1. Dreams
Unit 3
Lesson 3

2. Objectives
Discuss various dream theories.
Analyze dream symbols.

3. Warm Up
Describe a sleep cycle (stages, brain waves, body changes).

4. What Is Dreaming?
Story-like series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during (REM) sleep.

5. More About Dreaming Somewhat logical & story-like Duration
Secs/Minutes to Hour
Somewhat logical & story-like
LUCID dreaming- Aware of dreaming; can direct dream

6. Why Do We Dream?
4 popular ideas…

7. Cultural Lore Dreams are messages from gods, spirits Native American
Prophecy/Omen
Native American
Dreamcatchers

8. Activation-Synthesis Dream Theory
Dreams are by-products of random neural activity/firing
Cortex tries to make sense of activity…but reasoning aspect shut off

9. Problem Solving Dream Theory
Dreams reflect problems we face during waking hours.

10. Freud’s Psychoanalytic Dream Theory
Dreams reflect our unconscious wishes and urges; fantasies.
IMAGERY/ Symbols:
Manifest Content: images in dream (censored)
Latent Content: meaning of dream
Discovery Streaming: Great Books- Freud “The Interpretation of Dreams”

11. Freud’s General Dream Symbols
House = Human
Flat = man
Ornate = woman
Kings/Queens = Parents
Little Animals = Siblings
Water = Birth
Travel/Journey = Death
Males = things that grow
Females = things that open

12. Freud’s Dream Theory
3 Types of Dreams
Satisfaction
Impatience
Comfort

13. Dream Analysis Activity
Read about Doris and the dream she keeps having…when you’re finished, interpret the meaning of Doris’s dream.
Dream interpretation influenced by prior knowledge, expectancies, motivation.

14. Dream Log For the next week, record your sleep and dream patterns!
“I AM going to dream”
Pen and paper
Scribble, write, draw everything uncensored
Complete sheet in spare waking time

15. Dream Log Interpreting Dreams www.dreammoods.com

16. Nightmares REM Sleep ~12 per year Causes
Anxiety, depression, mental stress
Fears and active imaginations
Traumatic events
Drugs, medication
Fever, illness

17. Random Dream Facts Dream time = Real time 3-5 dreams per night
Blind people dream
After 7, some visual images
Problems? Dream longer.
Most inside, involve motion
Infer babies dream (images)
People dream in color
Animals dream
Dream recall increases following traumatic experiences
Psychic or precognitive dreams are common
Lincoln, Twain
Drugs influence dreams
Often acquitted of criminal acts
There are few non-dreamers, just non-recallers
Kenneth Parks, a 23-year-old Toronto man with a wife and infant daughter, was suffering from severe insomnia caused by joblessness and gambling debts. Early in the morning of May 23, 1987 he arose, got in his car and drove 23 kilometers to his in-laws' home. He stabbed to death his mother-in-law and also assaulted his father in law, who survived the attack. He then drove to the police and said "I think I have killed some people my hands," only then realizing he had severely cut his own hands. Under police arrest he was taken to the hospital where he underwent repair of several flexor tendons of both hands.
Because he could not remember anything about the murder and assault, had no motive for the crime whatsoever, and did have a history of sleepwalking, he was found not guilty of murder, because he had committed the crime in the state of somnambulic dream. Specialists say that sleep-walkers cannot be held responsible for their actions, because they do not realize what they do.
Part of being found guilty is intent…can’t prove intent if not aware (conscious) of activity taking place…but often must prove history of disorder, not just one time defense (EX: man in GA assaulted babysitter of kids, said he was sleepwalking but he had some memory of event, wouldn’t have any recollection if really sleepwalking)