Dreaming is a normal ability that absolutely every person possesses. Therefore, if someone is faced with the fact that they do not have dreams, then it is more likely that the person simply does not remember what he saw when he was sleeping. It is difficult to say whether this is good or bad, since such a phenomenon can be caused not only by any deviations, as many people think, but also by ordinary stress or a sudden awakening. In order to understand when we dream, why we forget them, and what to do if a person does not have dreams, you need to understand how our brain works during rest, as well as find out the main reasons why we forget dreams .
The dream phenomenon: what do we see and under what conditions?
Oneirology is a science that studies dreams. Scientists in this field are working to determine what sleep is, its nature, and why we dream. In fact, the exact reasons are not known. There are 10 theories of the most popular theories why we can dream.
This includes the theory put forward by Sigmund Freud that our night visions are a direct or indirect reflection of desires, as well as the opposite hypothesis that dreams are nothing more than a reaction of the brain to chaotic nerve impulses that occur during rest.
There are also two opposite versions based on memory. So, the first version says that dreams help us get rid of unnecessary emotions, information and experience gained during the day. That is, the brain scrolls and interprets this data, after which it removes everything unnecessary from memory. The second version says that dreams are designed to better remember the information received.
Some scientists, including Deirdre Barrett, believe that dreams help us solve problems that we find difficult to cope with in life. real life.
Unfortunately, none of these theories are 100% confirmed. However, all scientists agree that night sleep is a cyclic phenomenon that has 2 phases. The first phase is slow sleep. At this time, the human brain switches from beta waves to alpha: the body relaxes, the heartbeat slows down, the body temperature slightly decreases, and sleep occurs. The brain begins to actively process the information that was received during the day. A person can see several dreams while in this state, however, having woken up in a slow sleep phase, it is unlikely that any vision will be remembered.
The second phase - REM sleep, is accompanied by a rapid heartbeat and fever. During this period, the brain no longer processes the information of the previous day, but rather reacts to nerve impulses, showing a picture. Dreams seen in this phase are most often fantastic and unrealistic, and also more memorable.
But it happens that, having woken up in the morning, a person does not remember what he saw at night, neither in the first nor in the second phase. So why don't you dream? Consider the main theories that have been put forward after psychological and neurobiological experiments.
Why dreams do not occur: the main theories and experiments of scientists
Many people wonder why I don't dream. As noted above, scientists are of the opinion that absolutely all people have dreams, just not everyone remembers them when they wake up. There may be several reasons for this:
- physical fatigue causing a person to fall into a very deep sleep.
- Alcohol intoxication: not only does the brain function differently, but also sleep is mostly very strong.
- Snore- restless breathing knocks down nerve impulses sent to the brain, and therefore the body's reaction is often directed not to remembering dreams, but to leveling breathing.
- abrupt awakening provokes an instant change in a person’s attention, so quickly leaving the state of sleep, the awakened person often experiences irritation, for example, if he woke up a phone call or an alarm clock. Therefore, blurry dreams fade into the background and are forgotten.
- Medical preparations: taking certain medications, such as sedatives, antidepressants, against insomnia, can affect the state of sleep. This also applies to other groups of medications, which in side effects have factors that affect nervous system and directly to sleep.
- Stress, nervous and mental disorders. There can be both a problem with falling asleep in principle, because of which a person has a superficial and restless sleep, and the inability to focus on remembering dreams due to mental fatigue, because then the body is busy restoring during the night.
- Changing the daily routine. If a person switches to a different schedule of activity and rest, then the adaptation period may be accompanied by a lack of dreams. The same applies to people who have a floating schedule, and therefore sleep all the time at different times of the day and night. Sleep is then unstable and superficial.
- Low emotionality, lack of dreams, aspirations and experiences. This is the version of why you don't have dreams from psychology. Some scientists believe that dreams reflect our emotions and dreams, and a person who is in an apathetic state simply cannot dream.
In fact, there are many theories why a person does not remember the images he saw at night. And there is no exact answer to whether dreams are not dreaming, good or bad. Since it is quite difficult to objectively assess the situation.
To study the nature of sleep, scientists from different scientific fields And research institutes conduct experiments. In one of them, the theory was confirmed that dreams are one of the tools for mastering information. Thus, the students studied the provided material. Those who dreamed remembered the data much better than the group of people who did not dream.
Neurophysiologists from Stockholm University have come to the conclusion that sleep is a tool that ancient people used to simulate death, that is, for akinesis. Such a defense mechanism is still used by animals to this day to feign death in front of a predator. During sleep, hormones cease to be released, and, accordingly, odors that attract predators. Perhaps the ability of people to dream is no longer so necessary for modern man.
Neuroscientists from Finland are of the opinion that dreams are necessary for a person to prepare for various life situations, including dangerous ones. Having experienced an event in a dream, we gain experience that we can use in real life.
Do you want to remember your dream?
Ways to remember a dream
The reasons why a person does not remember dreams are quite clear. But what needs to be done to get rid of this problem and remember the images that come during the rest. Consider several options for what to do if you do not have dreams:
- do not overwork;
- normalize the daily routine (sleep should be 7-8 hours long);
- do not get up abruptly after waking up to reduce stress from the transition to an active state;
- create a suitable atmosphere for a healthy holiday: turn off the lights, ventilate the room and get rid of unnecessary sounds ( big mistake falling asleep to TV or music, as this negatively affects not only dreams, but also the rest of the body as a whole);
- tune in to a dream vision (the first time, most likely, nothing will work out, but if, falling asleep, give yourself the installation that you need to remember the dream, start thinking up a dream plot or just dream, then after a while, the pictures and images will be clearer and memorable);
- write down your dreams (often a person remembers the first minutes after waking up, what he dreamed about, and then forgets, and therefore it is better to have a notebook and a pen near the bed for such cases).
That is, if you don’t have dreams, then first of all you don’t need to panic or get upset. Perhaps the reason for this was ordinary stress or a change in sleep patterns. To do this, it is better to analyze the situation sensibly and try to fix the problem by creating favorable conditions for relaxation. If dreams do not come already long time, for example, more than six months, then you should contact a specialist. Perhaps a professional will look at the problem from a different angle and be able to find an effective solution.
Every day in a person's life there are many events that are remembered by the brain and cause certain reactions. During sleep, only the human body is at rest. The brain during this period repeats and consolidates all the information received, which can become a so-called scenario for a dream.
In a dream, a person can see the events of the past day, recent situations, or the distant past. Under the influence of our thoughts, anxieties and dreams, the brain is formed Additional Information, which can cause nightmares, absurd visions and completely implausible situations. A dream is a generalized picture of reality and inner experiences.
Sleep in terms of psychology
From a psychological point of view, a dream is a reflection of the psychological state of a person. If you are happy and your life is not overshadowed by negativity, then in a dream you see beautiful positive dreams. If you have fears or phobias, then they will definitely show up in your dream scripts. This means that the brain cannot cope with negative emotions that you experience in real life. Dreams become black and white, and dream situations cause even more anxiety.
Why do dreams stop dreaming
If you begin to notice that you have stopped dreaming, take Special attention to their psychological state. Such situations happen, as a rule, with people who are regularly exposed to stressful situations or have an unbalanced character. In rare cases, the inability to remember a dream can be a sign of a mental disorder.
There is another point of view, which is confirmed by research scientists. The fact is that sleep consists of several phases, each of which has a special meaning during awakening. Dreams are not remembered if a person is in a deep sleep phase. This usually happens when sleep is interrupted by loud, attempts to wake a person, or when sleeping too long.
Fatigue can also cause lack of dreams. In people who sleep little and work a lot, the brain is oversaturated with information. During sleep, they flash in our minds so quickly that they are practically not stored in memory.
Mystical rationale for dreams
The great scientist Aristotle was a supporter of the opinion that during sleep a person finds harmony with himself and nature. The soul at this time is able to show the future through a dream. Such a hypothesis became the basis for conclusions about the gift of clairvoyance. According to Plato, sleep is a source of creative energy and inspiration.
The mystical justification for dreams is very common. Surely, every person, having seen a terrible dream, will definitely look at his interpretation in the dream book. The explanation of certain symbols develops throughout almost the entire time of the existence of mankind.
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Freeing themselves from the "embraces of Morpheus", every person at least once in his life wondered why dreams do not occur. Dreaming has long been considered the secret of human existence. Until now, this phenomenon has not been fully studied, there are so many conflicting facts. One can only guess the reason for this or that dream, as well as reflect on the disappearance of a colorful dream from a person’s life.
The unpredictable arrival of a dream
Each person notices that in one period of time dreams come constantly, and in another, on the contrary, you won’t wait. Scientists believe that dreams always come. Whether they are remembered or not is another question.
There is an opinion that some patients suffering from mental disorders cannot see anything at night. This point of view is refuted by the fact that a person cannot live without dreams, so the problem lies in the peculiarities of their perception. Or rather, the soul is too thinly connected with the body. Through this connection, the impulses cannot get into the memory and, accordingly, will be remembered.
Dreams are a phenomenon that is fraught with a lot of unknown and interesting things. How nice it is to wake up and enjoy the memories of the unusual events that occurred in the imagination at night. Sometimes what is happening is so unrealistic and fun that it causes an involuntary smile and even laughter. But horrors and unpleasant events are best thrown out of your head right away.
You can write a night movie according to your own scenario: visit a desert island, have dinner with your favorite actor, build a big house, hug a departed person loved one.
The church believes that dreams do not need to be believed, because almost all of them are untrue. This is explained by the fact that the tempter can come at night in any form and do his dark deeds. There are very few dreams from God, but only the elect see them.
Dream interpreters have been around since ancient times. These are people who had special knowledge and were able to decipher dreams. It was believed that with the help of night images higher power transmitted the encoded information to the person. IN modern world people most often use special printed publications that decipher dreams - dream books.
What's happened prophetic dream? This is the one that comes true after a while. It turns out that any vision can be prophetic. Behind human life so many dreams that it is difficult to remember, for example, the content of dreams a year ago.
There is also a scientific explanation for prophetic visions. After all, it has long been proven that thoughts materialize. A person experiences dream events so strongly that he involuntarily participates in the process of their translation into reality.
Possible causes of lack of dreams
The phase of sleep in which a person wakes up. One theory suggests that the images come only in the "fast" phase, when the eyes are actively moving, the heartbeat is quickening. If you free yourself from the "embrace of Morpheus" at this time, then the content of what you saw can be remembered. Otherwise, there is a feeling of lack of dreams. Another theory suggests that the human brain produces "cartoons" regardless of the phases.
Fatigue. human brain in the modern rhythm of life, he is often overloaded with events and thoughts, so during sleep he is unable to work. Physical fatigue can also interfere with dreaming. Scientists have experimentally proven that a tired person never sees almost anything.
Satisfaction. Psychologists say that people who are satisfied with their lives do not see "night movies". This is due to the lack of experiences and dreams. The brain rests and does not create night images.
Spiritual problems. Emptiness in the soul entails complete apathy towards the world. There is no room even for banal irritation with others. Thoughtless existence, lack of spirituality can lead to the loss of dreams. Or a person simply does not remember them, because he considers them something superfluous in his life.
Abrupt awakening. If a person wakes up from the alarm clock or someone wakes him up, then most often the dream is not remembered. Therefore, it is more correct to assume that he was forgotten.
Some scientists believe that at night we see impressions, thoughts and images randomly mixed with each other. Therefore, it is absolutely useless to look for logic and meaning.
Other scientists (the theory of Sigmund Freud) are sure that by studying dreams, the picture of unexpressed desires and aspirations of human consciousness will be clear. This is especially true for sexual preferences. At the same time, the basis of interpretation is not the whole picture, but certain details.
A nightmare is a very unpleasant event. They rarely dream of someone, but someone is constantly tormented. On what basis do they make you wake up in a cold sweat or from your own scream?
Reasons for nightmares:
Character features. Suspicious, pessimistic, insecure people are more likely to watch nightmares during a night's rest. Emotional people are better off not watching horror movies and sharing scary stories with friends. Otherwise, the worst moment will be engraved in the memory, so that later it will disturb the nervous system over and over again during dreams.
Psychological disorders. For example, a trauma received in childhood due to fear, quarrel, deceit, loss of a loved one. Sometimes a person carries fear through his whole life, from which he cannot get rid of on his own.
Body overload. Both physical and psychological stress entails sleep disturbance in general. If you continue in the same spirit, then there will be a complete exhaustion of the body's strength.
The presence of problems. Everyone has problems, but everyone deals with them differently. Some are trying to solve them, taking certain actions. Others exhaust themselves by constantly considering the impossibility of changing the situation. Even at night they do not find peace.
Side effect of a drug. Often sleeping pills or antidepressants act on the body in such a way that it suffers from unpleasant dreams. The impact on the nervous system is reflected in the violation of its usual work. It is enough to complete the prescribed course of treatment for everything to return to normal.
High body temperature often provokes nightmares.
Alcohol abuse disrupts the normal functioning of the body, and therefore dreams are “spoiled”. In fact, severe alcohol intoxication spreads throughout the body, leading to a similar reaction.
If you have nightmares, what should you do? First, try not to watch horror films or thrillers at night, not to read similar books, not to watch negative news. Secondly, do not eat “heavy” food before going to bed (for example, fried meat or spicy salad).
This is interesting:
Many outstanding discoveries were made thanks to special signs seen in a dream.
It has been proven that during a lifetime a person spends 5 years watching dreams.
There is an opinion that older people see dreams much less often than, for example, children. This is explained by the fact that pensioners practically do not dream, that their imagination has been exhausted.
It has been proven that vivid and emotional dreams occur during the rapid eye movement phase. This sleep interval is repeated every 1.5-2 hours. This time is characterized by rapid heart rate and breathing.
Such a state as a lucid dream may not be experienced by everyone. Only a few have the ability to understand in a dream that they are dreaming and even control the events taking place there.
It is believed that deja vu is the coincidence of real actions with events in a dream. Therefore, a sense of repetition is created.
Research has shown that people who are blind from birth also dream. They are certainly not the same as ordinary people. But they evoke certain sensations and emotions.
Some people see only black and white dreams.
Some psychologists believe that the brain gives out nightmares in order to prepare a person for stressful situations in life.
Salvador Dali slept with a key in his hand. When he fell asleep, his hand unclenched and the key fell to the floor. From this, the artist woke up and could remember his dream. He successfully used this method to create new paintings.
Modern scientists have invented an apparatus for composing a dream script. The client voices what he wants to see, selects the appropriate smells, colors and sounds. All this is reproduced during the short phase of sleep. After that, the invention gently wakes the sleeping person so that he does not forget the "ordered" dream.
Almost every person experiences some kind of “vision” during sleep. We dream of people, places, events, some objects or phenomena. Most often, a person sees a dream in the first person and in the morning forgets most of the dream. Some dreams affect emotions and can be very realistic. Today, scientists cannot say exactly why dreams occur, but there are several good theories that explain this phenomenon.
Why does a person sleep
First, let's figure out why we need sleep at all.
Sleep is a natural state of the body that includes several cycles. During this period, brain activity is reduced, as is the reaction to external stimuli.
For a long time, the mechanism of the dream state and the cause of dreaming were shrouded in mystery, and scientists of different times made assumptions based on their conjectures. Modern technologies made it possible to study the human brain during sleep, and people received answers, however, only to some questions.
Until now, many believe that sleep is necessary for the rest of the brain and the body as a whole. But back in the 20th century, it turned out that this is not entirely true: during sleep, brain activity is only 10-15% lower than during a shallow nap, and the muscles may well rest, just being at rest. So why do we spend almost a third of our lives on a special state of sleep?
Today, this physiological phenomenon is considered not as just rest, but as a mechanism of self-regulation of the body. In the state of sleep, the systematization of memories occurs, the psyche is unloaded, the level of stress decreases, cells are renewed and toxins are removed.
What happens if you don't sleep
It is during REM sleep that a person sees vivid dreams, some of which can be remembered in the morning. Each stage replaces each other several times, while they are uneven in duration, and gradually REM sleep takes more and more time.
In ancient times, dreams were perceived as encrypted messages from the other world, containing information regarding the future of a person. "Knowing" people helped decipher these messages (). Over time, dream books appeared, which are still popular today.
However, with the development of psychology and physiology, new views on this phenomenon began to appear, reflected in several theories.
Theory 1: Dreams are images of human desires
The famous psychotherapist Sigmund Freud suggested that in dreams a person sees repressed desires and hidden longings. The subconscious seems to communicate with us through dreams. Sometimes this is an exact image, and sometimes it is veiled in some symbols (images).
Freud believed that discussing dreams with a psychotherapist can help resolve a person's internal psychological problems. He even wrote a book, The Interpretation of Dreams, where he talks about typical symbols in dreams that can have a similar meaning to different people.
According to Freud, dreams have a hidden meaning Theory 2: The peculiarity of the brain
But the eminent psychiatrist John Hobson, on the contrary, said that dreams do not carry any semantic load. He studied how exactly a dream arises from a physiological point of view. It turned out that random signals from the brain stem lead to the vision of a plausible reality.
The brain tries to somehow interpret random impulses and puts them into certain plots.. He often takes memories as a basis.
Interesting fact! It has been experimentally proven that mammals such as cats and dogs also experience dreams.
Theory 3: Permanent activation
Psychiatrist Zhang Jie agrees that nerve impulses lead to dreams. That's just in her opinion, they are not accidental.
The brain organizes memories during sleep, and at the moment they move from short-term memory to long-term memory, they can be partially activated, and we see dreams.
Dreaming may be the result of the "night work" of the brain Theory 4: Threat Modeling
This is a rather unusual explanation for why we dream. It is believed that this ability was inherited by a person from ancient ancestors, who, with the help of dreams, could imitate potentially dangerous situations.
In fact, dreams are a protective biological mechanism that allows you to “train” to survive threats.. At modern man not as dangerous a life as the ancestors, so there is an opinion that the functions of dreams have changed a little. Hence the next theory.
There was a period when it was believed that sleep is a painful condition arising from the accumulated poisons in the human body.
Theory 5: Natural Selection of Thoughts
Psychologist Mark Blencher suggests that situations that the brain models in sleep, allow it to choose the best emotional reactions. He remembers them and uses them in real life.
