Dreams have always intrigued us since time immemorial. It is also said there were specific dream interpreters in the courts of kings in early civilizations. However, in the 1800s the father of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud and subsequently, his successor Carl Jung, revolutionized the world of dreams. Since then a lot has been studied in this field but dreams astound us with varied meanings and interpretations every time we witness them. Some of the most interesting facts about dreams in the trailing paragraphs are sure to take one by surprise.
01. While dreaming we become temporarily paralyzed.
Not many of us are aware that we become temporarily paralyzed in the dream state. This can be attributed to the fact that sometimes we may be so moved with certain dramatic dreams as to fall and hurt ourselves, thus, as a natural response the body goes into a temporary inactive state physically.
In what is known as a "Lucid dreaming" phase one can control their dreams. Thus, one can also manipulate their dreams and even the outcomes! Another interesting fact is that one dreams things one has witnessed some time before in their life.
03. Dreams can cause incorporation.
How often have we dreamt we were hungry or thirsty or performing an act repeatedly in our sleep until we wake up and undertake the activity? Sometimes one could dream of drinking glasses of water only to wake up and be very thirsty!
04. Dreams speak in indirect language.
Dreams never utilize symbols they actually stand for. A lot of research has already gone into the subject and books have been written on dream symbols and their interpretations. Dreams carry deep meanings that only the subconscious mind can understand.
05. Dreams are very difficult to remember.
Often when we wake up we fail to remember even a single sequence of the dream we had during the night. A strange fact remains therefore, that dreams are almost always forgotten, except if a person is woken up at the REM stage.
06. We tend to dream of forbidden things.
Another startling fact about dreams is the frequent instance of dreaming things one is forbidden to do. A person who is forbidden to eat chocolates may dream of gorging greedily on them. Even medical conditions and psychological disorders may have a direct effect on dreams!
07. Some people only dream in black and white.
Some people dream only in black and white while about 70% of people dream in colors. Certain dreams are very common to some people such as, failing an exam, getting up late for the exam, dreams related to one's school, seeing a person dead who is alive in real life, being chased by someone etc. Studies are being conducted in the relevance of colors and repeated sequences in dreams.
08. Disturbed sleep may lead to psychosis.
Sleeping and dreaming which occur in the REM stage are very important for healthy living. In a research conducted involving students who were woken up at the start of their REM stage, it was noted the students became irritable, hallucinated a lot, were affected by psychosis and were finally disinterested in everything they did. Thus a good night's sleep combined with regular dreaming is our body's way of staying fit too!
09. Visually impaired people dream too.
Very interestingly, people who are born blind only witness dreams involving smell, sound or touch, while people who go blind after birth are seen to witness regular dreams just like their counterparts with vision.
10. And so do animals.
Studies have revealed animals and more specifically mammals dream exactly the way humans do! So even your household pet may be dreaming all night without your knowing about it.
11. Children have more nightmares than adults.
It is widely studied that children have more nightmares than adults.
12. Some great inventions were first conceived during sleep.
Although we tend to forget about 90% of our dreams once we wake up, many great scientists have made discoveries in their dreams and written them down the moment they woke up. Newton, Graham Bell and even some poets have received their inspirations from dreams.
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