Dream
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For other uses, see Dream (disambiguation).
“Dreams” redirects here. For other uses, see Dreams (disambiguation).
Part of the series on sleep
Stages of Sleep
Rapid eye movement sleep
Beta wave
Gamma wave
Non-rapid eye movement sleep
Slow-wave sleep
Theta wave
Delta wave
Sleep disorders
Sleep deprivation
Insomnia
Parasomnia
Sleepwalking
Sleeptalking
Night terror
Dyssomnia
Hypersomnia
Narcolepsy
Sleep apnea
Nocturnal myoclonus
Circadian rhythm sleep disorder
Benign Phenomena
Dream
Nightmare
Lucid dream
Sleep paralysis
Hypnagogia
Other Sleep-related Topics
Sleep and learning
Snoring
Jet lag
Sleep debt
Bed
Pillow
Nightwear
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A dream is the experience of a sequence of images, like a movie with sounds, ideas, emotions, or other sensations during sleep, especially REM sleep.
The events of dreams are often impossible, or unlikely to occur, in physical reality: they are also outside the control of the dreamer. The exception to this is known as lucid dreaming, in which dreamers realize that they are dreaming, and are sometimes capable of changing their dream environment and controlling various aspects of the dream. The dream environment is often much more realistic in a lucid dream, and the senses heightened.
Contents
1 Neurology of dreams
1.1 Discovery of REM
1.2 Role of forebrain
1.3 Continual-activation theory
1.4 Dreams and memory
1.4.1 Hippocampus and memory
1.5 Functions of Dreams
2 Cultural history
2.1 Dreams in Christianity
2.2 Dreams in Judaism and Islam
2.3 Ayurvedic medicine
3 Dream content
3.1 Emotions
3.2 Gender differences
3.3 Sexual content
3.4 Recurring dreams
3.5 Common themes
4 Dream interpretation
5 Other associated phenomena
5.1 Lucid dreaming
5.2 Dreams of absent-minded transgression
5.3 Dreaming as a skeptical argument
5.4 Recalling dreams
5.5 Déjà vu
5.6 Dream incorporation
6 See also
7 References
7.1 Cited
7.2 General
8 Literature
8.1 Classical texts
8.2 Cultural and literary history of the dream
8.3 Psychology and psychotherapy
8.4 Lucid dreaming
8.5 Dreams and esotericism
9 External links
//
Neurology of dreams
There is no universally agreed-upon biological definition of dreaming. General observation shows that dreams are strongly associated with REM sleep. REM sleep is the state of sleep in which brain activity is most like wakefulness, which is why many researchers believe this is when dreams are strongest, although it could also mean that this is a state from which dreams are most easily remembered.[citation needed] During a typical lifespan, a human spends a total of about six years dreaming[1] (which is about 2 hours each night[2]). It is unknown where in the brain dreams originate — if there is such a single location — or why dreams occur at all.
