BraxtonSmith

BridgetteWeir

English1010

18March2017

WhatDreamsCanDo

Forcenturies,therehasbeenongoingresearchabouttheideaofdreaming.Wheredo

theycomefromandwhatdotheymean?,researchersandscientistsask.Manyhavetheir

hypotheses,buttheoverallquestionsstemfromthefactthatsincedreamsareafunctionofthe

body,whatistheiroverallpurposeofexistenceinlife,whatistheirorigin,andwhataretheir

effects?Whileresearchshowsthatdreamscanoriginatefrommultiplescenarios,theyare

commonlysparkedbywants,fears,orrepressedfeelingsaswellastraumaticeventswhichgive

waytonightterrorsandrecurringdreams.

Researchsuggeststhatthewants,fears,andrepressedfeelingsofapersonserveasthe

drivingforcesforthedreamsthatappearatnight.Theoverallquestionofwhyorwherethese

dreamscomefromremainsunanswered.However,whileworkingtoconcludeideasoverthe

mainreasonsbehinddreams,researcherstendtoonlyfocusonwhattheycan:thesciencebehind

thedreamsthemselvesandtheactivitythatoccursinthebrainwhilethedreamisgoingon.

SigmundFreud,aVienneseneurologist,proposedhisideasaboutdreamswhichdrewlotsof

attention,whileyetstillattractingavastamountofcriticism.Inhisbook,TheInterpretationof

Dreams,publishedin1900,hewrotethatdreamsweresymbolicstoriesinwhichsleepers

unconscious,sexual,andaggressivedesiresplayoutindisguisedforms(Bower).Whenthis

cameabout,thereseemedtobeanotherAgeofExplorationduetotheamountoftheoriesfrom
researchers,psychoanalysts,andneurologistswhoarguedopposingviewsagainstFreud.One

groupofresearchersarguedthatinsteadofdreamsresultingfromunconscioussexualdesires,

theyreasonedthatdreamsarejustheartfeltimagesthatcarrynohiddenmeanings(Bower).

Scientifically,theyreasoned,astructureinthebraincalledthebrainstemisresponsiblefor

stirringupemotioninapersonsbrain,whichthenresultsinfeelingsofanxiety,anger,and

euphoriathatresultfromapersonswantsandfears.However,atthesametime,thebrains

neurologicalpathwaystotheworldareshutdownalongwiththecentersofmemoryandrational

thought(Bower).Whenapersonliesdownatnight,theirdreamisnormallycausedbywhatever

emotiontheyarefeeling.Thecontentsofthedreamitselfbearsnodeeperpurposeormeaning

otherthantoexpressfeelingthroughanimage.

Traumaticeventsorbadsituationsinitiatedreams;however,thesedreamsoftenappearin

theformofnightterrorsornightmares.Thisappearstobethemostobviouscauseofthesetypes

ofdreams,andforthisreason,nightterrorsareseeminglythemoststudiedcategoryofdreams.It

isextremelyinterestingtoreasonthestrongeffectofatraumaticevent,andhowitinfluencesa

personsemotionsbycoercingthemtocreatevividandsometimesmalignantscenariosinthe

brain.IrememberwhenIwasinthefourthgradeatEastAcademy,asmallprivateschoolin

Nashville,andourchorusperformedinwhatwecalledCelebrationPresentation.Ourchoral

directorputtogetheramagnificent(inthemindofafourthgrader)presentationtoshowcasethe

musicwehadbeenlearningtheentireyear.LuckilyformeIhadasoloforLetThereBePeace

onEarth,andIwassoexcitedforit.Iwasrehearsedandlookedforwardtosteppingouton

stagetosingwhatIhadbeenwaitingtheentireyeartosingtomyparentsandmyfriends.

However,thestorytakesadownfallbecausewhenitwasmyturntostepupfromtherestofthe
chorusandsingmypart,mylegsfrozeasifIwasparalyzedfromthewaistdown.Ilooked

aroundthecrowd,anddespitethemsmilingatme,Iranoffthestagetothebathroomandcried.

Ofcourse,mydirectorcameandfoundmeaftertheshowandconsoledme,butthatnightwasa

strangeoneforme.Inmydream,IwaswalkingoutsideontheroadofmystreetuntilIreached

anendwheretheroadeventuallybrokeoff;mynextstep,ifIhadcontinuedtowalk,wouldbeto

myunknowingdoom.Iturnedaroundandwasmetbythefaceofmydirectorwhoclaimedit

wastoolatetoturnaround,reachedoutherhandtopushmeofftheedgeandIwokeup.Irosein

apanicbecauseIdidthinkIwasgoingtodieuntilIrealizedthatitwasalladream.

Mystagefrightthatsparkedthedreamwasnotnecessarilyatraumaticone,butitisno

newtheorythattraumaticeventsorbadsituationscancausenightmares.Arealworldexample

ofthisisshowcasedinanarticlebyEarnestHartmanntitledDreamImageryBecomesMore

IntenseAfter9/11/01.Hartmannusesatraumaticeventsuchastheterroristattackson9/11,

andproposesthequestionofwhethertraumaticeventshaveanyeffectatallonourdreams.The

resultsofthestudyindicatedthatthemaindifferenceproducedby9/11/01wasinintensityof

thedreamimage,ratherthanachangeindreamlength,orspecificcontent(Heartmann).Simply

put,thenumberofnightmareschangedsignificantlyamongthestudiedpopulationafterthe

terroristattackscomparedtobeforethem.

Theresearchofdreamsisandwillprobablycontinuetobeoneofthemostinteresting

topicstostudy.Dreams,despitetheircomplexityaresouniquebecausetheyvarybyindividual;

noquantitativedatacanbetakentospeakforanentirepopulationregardingdreams.Everyones

dreamsaredifferent,andtheyalsoproduceadifferenteffectdependingontheindividual.

However,thestudiesofdreamshaveshownhowcomplexthemindisandhowdreamscan
undoubtedlyshapeindividuals.Apersonsemotionscanbringabouttranquildreamsor

maliciousones;theirdeepestfears,fondestwants,anddesirescanalsosparkanarrayofdreams

depictingtonsofscenarios.Traumaticevents,whichleadtonightmaresandPTSDcanaffectan

individualforalifetimeifproperhelpisfailedtobesoughtafter.Overall,theanswerstowhy

andhowthesedreamscomeisstillbeingresearchedandmorethanlikelywillcontinuetobea

topicofdiscussionforawhile;dreams,intheirintricateandcontradictingnature,canscareus,

helpus,andastoundusallatthesametime.

 Works Cited
Bower, Bruce. Brains in Dreamland. Science News, vol. 160, no. 6, Aug. 11,
2001, p. 90-92.

Heartmann, Ernest. Dream Imagery Become More Intense After

9/11/01. Dreaming, vol. 3(2), Jun. 2003, pp. 61-66