Dreams Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dreams - Research Paper Example A study had been done to show how the lives of people can have a great effect on what and how they dream. After comparing what people go through and what they dream about, it has been determined that the events and situations that a person faces plays a big role in what they dream. A dream is a sequence of mental images, thoughts and feelings that involuntarily take place while an individual is sleeping. Sigmund Freud hypothesized the Dynamic Theory of Dream Formation to help explain what actually causes dreams to be formed. This theory states that dreams are constructed in the brain of a sleeping individual by unconscious impulses, or an incident or thought that had been silenced throughout the day that makes itself known as a underlying thought while the brain is resting. â€Å"Every dream is on the one hand the fulfillment of a wish on the part of the unconscious and on the other hand the fulfillment of the normal wish to sleep which sets the sleep going (Freud, 2003).† Rapid eye movement (REM) is a vital aspect of both sleeping and dreaming. REM is the standard stage of sleep that is distinguished by rapid movements of the eyes. This cycle of rapid eye movement contains two other categories: tonic and phasic. The rapid eye movement cycle is also characterized by low muscle tone and a swift, low voltage electroencephalography (EEG). Dominating brain waves are not present during the rapid eye movement cycle as the brain is not at its complete functioning level. In a typical night, individuals go though four or five bouts of rapid eye movement sleep, all of which totals an hour and a half to two hours at the maximum. Dreams take place during the rapid eye movement cycle as this is when the person is in the deepest of sleep. The dreams that most people are able to remember after waking up are those that are done during the rapid eye movement cycle. This is mostly due in part to the fact that it is common for people to wake up after