What is happening in the brain to cause dreams?

The whole brain is active during dreams, from the brain stem to the cortex. Most dreams occur during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. This is part of the sleep-wake cycle and is controlled by the reticular activating system whose circuits run from the brain stem through the thalamus to the cortex.

Why don’t you see faces in dreams?

Non-rem dreams generally involve more mental thought than visual images so if we dream of a person we don’t tend to see their faces clearly. Some REM dreams, which are usually longer and more bizarre, with visual images and sometimes complete narratives usually contain clearer images including the faces of persons.

Why don’t we see phones in our dreams?

The author explained that our dreams enable us to process our fears as well as anxieties. And with mobile phones being a more recent development, we don’t see it in our dreams. Therefore our dreams are more about escaping a threatening situation than about reading, writing or your ‘mobile phone’.

What are dreamdreams and why do we dream?

Dreams may do the same thing. A dream researcher at the University of Turku, in Finland, Revonsuo believes that dreams are a sort of nighttime theater in which our brains screen realistic scenarios. This virtual reality simulates emergency situations and provides an arena for safe training.

What happens to your personality when you have a shock?

You could suffer a bit of a temporary personality change after a shock. If you are usually social, you might just want to be alone and hide out at home. Or if you are often the sort to take time out by yourself and be practical, you might find yourself going out every night, drinkingwhen you usually don’t, or doing things like compulsive shopping.

What is Freud’s theory on dreams?

Freud saw dreams as convoluted pathways toward fulfilling forbidden aggressive and sexual wishes; frightening dreams were wishes in disguise—wishes so scary, he believed, they had to transmute themselves into fear and masquerade as nightmares. Later came the idea that dreams are the cognitive echoes of our efforts to work out conflicting emotions.

Is your sleep quality affected by emotional shock?

Sleep is often affected by emotional shock. Insomnia is common. Even if you are sleeping more than ever, you are unlikely to get quality sleep but might suffer disturbed sleep, full of stress dreams.