes and restarts your brain  Random bits of memories and thoughts put together  Way of solving problems creatively

LUCID DREAMING The Clarity and Control of Dreams

DEFINITION  Lucid Dreaming is the act of consciously knowing that we are actively taking part in a dream…  It involves being conscious in your dream world, making everything you see clear…

CHARACTERISTICS  The dream is very clear and comprehensible, almost like you’re living it  You personally understand that you are living a dream and not reality  There is a level of control over what happens in your dream

WHAT LUCID DREAMS ARE ABOUT  They can be about whatever you want them to be about  You can talk to your subconscious and find out what kind of person you are and ask about your dreams and goals  You could speak with a dead relative, an animal, anyone or anything…  One of the most common things that happens involvesflying around while looking at beautiful scenery

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NORMAL AND LUCID DREAMS  Lucid dreams are a lot less random  Instead of resting, the Prefrontal Cortex functions at this time, which is the reason for this kind of control

BENEFITS  Gives you a way to get in touch with your inner self  Could help you study physical things like dancing or gymnastics during sleep This connects neurons while you are sleeping. Some theories actually say that dreams are for storing short term memory into long term memory  Possibly helps healing process if you are injured  Also could stop chronic nightmares  Finally, it is a fun, and exciting experience, letting you do whatever you want to

SETBACKS  Could make nightmares significantly scarier because of clarity  Some people say that tampering with your unconscious is wrong, but there are no proofs of this

Nightmares

HOW TO LUCID DREAM  There are many different ways to actively start a lucid dream Dream Recall Reality Testing Dreamsigns MILD(Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams) Napping

DREAM RECALL  Remembering the patterns of all of your dreams  This will allow you to realize when you’re having a dream

REALITY TESTING  Read characters or look at images, look away, then look back. If they change, you realize that you are in a dream  If not, then keep trying to dream  Repeat until characters and images change

DREAMSIGNS  These are things that tell you that you are dreaming  Things that aren’t physically possible are the commonest dreamsigns  Flying, talking to animals, meeting deceased people

MNEMONIC INDUCTION OF LUCID DREAMS  This is the act of remembering dreams you have had The second you wake up, remember everything that happened in your dream Go back to sleep while setting your mind on the words “Next time I dream, I will know I’m dreaming” Whatever you want to do in your lucid dream, keep thinking about it Do this until you are asleep and dreaming

NAPPING  Napping increases the probability of having a lucid dream  If you go to sleep for an hour, wake up, then fall asleep again, you have a higher chance of achieving lucidity

SOURCES  system.jpg system.jpg   biology/dream2.htm biology/dream2.htm  content/uploads/2011/08/sigmund_freud35082.jpg content/uploads/2011/08/sigmund_freud35082.jpg

SOURCES   Biological_clock_human.svg/400px-Biological_clock_human.svg.png Biological_clock_human.svg/400px-Biological_clock_human.svg.png   animation animation

SOURCES    

SOURCES  mymodernlifestyle.com  darkbooks.org    fearishere.com  docdreamuk.com  xarj.net  drawingcoach.com  fanart-central.net  realdoctorstu.com  daniellesafonte.com  geekologie.com  bulletvacation.blogspot.com