Dreams – From Distracting Daydreams to Frightening Night Terrors
Although many theories explain why we dream, not all professionals agree, so let’s look at dreams from a layperson’s point of view. My experience with my dreams has been that they are generally a bizarre mixture of what has happened during my day (reality) and what I had watched on TV (fantasy) just before going to sleep, especially if I fell asleep while watching TV. So, my dreams seem to be for pure entertainment. However, they could also be cleaning out my memory banks, making room for more information the next day.
There are many kinds of dreams. Now, let’s look at the different types in more detail.
Daydreams
I’m sure that most of you have experienced daydreams many times during your life. What about in high school when you were sitting in a boring class listening to the teacher drone on? You began thinking about what you were going to do on the weekend. The teacher’s voice became only a humming in the background. You all remember that, right? Usually, daydreams are pleasant until someone or something brings them to an abrupt end!
Déjà Vu
Déjà Vu comes from the French language and translates into “already seen” in English. It is like a dream that happens while you are awake. Have you ever experienced something that made you think, “This looks very familiar?” It’s like you’ve seen or experienced it precisely the same way previously but never thought about it until it happened again. That’s déjà vu. It catches you off guard and briefly gives you a strange feeling, but things quickly return to normal.
REM Sleep
REM is the acronym for “rapid eye movement” and can be observed in a sleeping person as the eyes constantly move back and forth, even though they are closed. REM sleep is when your brain is most active, and most dreams occur. We dream at other sleep stages, but during REM, your dreams are most vivid and usually longer. Sleep scientists have observed that we have three to six dreams every night, lasting five to twenty minutes each. However, without conditioning, most people remember very little of their dreams, if anything at all. Even though everyone dreams, some people insist that they never dream.
Lucid Dreams
Lucid dreams are when you realize during the dream that it is only a dream. Not everyone experiences lucid dreams. They are quite rare. During a lucid dream, the dreamer can control or guide how the dream progresses and even how it ends. A sudden realization usually occurs near the end of the dream. I have had lucid dreams and have found the experience quite fascinating. To have the ability to control your dream to some extent gives you a feeling of power where that power usually does not exist.
I remember the first time I dreamt in Japanese many years ago. During the dream, I realized I was dreaming in Japanese, and I was so proud of myself. The fact that I could dream in a foreign language, in which I was not particularly fluent, was unbelievable. I observed firsthand the power of lucid dreaming.
Nightmares and Night Terrors
Nightmares and night terrors are similar but very different in a fundamental way. Everyone can and probably does have nightmares, otherwise known as bad dreams, at some point in their lives. A nightmare can cause discomfort upon waking. You might wake up in a sweat with fear or sadness. Nightmares can be caused by stress, fear, or drugs, both illicit or something as simple as painkillers. If I take Tylenol for some ache or pain just before going to sleep, I will invariably have a nightmare. They are usually interesting and very detailed but sometimes quite scary.
Night terrors can be much more concerning. A psychological sleep disorder can cause them due to a previous traumatic event or series of events. Although night terrors occur primarily in children, they can also be a severe problem for adults.
Dream Journal
As I mentioned earlier, many people insist that they never dream. If you are one of those people, you might find starting a dream journal interesting. I know I did. In college, one of our assignments for a psychology course was to keep a dream journal. Every morning when you first wake up, before even getting out of bed, try to recall your dreams and write down what you remember. The first week or so was very disappointing because I couldn’t remember anything. Then, all of a sudden, it happened. I could remember three dreams in one night, just the general theme for two, but in great detail for the third dream.
So, if you want to try keeping a dream journal, be patient. You may not remember anything after the first night or even after several nights, but it’s worth the wait. You can download a simple but complete PDF form here to describe your dream experiences. Just write down as much or as little as you can remember. Who knows? If you haven’t already, you may even have a lucid dream or dream in English.
Dreams of the Future
There is another kind of dream, especially for younger people. They have more to do with desires than actual dreams. They are about what you hope to have or accomplish in your future. Has anyone ever asked you, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s quite common to ask this question of children in Western cultures, and many children have a ready answer because they have already thought about it or dreamed about it.
A more general question would be, “What are your dreams for the future?” Answers to this question can vary from domestic to employment to financial. Some people dream about having a loving family with children. Others dream about having a successful and fulfilling career. And others still dream about being financially independent. Money! That’s what it’s all about because, of course, money can buy happiness. There is a saying, “The winner at the game of life is the one with the most toys when it’s all over.” What do you dream about for your future?
And Now For Your Listening Enjoyment
Here is The Everley Brothers singing their hit “All I Have to Do Is Dream”, recorded in 1958 when times were simpler, and according to the video, life was only shades of grey. The Everley Brothers are among my favourite groups; their harmony is the best.
Lyrics
"All I Have to Do Is Dream" recorded by The Everly Brothers (1958) written by Boudleaux Bryant Dream, dream, dream, dream Dream, dream, dream, dream When I want you in my arms When I want you and all your charms Whenever I want you, all I have to do is Dream, dream, dream, dream When I feel blue in the night And I need you to hold me tight Whenever I want you, all I have to do is Dream I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine Anytime, night or day Only trouble is, gee whiz I'm dreamin' my life away I need you so that I could die I love you so, and that is why Whenever I want you, all I have to do is Dream, dream, dream, dream Dream I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine Anytime, night or day Only trouble is, gee whiz I'm dreamin' my life away I need you so that I could die I love you so, and that is why Whenever I want you, all I have to do is Dream, dream, dream, dream Dream, dream, dream, dream Dream, dream, dream, dream Dream
The above essay is for entertainment and English language study only. For suggestions on how to use this post to improve your English reading and listening comprehension, click here.
Vocabulary
- layperson – noun; a layman or laywoman; a non-professional, everyday person
- bizarre – adjective; strange in appearance or effect; very strange
- daydream – noun; a pleasant fantasy; awake but not aware of what’s happening around you
- drone on – intransitive verb; speak or utter monotonously; speaking in a boring way
- abrupt – adjective; sudden and unexpected; fast without warning
- déjà vu – noun; an illusory feeling of already having experienced a present situation; a feeling that this exact situation has happened before
- familiar – adjective; the state of being well known (the familiarity of the scene); something seen or experienced before
- precisely – adverb; in a precise manner, exactly; exactly
- acronym – noun; a word formed from the initial letters of other words; the first letter of words to make a new word
- vivid – adjective; producing clear images; a lot of detail
- lucid – adjective; expressing or expressed clearly, easy to understand; real (in this context)
- progress – intransitive verb; advance or develop towards completion; continues or moves ahead
- realization – noun; become fully aware of; accept something as fact; an understanding of the situation
- fundamental – adjective; serving as a base or foundation, essential, primary, essential; absolutely necessary
- discomfort – noun; mental uneasiness; uncomfortable feeling
- illicit – adjective; unlawful, forbidden; illegal
- invariably – adverb; unchangeable, always the same; for certain, without doubt
Comprehension Questions
- Do professionals agree on why we dream?
Yes or No? - Daydreams happen when we are sleeping.
True or False? - During REM sleep is when dreams are most vivid and usually longer.
True or False? - How long does a dream last?
(a) 1 to 2 minutes, (b) 5 to 20 minutes, (c) 1 to 2 hours, or (d) all night - Have you ever had a lucid dream?
Yes or No? - Nightmares can be caused by ____________ .
(a) stress, (b) fear, (c) drugs, or (d) all of (a), (b), and (c)
Resources
