Keep Dreamin'

According to Dictionary.com, the first definition of a dream is "a succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep." I think dreams are fascinating. Are they merely entertainment for the mind while a person is sleeping, or do dreams exist for a deeper purpose?

The nature of dreaming is so mysterious, yet what little concrete information we have about them is what makes them so interesting to me. From the oh-so-reliable Wikipedia, memorable dreams most commonly go together with REM sleep, while forgettable ones are most likely to take place during non-REM periods of sleep. Where my interest is concerned, though, the site has no solid information for what the meaning of dreams are. Then again, this is Wikipedia we're talking about. I doubt that any higher profile site could provide more clues, their guess is as good as mine.

Most of my dreams are randomly compiled bits of memories and thoughts made into one. While others are not based on reality at all. Only a few are formed from recent events in my life, while most come from obscure memories. If I think back far enough, my dreams start to mix with my earliest memories, then it becomes hard to distinguish between the two. That prompts the next question: at what age do memories begin? Another blog, another time.

I believe that dreams can potentially serve multiple purposes. On one level they can be viewed as brief escapes from the real world that are in the end harmless with no effect on one's life while awake. However, they may also be an outlet for a person's subconscious thoughts and emotions, an opportunity to express themselves without the chance of being judged. I think this is very healthy. In other cases, some dreams play on a person's worst fears, often (for me, at least) making use of these emotions. They can provide a painfully honest evaluation of yourself, and maybe be a useful way to discover how you really feel.

I have thought about making a serious effort to write down or at least remember my dreams upon waking up. If I challenge myself to stay committed to it, I may be able to reflect on them and that exercise could be unbelievably beneficial.