Scientific Theories about Dreaming
Scientific theories about dreaming take a view that dreaming is a mechanism by which the brain can sort out the information it receives during the day in order to make sense of it. It has even been suggested that dreaming is an accidental by-product of brain activity and as the brain sifts through impressions made during the day, it will discard the nonsense and therefore, according to some psychologists, this accumulation of ‘nonsense’ is expressed in dreams created in order to be forgotten. Other theories see dreaming as unconscious problem solving.
Generally speaking, dreams 'happen' to us. They are not (although in rare cases they can be) controlled by our conscious mind. In 1989, Empson said, "When dreaming we are the spectators of an unfolding drama, and only rarely does one have the impression of being in control."
There are some people who are of the opinion that dreams are not important. They have no meaning. However, others believe differently. Dreams come in all forms and they are rich in symbolism. They have a language of their own. Those who dismiss dreams as nonsense and who aren't willing to spend a little time learning that language will never understand the magic that is within them. There are indeed many who will testify that their lives have been enriched by tuning into, and respecting, the power of their dreams.
States of Consciousness
Sleep is an altered state of consciousness. Consciousness is a person's active perceptions, thoughts, feelings and memories. Of course people can't be aware of everything at once and therefore there are different levels of consciousness or awareness but when people are awake, they are conscious.
The unconscious is believed to be responsible for dreams, habits and mannerisms, slips of the tongue and even symptoms of illness. The unconscious is made up from all past experiences but how far back do these experiences go? Carl Jung, for instance, put forward the notion of a 'collective unconscious' which is said to be inherited and shared by all.
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