Published on 29 April 2023

Interesting Psychological Facts About Dreams

Behavioral Psychology Interesting Psychological Facts About Dreams
Table of Contents

A person spends ⅓  of their life sleeping, as per the research. This is how sleep is an essential factor in human life. Many people love sleeping due to dreams because they make a person think of something extraordinary. Most people consider their achievements as a dream. But for others, it may give a worse experience.

Dreams can be different for every person as per their state of mind. Dreaming is the most mysterious and exciting experience, transferring a person into a world they never thought of.

Apart from this, many of you get ideas from the dream. Even scientist and artist also get their best ideas from plans. But deep down, dreaming goes through the way of psychology. Let's know more about it.

What Is Psychology?

As per the American Psychological Association, psychology studies the human mind and behavior. Psychology includes many sub-fields, including human development, health, clinical, social behavior, and cognitive processes.

Psychologists are the ones who study their client's mental processes and brain functions. They usually conduct surveys, sessions, etc., showing how their clients think. The field of psychology, also known as a hub science linked with medical sciences, social science, and Education. 

When a person dreams, their mind starts to weave such imaginations, which can also impact an individual's behavior. This is where psychology comes in.

What Are The Dreams?

For many, it is a visualization of a  particular thing or incident during sleep, but it's not as easy as it may seem. Still, today's scientists are researching dreams. Many cultures believe goals include some deep meaning and open up about reality, religion, and spirituality.

Most dreams contain visuals and sound, connecting the human mind in a few minutes. Dreams mainly occur during rapid eye movement sleep, as this is a deep level of sleep. There are many theories created about goals, some of which suggest that dreams reflect your unconscious wishes and want.

Types Of Dreams 

Many people assume that dreams can only be seen in one way, but in some situations, one type of dream cannot be seen frequently. There are various types of plans mentioned below.

Daydreams

As per the American Psychological Association, daydreaming is a fantasy where wishes, expectations, and other things are played out in imagination. 

In simple words, daydreaming is when you start thinking about various thoughts you want to do in the future. Every person does this many times in their lives. Sometimes daydreaming is fine, but you may need to control it if it is constantly happening.

Epic Dreams 

This type of dream is a vivid dream which can't be forgotten and ignored. In this dream, a person experiences some epic visuals and sounds that they have never experienced before. After waking from this dream, the person may feel energetic, but it is mainly caused due to stress and traumatic events.

False Awakening Dreams 

False dreams make you visualize things that aren't real. This condition is considered a false awakening dream. Some people may also feel like they are doing physical activities like cooking, cleaning, etc. This dream can occur with lucid dreams.

Lucid Dreams

When people feel they are aware of their dream, they can assume this one is a lucid dream. Many people don't experience lucid dreams constantly. According to some research, 55% of people experience lucid dreams once.

Recurring dreams 

Having one type of dream repeatedly is known as recurring dreams. This dream theme mainly includes being chased, falling, or confrontations. Sometimes this dream can be disturbing for an individual if they suffer from a tragic event. 

Healing Dreams 

This is the actual one you have all seen many times—a dream which makes you feel pleasant. Mainly as per sites, this dream makes you hear your inner voice. No more scientific research has been done on this dream, but the following points can describe it. 

  • Make a balance in your life.
  • Make you feel happy or at peace when you awake from dreaming.
  • Bring your friendly relationship back 
  • Give you a meaning or purpose toward life.

Nightmares

As per American Psychological Association, nightmares are scary or disturbing dreams where sadness, fear, or other combinations form the emotional content. Mainly it's a dream which makes you uncomfortable and increases stress. 

Many people experience this dream at least once. Still, It is reported that many people with post-traumatic stress disorder may experience common nightmares, but it can be treated by taking professional guidance.

Psychological Reasons For Dreaming

Research has been conducted by Professor Rosalind Cartwright, where it is reported that a human brain need to dream to process memories and create information. Mainly psychology studies the human mind, and while dreaming, it is the mind which makes all the imagination and visuals. 

A human's brain collects many things around them, which they even realize. All these things are automatically stored in the brain, and some theories suggest that the brain undergoes all these things while dreaming, deciding which information is worthy or not.

Theories On Dreams 

For everyone, dreams are different. Some find it meaningful and a sign of something, whereas others assume it is meaningless. That's why some experts have made some theories that state the meaning of dreams.

Psychoanalytic Theory: As per this theory, dreams may represent personal conflicts, insensible desires, and wish fulfillment. In dreams, we can think about insensible desires without any restrictions because thinking about them, in reality, would not be acceptable. 

Activation-synthesis Theory: This theory was popularized in the 1970s and said that dreams are just instants of your brain, including emotions, memories, and sensations.

Continual Activation Theory: This theory suggests that REM sleep and dreaming have different mechanisms and provide other functional processes. 

Psychological Facts About Dreams 

Facts usually connect people more than theory. That's why many prefer facts to understand topics. There are many facts about dreaming which are linked to psychology. Let's know more about it. 

  • A person only dreams about those things which they already know. 
  • 95% of dreams humans forget quickly after waking up. 
  • Some people experience dreams in black and white.
  • Dreams have the potential to recollect memories that you are forgetting.
  • The human brain functions more in sleeping rather than awake.
  • A person sees different dreams in one night.
  • A single dream last for 5 to 20 minutes.
  • Negative dreams are more common while dreaming.
  • Dreams enhance your creativity.

Interesting Facts About Dreaming 

Apart from these facts, some researchers have found some exciting points which should be mentioned in depth. Let's have a look at that.  

Blind People Can Have Dreams

It's not like only those with visions can dream; even in some cases, blind people can also dream. Those who become blind after birth or due to some incidents can have the potential to dream visually, but those who are born blind may not see visuals but can dream by the senses of sound, touch, smell, and emotion.

Men And Women Dream Differently

Nature has made men and women different even though their dreams differ. Mainly women have more characters and long-lasting goals; other side, men dream about other men and have more aggressive emotions in their dreams. 

Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis occurs when you wake up suddenly from a dream. It's like unable to move or speak temporarily. Many people face sleep paralysis once or twice, whereas others face this issue frequently. Mainly, the human body gets shut down while sleeping, which causes a sense of relaxation in the muscle. But when you wake up, your brain functions like yesterday. 

You May Experience A Sense Of Orgasm

Sometimes experiencing an orgasm while dreaming is not vulgar, but it may give you different results. Many people feel pleasurable and get satisfied when they orgasm while dreaming.

Common Dream Themes

Some research says that the neurotransmitters such as dopamine and acetylcholine become more active when a person is dreaming. These neurotransmitters play an essential role in the brain to think. That's why many people experience different dream themes. The following are some common dream themes.

  • Being chased
  • Cheating
  • Crashing a car
  • Falling from a high point
  • Flying 
  • Naked dreams
  • Fai in the exams
  • Arguing about an unsolved issue
  • Death 
  • Losing teeth 

Bottom Line From Practical Anxiety Solutions 

Psychology studies the human mind and behavior, whereas dreaming is linked with the brain. Sometimes when a person starts to dream, their brain automatically creates patterns. As per the research of Professor Rosalind Cartwright, the human brain dreams to process memories and complete information, which may later impact the mind.

There are many psychological facts about dreams such as a person only dreams about things they already know, 95% of plans humans forget quickly after waking up, most goals are harmful, and many more mentioned above.

Besides these facts, there are some interesting facts as well about dreams. Never get worried about any goals; you might wake up, but take you should calm yourself.