Dreaming, Reflecting, or Just Another Dream?
Exploring intriguing ideas about dreams and what they reveal
Letβs SinC(n)
Reflection: Dreams
Because thatβs where the chaotic magic happens.
The Feels of Dreams
The universal human experience, interwoven with a state of mental consciousness where one has reduced control over the content of their mindβdreams. Do you dream? Iβve met a few people who say they donβt dream. Confusing, right? How come you donβt dream? Their answer is usually: IDKβI just have nothing. It seems unlikely that someone never dreams. Come on, itβs more likely they just donβt remember, or maybe itβs due to bad sleeping conditions, stress, substance use, disorders, or even medication.
Taking a light inspections of some of these areas.
Reasons for these dreams
Why remembering is hard?
Do we need an interpreter?
The Reflections - Dreams
Dreaming creates a deep connection to oneβs purpose and potential, serving as an actionable blueprint for aspirations. I definitely dream, so I like to break them into categories: dreaming as implied when sleeping, vision-thinking, and day-dreaming. Although Iβd love to dive into my favoriteβvision-thinkingβand wouldnβt mind exploring the beautiful distraction of day-dreaming dopamine, letβs focus on the kind of dreams that come from sleeping.
Because thatβs where the chaotic magic happens.
We humans are always on a constant quest to find the answer to everything. And when we donβt have an answer? We make shit up. Some of that shit even becomes fact. But the truth is, the exact purpose of dreaming is still a topic those smart people are exploring. Theyβve got ideas, though. Like how dreams might help process and organize what happened during the past day, month, or even years, sharpening your memory and learning in the process.
Then thereβs the emotional impact. Dreams can make you feel passion, love, hate, or terror so vividly it feels real. The outcome? When you wake up, you use those dream-experiences to manage your emotions throughout the day. Because at the end of the day, we all want to feel safe, right? So we follow the rules we just made up due to the experience of the dream. Additionally, like techniques of self-reflection, dreams can replay real-life challenges, giving you a chance to solve them while dreaming. Thatβs happened to meβmy wife knows the 3 a.m. pop-up when I head straight to the computer because Iβve got the answer.
So, why do we dream?
IMHO, to help us continue stretching our minds.
Stress and many other factors can affect your dreams, including how vivid, imagine with me: βHe was tall, angry, and his eyes were blood-filled with rage. At any moment, a strike would be delivered. The silhouette around him was dark red, with clouds slowly cloaking his shadowβ¦β Whoa. What if you remembered your dreams in such vivid detail? I donβt always remember mine, but when I do, theyβre vividβI have to pinch myself. I can recall the emotional impactβfear, anger, and, yes, happiness. But those emotions are uncontrolled, as we never know what weβll dream about the night beforeβor whenever you sleep. So many factors influence this, like the magic happening within our brainsβchemicals and stuff. My digital sleep monitor (smart-watch) is always telling me about REM and non-REM sleep. Somehow, this ties to the memory part of your brain. If you wake up during the most intense parts of your dreams, itβs linked to more vivid memories of those dreams. Soβ¦more REM or less?
REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep is a stage of sleep characterized by rapid movement of the eyes, increased brain activity, vivid dreaming, and temporary muscle paralysis.
Non-REM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep includes the first three stages of sleep, ranging from light to deep sleep.
One of the best ways to remember your dreams is to build the mindset of paying attention to whatβs happening during your dreams, regardless of the emotions tied to them.
β¦
The seer has the answers to all your questions about dreams. But maybe, just maybe, you can be the seerβinterpreting your own dreams through your own experiences.
To even start, youβll need to build some structured habits like these:
A Dream Journal: Record what happens in your dreams whenever you rememberβlook for trends.
Reflect Often: πππ Schedule regular time for self-reflection.
A Professional: Talk to a therapist or dream expert for interpretation.
Dreams are complicated, and the act of dreaming is even more so. Hopefully, this inspires you to explore the complexities of your dreams before you start wondering too much about the consequences of them. :)
β¦build the mindset of paying attention to whatβs happening during your dreams
More Structures and Reflections
Dreams: Why they happen & what they mean
πFantabulous β€οΈπ
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." β Walt Disney
One of my favourite topics! I have a lot of very vivid dreams, so vivid that they almost feel like they really happened. Itβs usually a good thing unless it was a nightmare π±