The significance and impact of dreams on people’s lives are explored in this paper. Dreams can reflect and relate to different aspects of life, often with a deeper meaning. Throughout history and in the present, dreams have had profound effects on individuals. Many dreams symbolize important events and forces in one’s life. The following paragraph presents an example of a dream that can be experienced by anyone, including young boys and girls.
During a sunny summer day, a young boy is surrounded by his loved ones at a family reunion. There is a gentle breeze flowing through the trees. While the adults reminisce, the children enjoy playing kickball. In this dream, the little boy happily watches as his family gathers together, feeling content and absorbing their joy and warmth. However, upon waking up, he realizes that it was only a pleasant dream. This dream exemplifies the different types of night visions that people experience and raises inquiries about whether the boy imagined an alternate reality with his family that may not actually exist. It also suggests the possibility that this child might be facing abuse or neglect and is using dreams as an escape.
Is it possible that this is reality and the child is merely re-experiencing enjoyable moments? The transformational process of connecting the symbolic nature of our dreams to our daily existence has helped us gain insight into our unique personalities.
Throughout history, the reasons behind and the processes of dreaming have intrigued various individuals, including playwrights, poets, psychologists, and scientists. However, the main focus of this paper is to demonstrate that dreams have significant purposes. From scientific experiments in laboratories to ancient cultures, dreams are utilized as a powerful tool for comprehending our inner selves. Dream expert Rosalind Cartwright classifies the significance of dreams into four categories: reviewing, revising, rehearsing, and repairing ourselves. To comprehend the value of these four R’s and gain insights into dreams, researchers must initially investigate sleep patterns.
To study sleep stages, patients undergo testing with an electroencephalograph (Myers 210), which measures brain wave activity, eye movements, and muscle tension via electrodes. Similar devices are employed for recording heart rates and respiration.
Researchers are able to analyze patients’ dreams by collecting data on sleep stages, heart rates, and the degree of genital arousal during sleep.
According to David G. Myers, a professor of psychology at Michigan’s Hope College, there are four stages of sleep before Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. In Stage 1, both breathing rate and brain waves slow down further. This light sleep stage includes vivid imagery resembling hallucinations. Sensations like falling or floating are typically experienced in this two-minute stage.
Shortly after Stage 1, a stronger feeling of relaxation sets in, marking the start of Stage 2. This stage, which lasts approximately twenty minutes, is distinguished by intermittent periods of rapid brain-wave activity. As a result of these abrupt surges in brain waves, sleep talking becomes more common.
Stages 3 and 4 of sleep are often connected due to their similarities. These stages, known as slow-wave sleep, typically last for thirty minutes. The brain produces slow delta waves during this time, which have a frequency of 3.5 cycles per second. These waves are considerably slower than the beta waves, which have a frequency of fifteen cycles per second. The presence of these slow delta waves makes this sleep stage unique.
It is challenging to awaken a person from the third and fourth stages of sleep. During these stages, children might experience bedwetting or sleepwalking. According to Myers (212), around twenty percent of 3 to 12-year-olds have at least one sleepwalking episode, typically lasting between two to ten minutes. Additionally, about five percent of children experience recurring sleepwalking episodes.
During Stage 4 of sleep, the patient enters rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Genital arousal can occur in this stage even if the dream content is non-sexual (212). According to Myers, a typical 25-year-old man experiences erections lasting 30 to 45 minutes during REM sleep. Throughout the night, this sleep cycle repeats about every 90 minutes, with each REM period getting longer. By morning, REM sleep can last up to an hour. This means that approximately 20 to 25 percent (100 minutes) of a typical night’s sleep is spent in REM sleep (212). Considering our average six to nine hours of nightly sleep, we can expect four to six REM periods, resulting in around one and a half to two hours of dreaming per night (Koulack 40).
Dr. David Koulack conducted pre-sleep experiments to investigate the various factors that contribute to our dreams. During one experiment, a male patient was shown a film about the use of a Malmstrom Vacuum Extractor during childbirth before going to sleep (65). The film portrayed the introduction of the machine and the painful birth that followed (66). After watching the video, under Dr. Koulack’s supervision, the patient fell asleep.
The buzzer signaled the subject’s awakening, prompting Dr. Koulack to start questioning the man about his sleep. In his dream, the patient saw young college girls wearing white gloves and holding flowers, accompanied by a group of singing boys. These boys were seen catching bees in the distance and bringing them over to the girls’ flowers. The doctor carefully analyzed the dream and concluded that the boys were using the bees to pollinate the girls’ flowers. This act of pollination is a symbol of birth, similar to the birth depicted in the movie shown to the patient before he fell asleep (65-67).
As evident, engaging in pre-sleep exercises can impact the content of a person’s dream. The movie, depicting the peculiar birthing of an infant, formed a direct connection to the individual’s dream later that night. Nevertheless, not all dreams are triggered by pre-sleep activities. Many dreams arise from the frustrations and difficulties experienced in one’s life. Individuals retire to bed, hoping to find resolutions to their problems through their dreams. The conscious mind delves into the unconscious realm seeking guidance for everyday struggles. The majority of dreams are rooted in the aforementioned processes of reviewing and repairing elucidated by Rosalind Cartwright.
There is currently a growing interest in self-discovery, with many individuals wanting to explore their own nature. Boa (26) suggests that dreams are important for connecting our inner and outer selves, providing valuable insights into the human mind’s mysteries. In essence, dreams help us understand ourselves better and can be used to contemplate the challenges we face in life and find solutions. Healthcare professionals can analyze our dreams to identify sources of stress and other difficulties that impact our well-being. By uncovering the root causes behind these issues, we can begin the healing process.
While dreams cannot protect us from stress-related illnesses, they can provide guidance on how to handle them.
According to Piotrowski (5), dreams serve a crucial function in understanding internal conflicts, playing a significant role in both psychological and biological aspects. They act as a tool provided by the unconscious to explore and represent our frustrations and difficulties.
John, a man who had been seeking psychiatric treatment for several years to enhance his concentration and task focus, opted for hypnosis as an alternative when his symptoms failed to improve. He approached Dr. Isa Gucciardi, a renowned hypnosis specialist, who assisted him in gradually uncovering suppressed memories of childhood abuse by his parents during their sessions. With this newfound information, Dr. Gucciardi urged John to recall his dreams as it could potentially reveal deeper understanding of his subconscious mind and offer insights into the underlying cause of his challenges.
John’s journey back to wholeness involved a series of sessions where he desperately tried to remember his dreams. The breakthrough came when he reported a significant dream that revealed his internal conflicts.
Mario Andretti confidently identifies John as Benito Andretti while observing him driving, leaving John completely convinced of the accuracy of this statement.
Dr. Gucciardi provided a list of questions that demonstrate how recalling John’s dream is utilized as a therapeutic method to assist him in uncovering his frustrations and difficulties in maintaining concentration and focusing on tasks.
A- He is the most skilled driver in the world when it comes to racing cars.
A- Mario’s younger brother disappeared under mysterious circumstances when he was either 2 years old or even younger.
Benito, Mario’s little brother, what would it mean?
A- My lifelong desire has been to be part of a large Italian family that is filled with love.
In a lively family, genuine interactions occur, such as the act of sitting down together for dinner.
According to Dr. Gucciardi, John’s longing to be a member of a caring household is closely connected to his deprived history, as he becomes aware that he was mistreated during his childhood.
It would be advantageous to have someone with more knowledge than I do, who can provide me with the information I need for learning.
John should continue his personal journey as he would benefit from learning racing skills from Mario. Symbolically, this implies that Mario will provide the necessary assistance.
Q- How did it feel to know that Mario’s assessment of you being Benito Andretti was undoubtedly true?
I had an unwavering and indisputable belief in the truth. I was confident in my exceptional skills as a race car driver and believed that I could compete in any race with any car. Additionally, I strongly believed that I had a connection to Mario.
John’s dream signifies a crucial milestone in his journey to recover his sense of self. The racing family represents his belonging to a larger and beneficial entity. With Mario guiding him in racing, John receives the necessary support to continue his path towards self-discovery.
The dream context is symbolically eerie as Benito, the role John played, mysteriously vanished when he was young. Consequently, John speculated that his own abuse might have commenced at a young age as well. By revealing his abuse, John gained absolute certainty. The vision played a crucial role in John’s recovery and success. Were it not for the insights provided by his dream, John’s recovery process would have been significantly more challenging and prolonged. Through Dr. Gucciardi’s case study, it becomes evident that a single dream can facilitate an individual’s self-awareness to a great extent. Dreams illuminate the underlying causes of our persona. “Armed with this knowledge, we can address the root of an illness rather than its symptoms” (“What We Learn from Dreams” Aisling).
Interpreting dreams in our own culture can be beneficial for understanding our health in one way.
In traditional societies, dreams are interconnected with all aspects of life.
According to various cultures, the role of dreams in primitive life may differ. However, both occasional groups in the past and modern psychology agree that dreams are symbolic of desires and hold significance in terms of guiding daily life and identifying illnesses (Lincoln 36).
Dreams were associated with religion in many primitive cultures. According to dream expert Steward Lincoln, certain cultures believed that gods would intervene in dreams to provide spontaneous warnings, demand piety, or answer posed questions. The culture of early Egypt is an example where dreams held validity and significance in daily life. When faced with difficult situations, Egyptian kings would seek guidance from the gods. By praying and sleeping in a temple, the kings believed their concerns would be addressed through their dreams (Lincoln 45). Lincoln explains that these night visions were believed to be delivered by a God (46). Dreams were considered gifts from the gods in early Egypt and other cultures like the Greeks.
Among other African groups, the Basutos are another culture that attaches great importance to the unconscious mind. Similar to the Egyptians, the Basutos connect their religion with their dreams. For instance, individuals would only embrace Christianity if their dream commanded them to do so. Though many desired to be converted, they often died without being baptized due to lack of dreams. Dreams that led to conversion typically involved encountering a sacred object like a cross. One notable dream, documented by a missionary, featured a woman dressed entirely in white holding a child, with a radiant cross piercing through the dark background. This dream, rooted in religious beliefs, exemplifies the type of dream that impacts conversions and baptisms within Basuto society (Lincoln 87-89).
In various cultures globally, dreams hold significant significance and are highly valued. They can possess great influence within certain social groups, as demonstrated by the following examples of cultures that place substantial reliance and belief in dreams.
Among the Mantia of the Malay peninsular, a man would only select a location for a plantation if…
He had a favorable dream about the decision, which gave it supernatural sanction.
According to a Cherokee legend, a person had a dream of being bitten by a snake. The dream was taken seriously and treated as if it had actually happened.
– An entire tribe in Australia relocated because of a man’s dream about a specific owl, which was interpreted by a wise man as a warning of an imminent attack by another tribe.
According to Lincoln (50-51), both the Macusi and Gran Chaco Indians from South America follow their dreams as if they were real, often unable to distinguish between dreams and reality.
The significance of dream interpretations is evident in various tribes. A single dream featuring an owl prompts an entire tribe to abandon their campsite out of fear of an impending enemy attack. In two South American tribes, dreams hold such sway that they blur the line between the unconscious and reality. These passages highlight the profound impact of dreams on the lives of numerous individuals.
According to dream researcher Rosalind Cartwright, dreams act as an educational television channel for the brain during sleep. She suggests that through dreams, we are able to review, revise, and rehearse our own “program” and even find a mechanism for repair during times of distress. This relates directly to the argument of the paper, which asserts that dreams allow us to review, revise, rehearse, and repair ourselves. For instance, dreams can help revise oneself in the context of religious conversion within primitive cultures. Additionally, in the case study involving John’s experience with child abuse, dreams contribute to the process of repairing oneself. It is a universal experience to dream, and many individuals have pondered the meaning of their dreams or gained valuable insight from them. Some have found dreams helpful in problem-solving or stimulating creativity. Dreams hold a strong reality and captivate our attention.
Those who remember their dreams now and then on one occasion or another have certainly been impacted by the quality.
Dreams have an impact on people from various backgrounds in various ways. Whether it serves as a significant experience for a child or a disturbing image for an adult, dreams have an effect on everyone. Interpreting and comprehending the meaning of a dream can provide insights into an individual’s life and potentially shed light on questions regarding their past and future.
Lincoln, Jackson Steward. The Dreams in Primitive Cultures.
New York: Johnson Reprint Corporation, 1970.
Piotrowski, Zygmunt A. and Biele, Albert M. Dreams: A Key to Self-knowledge. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, publishers, 1986.
According to Aisling (http://www.avcweb.com/dreams/index.html), we can learn from dreams. Gucciardi, Isa (http://www.e-media.com/depth/dream.htpl) presents a case study about one dream that made a significant impact. David Koulack’s book, “To Catch a Dream,” published in 1991 by the State University of New York Press, explores the topic further.
Papanek, John L. Secrets of the Inner Mind, Journey Through the Mind and Body. Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1993.
Boa, Fraser. The Way of the Dream. Boston: Shambhala, <br/> 1994.
