Dream Information Dreams is defined in Webster's Dictionary as a "sequence of sensations, images, thoughts, etc., passing through a sleeping person's mind" . Dreams have been a topic of study dating back to 4000 B.C. One may say that dreams have been around as long as the first civilization came to be and are just a normal part of human existence.
In our dreams, we can go anywhere, we can be anybody, and we can do anything. When we dream, we are like passengers on a moving train, unable to control our actions and choose
surroundings. We let our mind take over. Sometimes, dreams can be understood in the context of repressed thoughts. Dreaming serves as an outlet for those thoughts and impulses we repress during the day. When we go to sleep at night and slip into our dream state, we feel liberated and behave and act in a manner that we do not allow ourselves in our waking life.
Visions and ideas can come from your dreams. Authors, screenwriters and poets turn to their dreams for stories. Artists and musicians explore dreams for their inspiration. Dreams can help us find solutions to our daily problems and see things from a different perspective.
In this section, you will find a vast array of information on dreams, from its early beginnings, type of dreams, how to remember your dreams, babies and dreams, and much more. Hopefully, you will learn some interesting things about dreams. History of Dreams Dream interpretations date back to 3000-4000 B.C., where they were documented on clay tablets. For as long as we have been able to communicate our dreams, we have been fascinated with them and have strived to understand them..
People in primal societies were unable to distinguish between the dream world and waking world or that they simply choose not to make such a distinction. They saw that the dream world was not
only an extension of reality, but that it was a more powerful world.
In the Greek and Roman eras, dreams were seen in a religious context or as direct messages from the gods or from the dead. They look to their dreams for what to do or what course of action to take. Dreams forewarned and predicted what will happen in the future. Their belief in the messages of dreams was so strong that it even dictated the actions of political and military leaders. In fact, dream interpreters even accompanied military leaders into battle to help with war strategy.
During the Hellenistic period, the main focus of dreams was centered around its ability to heal. Temples, called Asclepieions, were built around the healing power of dreams. It was believed that sick people who slept in these temples would be sent cures through their dreams. Dream interpreters even aided the medicine men in their medical diagnosis. It was believed that dreams offered a vital clue for healers to finding what was wrong with the dreamer.
In Egypt, priests also acted as dream interpreters. The Egyptians recorded their dreams in hieroglyphics. People with particular vivid and significant dreams were believed to be blessed and were considered special. People who had the power to interpret dreams were looked up to and seen as divinely gifted.
Dreaming can be seen as an actual place that your spirit and soul leaves every night to go and visit. The Chinese believed that the soul leaves the body to go into this world. However, if they should be suddenly awakened, their soul may fail to return to the body. For this reason, some Chinese today, are wary of alarm clocks. Some Native American tribes and Mexican civilizations share this same notion of a distinct dream dimension. They believed that their ancestors lived in their dreams and take on non-human forms like plants. They see that dreams as a way of visiting and having contact with their ancestors. Dreams also helped to point their mission or role in life.
During the Middle Ages, dreams were seen as evil and its images were temptations from the devil. In the vulnerable sleep state, the devil was believed to fill the mind of humans with poisonous thoughts. He did his dirty work though dreams attempting to mislead us down a wrong path.
In the early 19th century, dreams were dismissed as stemming from anxiety, a household noise or even indigestion. Hence there was really no meaning to it. Later on in the 19th century, Sigmund Freud revived the importance of dreams and its significance and need for interpretation. He revolutionized the study of dreams.
Tracing back to these ancient cultures, people had always had an inclination to interpret dreams The bible alone has over seven hundred references to dreams.

dream research
One sleep cycle comprises of four stages and last for about 90-120 minutes. There are some texts that list five stages in the sleep cycle. Some consider the first five-ten minutes when you are falling asleep as a stage in the sleep cycle. We feel this is more of a transitional phase. In addition, while the other stages of sleep repeat themselves throughout the night, this phase of sleep does not. For this reason, we have excluded
it as part of the sleep cycle. Dreams can occur in any of the four stages of sleep but the most vivid and memorable dreams occur in the last stage of sleep (also commonly referred to as REM sleep). The sleep cycle repeats itself about an average of four to five times per night, but may repeat as many as seven times. Thus, you can see how a person has several different dreams in one night. Most people, however, only remember dreams that occur closer toward the morning when they are about to wake up. But just because you can't remember those dreams does not mean that they never happened. Some people swear on the fact that they simply do not dream when in reality, they just don't remember their dreams. The Stages Of Sleep The stages in the sleep cycle are organized by the changes in specific brain activity.

Stage 1: You are entering into light sleep. This stage is characterized by Non-rapid eye movements (NREM), muscle relaxation, lowered body temperature and slowed heart rate. The body is preparing to enter into deep sleep.
Stage 2: Also characterized by NREM, this stage is characterized by a further drop in body temperature and relaxation of the muscles. The body's immune system goes to work on repairing the day's damage, the endocrine glands secrete grown hormone and blood is sent to the muscles to be reconditioned. In this stage, you are completely asleep.
Stage 3: Still in the NREM stage, this is a deeper sleep still. Your metabolic levels are extremely slow.
Stage 4: In this stage of sleep, your eyes move back and forth erratically. Referred to as REM sleep or delta sleep, this stage occurs at about 90-100 minutes after the onset of sleep. Your blood pressure rises, heart rate speeds up, respiration becomes erratic and brain activity increases. Your involuntary muscles also become paralyzed. This stage is the most restorative part of sleep. Your mind is being revitalized and emotions is being fine tuned. The majority of your dreaming occurs in this stage.

These stages repeat themselves throughout a night's sleep.

The Mechanics of Dreaming
While you are dreaming, your body has some noticeable changes. Your adrenaline rises, your blood pressure increases, and you heart beats faster. Given this notion, it makes sense why people with a weak heart may die in their sleep. Their heart may not have been able to withstand the strain of the erratic changes in your breathing and heart rates that occurs during the dream state. Dreaming takes place during REM, which stands for Rapid Eye Movement. It is thus called, because your eyes move rapidly
back and forth under the eyelids. REM sleep takes place in the fourth stage of sleep and accounts for 15-20% of our sleep time. From the point you fall asleep, it takes 30-90 minutes before you start dreaming. We cycle through the 4 stages of sleep and may enter the REM stage 4-7 times in one night. During REM, our blood pressure and heart rate fluctuate and increase. It sounds like our body is going through a lot. In fact, it is quite the contrary. During REM our bodies are completely immobile and our muscles remain completely relaxed. We may shift in our bed throughout the night, but this does not happen when we are in REM. This is commonly known as "REM Paralysis".

The Importance Of Dreaming

Research have shown that people who are deprived from entering the dream phase of sleep (i.e. REM stage), exhibit symptoms of irritability and anxiety. In one dream study, volunteers were woken up right before they entered into the dream state. Then they were allowed to fall back to sleep. Again, right before they enter REM sleep, they were woken up. This continued on through the night. The volunteers slept the same amount of time as they normally did. The next day, these
volunteers went about their day. They were observed to be disoriented, depressed, crabby, and quick tempered. There was a general impairment in their daily functioning. Some ate more than usual. As this study continued on through several nights, subjects became more and more noticeably agitated. Deprivation of REM sleep causes over-sensitivity, lack of concentration and memory loss.
This study shows the importance of dreaming and its role in our well-being and health. Some researchers believe that dreams help us tackle stress. It is clear that dreaming help recharge the mind and revitalize the body. Dreaming is a necessity.

Babies And Dreams
In a study on babies and dreaming, it was learned that babies spend about 66% or their sleeping time in the REM state. That is quite a bit of dreaming, considering that the average adult spends 15-20% of their sleep time in the dreaming stage. Dream researchers believe that there is a correlation between REM sleep and brain development. Moreover, premature
babies spend up to 80% of their sleep in the REM state. As babies become more immature, their REM sleep decreases. Dropping to 50% in the full term baby and down to 35% in a one year old. This finding is believed that REM sleep is important in the mental development of the baby. Dreaming may be seen as a way of "exercising" the mind and stimulating it. As they get older, they will be able get mental stimulation from their surroundings and outside environment. As we get older and older, our REM sleep will reduce down to 15%.

dream facts and tidbits

Daydreams
Studies show that we all have the tendency to daydream an average of 70-120 minutes a day. Day dreaming is classified as a level of consciousness between sleep and wakefulness. It occurs during our waking hours when we let our imagination carry us away. As our minds begin to wander and our level of awareness decreases, we lose ourselves in our imagined scenario and fantasy. Click here for a more in depth look at daydreams.

Lucid Dreams
Lucid dreams occurs when you realize you are dreaming. "Wait a second. This is only a dream!" Most dreamers wake themselves up once they realize that they are only dreaming. Other dreamers have cultivated the skill to remain in the lucid state of dreaming. They become an active participant in their own dreams, making decisions in their dreams and influencing the dream's outcome without awakening. Click here for a more in depth look at lucid dreams.

Nightmares
A nightmare is a disturbing dream that causes the dreamer to wake up feeling anxious and frightened. Nightmares may be a response to real life trauma and situations. These type of nightmares fall under a special category called Post-traumatic Stress Nightmare (PSN). Nightmares may also occur because we have ignored or refused to accept a particular life situation. Research shows that most people who have regular nightmares have had a family history of psychiatric problems, bad drug experiences, people who have contemplated suicide, and/or rocky relationships. Nightmares are an indication of a fear that needs to be acknowledged and confronted. It is a way for our subconscious to make up take notice. "Pay attention!" Click here for a more in depth look at nightmares.

Recurring Dreams
Recurring dreams repeat themselves with little variation in story or theme. These dreams may be positive, but most often they are nightmarish in content. Dreams may recur because a conflict depicted in the dream remains unresolved or ignored. Once you have found a resolution to the problem, your recurring dreams will cease. Click here for a more in depth look of recurring dreams..

Healing Dreams
Healing dreams serve as messages for the dreamer in regards to their health. Many dream experts believe that dreams can help us avoid potential health problems and help us to heal when we are ill. Our bodies are able to communicate to us through our dreams to "tell" us that something is not quite right with our bodies even before any physical symptoms show up. Dreams of this nature may be telling the dreamer that he/she needs to go to the dentist or doctor.

Prophetic Dreams
Prophetic dreams, also referred to as precognitive or psychic dreams, are dreams that seemingly foretell the future. One rational theory to explain this phenomenon is that our dreaming mind is able to piece together bits of information and observation that we normally overlook or that we do not seriously consider. In other words, our unconscious mind knows what is coming before we consciously piece together the same information.

Signal Dreams
Signal dreams help you how to solve problems or make decisions in your waking life.

Epic Dreams
Epic dreams (also known as Great Dreams or Cosmic Dreams) are so huge, so compelling, and so vivid that you cannot ignore them. The details of such dreams remain with you for years, as if your dreamt it last night. These dreams possess much beauty and contain many archetypal symbology. When you wake up from such a dream, you feel that you have discovered something profound or amazing about yourself or about the world. It feels like a life-changing experience

1. One-third of your lives is spent sleeping.
2. In an average lifetime, you would have spent a total of about six years of it dreaming. That is more than 2,100 days spent in a different realm!
3. Dreams have been here as long as mankind. Back in the Roman Era, striking and significant dreams were submitted to the Senate for analysis and interpretation.
4. Everybody dreams. EVERYBODY! Simply because you do not remember your dream does not mean that you do not dream.
5. Dreams are indispensable. A lack of dream activity can mean protein deficiency or a personality disorder.
6. We dream on average of one or two hours every night. And we often even have 4-7 dreams in one night.
7. Blind people do dream. Whether visual images will appear in their dream depends on whether they where blind at birth or became blind later in life. But vision is not the only sense that constitutes a dream. Sounds, tactility, and smell become hypersensitive for the blind and their dreams are based on these senses.
8. Five minutes after the end of the dream, half the content is forgotten. After ten minutes, 90% is lost.
9. The word dream stems from the Middle English word, dreme which means "joy" and "music".
10. Men tend to dream more about other men, while women dream equally about men and women.
11. Studies have shown that our brain waves are more active when we are dreaming than when we are awake.
12. Dreamers who are awakened right after REM sleep, are able to recall their dreams more vividly than those who slept through the night until morning.
13. Physiologically speaking, researchers found that during dreaming REM sleep, males experience erections and females experience increased vaginal blood flow - no matter what the content of the dream. In fact, "wet dreams" may not necessarily coincide with overtly sexual dream content. 14. People who are giving up smoking have longer and more intense dreams. 15. Toddlers do not dream about themselves. They do not appear in their own dreams until the age of 3 or 4.
16. If you are snoring, then you cannot be dreaming.
17. Nightmares are common in children, typically beginning at around age 3 and occurring up to age 7-8.
18. In a poll, 67% of Americans have experienced Deja Vu in their dreams, occurring more often in females than males.
19. Around 3% of adults suffer from sleep apnea. This treatable condition leads to unexplained tiredness and inefficiency.

Remembering Dreams
Why should you bother remembering your dreams?
1. Your dreaming mind has access to information that is not readily available to you when you are awake. Your dreams may reveal your secret desires and subconscious feelings.
2. In remembering your dreams, you will have an increased knowledge about yourself, bring about self-awareness and self-healing. Dreams are an
extension of how you perceive yourself. They can be a source of inspiration, wisdom, and joy.
3. Learning to recall your dreams may help you become a more assertive person. In remembering your dreams, you are expressing and confronting your feelings.
4. Remembering your dreams can help you come to terms with stressful aspects of your lives.

Tips To Recalling Your Dreams Remembering your dreams will require some effort on your part. But what your dreams can offer and tell you about yourself will be well worth it. Here are some tips in helping your dream recall:
1. Before going to bed, keep a clear mind. Tell yourself that "I will remember my dream when I wake up". This is actually a proven and effective way to help dream recall. Having too many thoughts
on your mind can distract you from remembering your dream in the morning. 2. Have a regular bedtime and wake up time. Make this your routine. Going to bed and waking up at a regular time every day aids in dream recollection.
3. Avoid alcohol consumption and taking medication before going to bed. These things may hinder you from remembering your dream. Eating fatty foods too close to bedtime can also divert bodily resources away from the brain and hinder dream recollection.
4. Keep a pencil/notebook or tape recorder next to your bed so that it will be within reach as soon as you wake up. You want to make recording your dreams as easy a task as possible. Having a small lamp by your bedside is also a good idea should you wake up in the middle of the night and want to record your dream immediately.
5. Do not get out of bed immediately. Upon waking from a dream, lay still in your bed, keeping your eyes closed and moving as little as possible. Wake up slowly and stay relax. Hold on to the feelings you have and let your mind wander to the images of what you have just dreamt. Were you frustrated, terrified, or happy?
6. Write down as many details in your dream as you can, no matter how minute or seemingly unimportant it may be. Do not judge the content or worry if it makes sense. The idea is to get it down on paper so you can evaluate it later. Make it a habit that this is the first thing you do. Talking about your dreams to friends or participating in forums and chats also help you remember.
7. Sometimes it may help to draw pictures. A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes. Even if you are not an artist a simple drawing can help to jolt details of your dream.

Your Dream Journal
1. Select a notebook specifically to record your dreams in. A nice fancy journal or a blank bounded book may encourage you to use it. However a plain spiral notebook or paper pad will suffice. Keep it by your bedside where it is easily accessible. Dream details fade quickly after awakening so it is essential to record the dream
2. Keep a consistent dream format. Date your dreams. It doesn't matter if you use last night's date or the next morning as long you keep it consistent. 3. Write in the PRESENT tense as if the dream is still occurring before your eyes. This helps to recall your dreams by putting you back into the moment of your dream.
4. Write down every possible details of you dream. Location, colors, sounds, objects, characters, and your emotions are all important aspects of your dream. You may want to ask yourself the following questions. What are the significant images or symbols in your dream?
Where was the dream located?
How did the dream make you feel? What was your mood when you first woke up from the dream?
How does your dream parallel a situation or experience in your waking life? 5. Grammar, spelling and punctuation are not important when recording your dreams. Just get the dream down on paper before it slips away and record everything that you remember even if it may only be fragments. As you start writing, more and more pieces of the dreams will come to you. Because we are not able to write faster than what we are thinking, it may be a good idea to record your dreams on tape first. However it will still be a good idea to go back and record the dream on paper.
6. When something is hard to describe in words, draw a quick sketch of the imagery. Color pencils or crayons may help depict your picture more clearly.
7. After you have recorded your dream, make a little footnote on any major concerns or issues that is going on in your waking life. As your journaling grows, you will hopefully see a correlation and pattern between your dream and reality.
8. Lastly, put a title on it.
9. Highlight keywords and symbols that stand out.

Interpreting Your Dream Now that you have written your dream down on paper, it is time to disassemble it.
1. Identify the characters in your dreams. Ask yourself who these people are and what qualities they represent for you. Many times the people in your dreams represent aspects of your own self. Seeing your mother in your dream, may represent your own maternal characteristics. It may also mean that particular qualities that you see in
your mother, you see in yourself as well. Refer to Carl Jung's Archetypes or Dream Mood's Character dream themes to further your understanding of the characters in your dream.
2. Ask yourself why you are having this dream at this particular time. Draw from your real life events and situations that are occurring at about this same time.
3. Consider the puns that appear in your dreams. The subconscious mind likes to make use of humor, metaphors, and slang in making its meaning known. For example, when you see a plane in your dream it could mean that you are feeling plain. Or if you dream that you are making dinner reservations, it could mean that you are reserved or hesitant about. Or if you are passing someone on the road, you may be worried about passing a test. You get the idea.
4. Circle or highlight any words you believe to be symbolic. Ask yourself, what does this word mean to you. Consult our Dream Dictionary to further guide you into your interpretation. Sometimes looking up its symbolism will help make the dream more clearer and stimulate your own thinking about the symbol.
5. Start creating your own list of dream symbols and images and what they mean to you. Eventually you may start to see recurring images.